It’s time to get our tackle ready and prepare for the upcoming season. Make sure you have all the plugs and terminal tackle you need. Take an inventory of your tackle, and make a list of what you’ll need to buy.
After you make your list of items needed stop by Crafty One Customs located in Portsmouth RI or your local tackle store and get ready for the summer!. While you’re at your preferred store, it wouldn’t be a bad idea to change out your line. If you did a lot of fishing last year and used the same line all summer, it probably has some weak spots in it. It also might have a bit of memory to it, and when you cast, it might become a giant snarl. The better the line you buy, the less curl it’ll retain, but it’ll still have some memory. It might cost a bit of money, but it’s a good practice to change your line out each year, or maybe every other year.
Choosing the right tackle
SALTWATER RODS AND REELS
Choosing a saltwater rod and reel is dependent on whether you plan to fish with metal jigs, troll, or bait-cast, where you plan to do your fishing, and what type of fish you’re aiming to catch. Generally speaking, there are several things to keep in mind:
Longer rods will cast farther, while shorter rods are more powerful for when it comes time to fight the fish, We prefer the jigging rods for boat fishing. Saltwater Jigging rods from Crafty One Customs are tough, lightweight, and versatile enough to be used for other types of fishing as well.
When you see the term “power” on a rod, it refers to the weight the rod is capable of lifting.
High-speed reels are better suited to fast baits, whereas low-speed reels are more powerful for fighting the fish. I prefer the Finnor Marquesa conventional reels for high-speed retrieval. The most important factor would likely be matching a reel of the proper weight to the chosen rod. This is referred to as balancing. The idea is to match a reel to the rod that is heavy enough in weight to alleviate as much rod tip weight as possible so the rod remains parallel to the ground when held in the anglers’ hand. This is best accomplished by finding out what size reel weighs just enough to get the correct balance with the rod
To pick the right rod, match the lure weight to the size of saltwater bait or lure you plan on using. The lure weight should be within the lure weight capacity of the rod. I believe the rod action rating can affect the lure action if the lure is too heavy for the rod
Terminal Tackle
Make sure that you have all of the essentials for your next fishing trip. From fishing hooks, fishing line, leader material, and sinkers you will find all of the essentials in terminal tackle here to make sure you are successful.
There are three different types of line materials, Monofilament, Fluorocarbon, and Braided. Depending on the type of fishing you will be doing, each has its benefits. Discussing at your local tackle shops will be best to determine which line you should be using.
Peek inside my tackle boxes, and you’ll find a wide variety of hooks in all shapes and sizes. Circle hooks, J hooks, treble hooks, live bait hooks, O’Shaughnessy hooks, assist hooks, hooks for soft plastics — the list goes on and on. The only thing you might not find is red hooks!
As most fishermen are aware, line twist is always a concern that needs to be looked after. Should the line twist become regular, it can lead to frayed or lower strength line and also will reduce casting distance and alter the fall or natural appearance of the attached bait. Overall, line twist is no good, especially when it comes to offshore fishing where every single detail is important. But, that said, it can easily be eliminated by using a high-quality swivel. Offshore trolling is perhaps the most strenuous and requires the absolute best components. For our serious trolling endeavors we turn to stainless steel ball-bearing swivels with two welded rings
SALTWATER FISHING TOOLS
No matter where you plan on saltwater fishing, there are four saltwater fishing tools you want to bring with you:
- Saltwater Gaffs and Nets to land the fish. We prefer using nets as it makes it easier and safer for catch-and-release fishing.
- Saltwater Pliers and Scissors to cut wire, remove hooks and tighten knots. Learn to tie saltwater fishing knots, Crafty One has some really good pliers for a great price.
- Saltwater Fishing Knives for cutting bait or cleaning fish, We use Bubba blades, they are cheap and they hold an edge after a long day of use. Grab yourself a nice knife sharpener also
- A Saltwater Hook Remover to make removing the hook quicker and safer, These are the best to have onboard especially when it is non-stop action with sea bass.
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