Purchase a fishing tackle box that has compartments for organizing your tackle. This allows you to put your hands on the tackle you need with ease. Your tackle box should be lightweight, waterproof and have latches that will keep the contents secure.
Needle Nose Pliers
Needle nose pliers will assist you in easy removal of the fish hook once you land your fish. Sometimes the fish swallow the bait and the hook. If this happens, needle nose pliers can be a great help in removing the hook.
Stringer
If you plan on taking your catch home and frying it up for dinner, you will need a stringer. This allows you to slip a metal clamp through the fish’s mouth and then through the gill. This is painless for the fish and is a good way of keeping your catch secured so it can’t get away.
Landing Nets
Landing nets are optional. Some fisherman wouldn’t be without them while others never use them. If you are fishing from the bank of a pond or stream, a net isn’t necessary. If you’ve fishing from a boat, they’re highly recommended. Also, a net allows kids to catch minnows, frogs and tadpoles when they get tired of fishing. This is a good pastime and keeps them busy. They will discover many things about the world while playing with a fishing net.
Bait
Of course some type of bait will be necessary. If you’re a beginner, night crawlers, also known as dew worms work great. You can buy them at a fishing store or use a flashlight to pick them from the dewy grass in your yard or the compost pile after dark. They are easily stored in the refrigerator, but be sure to put them in a plastic container with some soil and fasten the lid securely.
Other baits you can try are mealworms, plastic worms, grubs, cheese balls, bread balls, kernel corn and small chunks of hotdog. More advanced anglers may prefer minnows, crabs or leeches.
Fishing Knife
Also known as a fillet knife, a blade of a fish knife is pointed and has a sharp edge on one side and a serrated edge on the other. The serrated edge is used for scaling your catch. The sharp edge is used for cleaning and filleting.