Articles Index

All About Fishing Tackle
Tips, suggestions and how to information about saltwater fishing tackle and accessories.

What Kind of Fishing Leaders to Use
What kind and size of fishing leader line you use can make a difference on how many fish you catch.

Setting the Hook
With the possible exception of sheepshead, setting the hook on a fish is at once both the easiest and the most misunderstood action that anglers can take. I watch anglers all the time, and I find that different anglers have different techniques even when fishing for the same fish.

Fishing a Jig Head
There are a lot of terminal tackle choices on the market. Some are simple; some are complicated. All can be as expensive as you would like them to be. My personal choice for most of my inshore fishing (with natural bait or with a grub) is a jig head.

What’s in a Swivel?
There are three or four basic types of swivels, all of them designed for the specific purpose of preventing line twist. When a bait twirls in the water or a hooked fish spins, the swivel is there to turn (swivel) and allow the terminal tackle freedom to spin while keeping your line from twisting.

Lubrication Can Mean the Difference
Proper lubrication of reels, and rods is extremely important if we are going to have a chance at catching a fish of a lifetime. There are lots of reel lubrications out there; Abu Garcia, Penn Reel Lube, and 3-in-1 to name a few. All of these work very well, but I have come upon a new lubricant that seems to work as well as any of the rest and will purportedly last longer than any of them, Militec-1, a new product distributed by Lanigan Performance Products.

Line Size Makes a Difference
You can catch more fish on smaller line if you know how to do it!

There's A Reason to Replace Your Fishing Line
Replacing your fishing line from time to time is one of the best things you can do to avoid loosing fish. Frayed fishing line can cause untimely breaks.

Drop Shot Fishing in Saltwater
The drop shot rig is a relatively recent innovation in the freshwater fishing realm that is now making its way to saltwater. Named for the way the rig goes straight to the bottom, it is similar to a ‘fish-finder’ or ‘chicken’ rig currently used by many bottom-fishing anglers. The difference is in the placement of the hook.

Fish Hook Selection Makes a Difference
Fish Hook choice depends on several factors. Obviously, the smaller the fish, the smaller the fish hook required. What most anglers miss is, that line size, fish species, type of bait, and fishing structure play a major role in fish hook selection.

Twice Caught Fish
Every now and then, something very special happens to an angler. We all have one of those stories that others sometimes find hard to believe. Well, Dave Mostowski submitted the one below. I happen to believe this one, because I've had some similar experiences. Here's Dave's story

Which Rod and Reel Should I Buy
I receive a lot of email asking me for advice on which rod or which reel to buy. It seems that people are somewhat convinced that there is a perfect rod or perfect reel, and that someone out there knows the brand.

My Sweetheart - My Rod and Reel or My Girl?
Editor's note: Often my readers submit a story from our Reader Submission page. Lilly Matthews, who submitted this one says, "Sorry this is not about saltwater fishing but Wisconsin is a little short on the saltwater if you know what I mean!

Change Tackle to Catch Fish
Lots of times we fish – maybe offshore and maybe inshore – and we get discouraged because we can’t seem to hook up with the fish that are biting. The tackle we are using is either too big or too small. Many anglers suffer through or even move to another spot. But it doesn’t have to be that way. Yoiu need to change tackle to catch fish

Circle Hooks to the Rescue!
As a catch and release fisherman I am always concerned about the welfare of the fish I release. So it is with a great deal of interest that I fished this last trip using circle hooks. These hooks have been around for a long time, but only recently have they been used to improve catch and release survival. They originally were designed for tuna and longliner fishing as hooks that would set themselves on unattended lines.

What Kind of Leader Do I Need?
But the importance is not so much whether to use one or not (we almost always need one), rather it is what kind of leader to use. Three basic choices are monofilament, fluorocarbon, or steel, or some combination or derivative of these three.

Tackle Cleaning Tips
Tackle Cleaning Tips. Cold weather and no fishing means its time to go through and clean tackle. Get ready for spring with these tips

Rainy Day Ritual
Today is a good day to get my tackle boxes straightened out. After multiple trips at the end of which I did not go through all my tackle, it’s time to get it right. So, today I sit in front of a fire, plastic sheeting on the carpet and wooden floor (my wife refuses to allow my tackle in the house without it!) with reels and tackle boxes waiting to be cleaned.

Fishing Without Bait
How many of us have ever left the dock and headed out to fish only to find you left the bait in a cooler on the dock? It’s a long ride back to the dock, and at the price of fuel today, it makes it very expensive to head back and retrieve it. Try fishing without bait!

There's A Reason to Replace Your Line
Unlike a lot of anglers, I realize that the line on your fishing reel doesn't last forever. But, like most anglers, I seem to replace that line only when something happens that tells me I waited too long.

Choosing the Right Terminal Tackle
Bottom fishing, whether inshore or in deep offshore waters, necessarily means making a choice on the terminal tackle you plan to use. Many anglers catch fewer fish as a result of a poor choice or no choice at all.

Circle Hooks to the Rescue!
As a catch and release fisherman I am always concerned about the welfare of the fish I release. So it is with a great deal of interest that I fished this last trip using circle hooks. These hooks have been around for a long time, but only recently have they been used to rescue and improve catch and release survival.

Maptech's New PDA Interface
Maptech (www.maptech.com) has come out with a new item. For all of you with a PDA or Palm Pilot, you can now have your charts and maps loaded onto your device. I received an email announcing this offer so I am currently giving it a try.

When is a Swivel not a Swivel?
We all use them at some point in our fishing life. Swivels are an important part of the terminal tackle in use by most saltwater anglers. But do we all use them for the same reasons?

The Right Tackle Box
I find it impossible to carry all the tackle I will need on a given day of fishing. After years of hauling a ton of rods and tackle boxes around in boats with limited space, I decided to plan my tackle the night before and take only what I would need for the planned, next day trip.

1 | 2