Unless you are a live bait fisherman, fishing tackle boxes are going to be a staple in your angling gear. Heck, even if you are a live bait fisherman, you are still going to need a place to store your hooks, line, weights, bobbers, and other tools, right? So pretty much, a fishing tackle box is a must have accessory, so I don’t really need to go too much into detail on that, but what we will cover are a few different types of tackle boxes for fishing that will help save you some frustration on the water. As long as you keep these few tips in mind, you will save yourself some money, as well as have a nice box to keep your tackle organized that isn’t going to take up an entire bedroom on it’s own.

Fly fishing tackle boxes are by far the smallest of them all, often only being tiny pouches with pieces of foam for the hooks in the fishing flies. They make them this small because fly anglers love being in the back country with their fly rods, and often have no way of packing in a huge tackle box, nor do they necessarily need one. Wearing a comfortable fly fishing vest, they can store everything they need on their body, and not have to worry about carrying a big box along with them. This is why fly fishing tackle boxes are so much smaller. Don’t let their size fool you though, these little pouches as they are called hold a lot more lures than one of the larger fishing tackle storage boxes.

Wooden fishing tackle boxes aren’t really being produced any more simply because of the cost involved in the materials. You may be able to find a few good carpenters that could build you a nice box, but expect to pay top dollar for them. You may not want to drag these boxes back and forth to the pond either, instead opting to keep it in the garage or the shed where you ready your gear for the next fishing trip. By keeping it here you are going to ensure that the wood tackle box lasts for years to come. With these being custom built, there is a limitless number of options available for how to customize the box, with what sized trays, how many, how tall, how wide, you name it.

For most anglers, they are simply going to use plastic fishing tackle boxes that will store their necessities, like a few lures, pliers, some hooks, spare line, and maybe an extra place to keep the little things from their pockets while they are on the water. These plastic boxes are by far the cheapest of the three types, and you can find models ranging from being as small as your shirt pocket, to as large as the bed of your truck. You really have to decide how much tackle you carry to the lake with you in order to determine what sized fishing tackle boxes you are going to need. Remember, you don’t have to take the whole garage with you to catch fish, so bigger tackle boxes aren’t always better! They end up being more expensive in both initial cost, and to fill with lures because it looks empty!

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photo credit: Colynn

Fly fishing rod and reel combos are usually more expensive than spinning rods and reels, mainly because of the length, and extra care that goes into ensuring the rods perform as necessary.  These longer rods take a much great skill during production to ensure casting smoothness and accuracy.  After all, casting with a fly rod is all about placing the small fly in the precise spot you meant to put it in, giving you the best chances at hooking up.

If you are an offshore, inshore, or deep sea fishermen, you are going to want to make sure that the combo you pick up is for saltwater.  Saltwater rod and reel combos are labelled as such, because they have protection in them to keep the harsh saltwater off the metals, as well as using materials that stand up better to corrosion.  Taking a freshwater reel into the saltwater even for just a few trips, without cleaning it properly afterwards, is a recipe for disaster.  What you are going to find out is that the reel is going to quickly rust, causing it to lock up beyond repair, and that the rod material is going to deteriorate quite rapidly, usually causing your rod to snap when you least expect it.  This is why you have to make sure you differentiate between the models of rod and reel combos when you are looking at them, to ensure you aren't replacing them shortly after your purchase.

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Baitcaster reels are used heavily in tournament fishing, where the targets range from heavy hitting fish like smallmouth and largemouth bass, as well as musky, pike, salmon, and other heavyweight fish.  The reason that so many tournament anglers use these types of reals is because they have the durability to last.  The best quality baitcast reels are built from high quality materials that usually have a price tag associated with them.    The price tag comes from knowing that you are going to cast smoother, and not have to handle the reel with near the finesse required when using low cost, low quality reels.

photo credit: Podknox

Baitcasters used in saltwater are often a lot more expensive than freshwater fishing reels, because of the types of metals used to produce them.  These metals have to resist the incredibly corrosive nature of saltwater, and the abuse that most anglers put their gear through.  Not maintaining the reel in the ways that you are supposed to, mainly cleaning them after each saltwater fishing trip, you are going to put them through severe stress.  The metals used in saltwater baitcast reels are built to withstand this extreme abuse.

As you can see, baitcasting reels come in all different shapes and sizes, with incredibly varying levels of quality going into each.  Getting used to using these reels is one of the toughest tasks that anglers face when they begin using them, but spending the money on a quality reel that will stand up to the abuse you'll put it through as a beginner is going to be key to ensuring you learn how to properly use them, as well as making sure that the reel is going to be around for you to enjoy for  along time to come.  Spend the money up front, and the baitcast reels you buy will pay you back fishing trip after fishing trip.

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Saltwater fly fishing reels are among some of the most purchased types of saltwater reels, mainly because of the spookiness of these types of fish. Targeting them requires extremely long casts, placed in precise locations in order to successfully hook into the monsters. If your fly reel isn't built to handle the corrosive saltwater, your casts are going to be dramatically effected. Not to mention, if you go too long between trips with a typical fly reel, you are going to find out that it is rusted shut by the time you get to use it again. Saltwater fly reels help to do away with this sort of corrosion.

photo credit: Giulio Menna

Saltwater fishing rods and reels have to be extremely tough, because most anglers usually don't clear their gear right when they are done fishing, and the manufacturers know that they have to build them with even higher quality standards because of these bad habits. Thankfully though, the manufacturers of some of the best saltwater fishing reels understand that you probably aren't going to take care of your gear right, and have overcome this by putting in materials that have even strong corrosion resistance properties.

There are a lot of ways to find deals on saltwater fishing reels. For the most part, you can get a huge bargain by trying to seek out people selling used saltwater fishing reels, because they have already taken the initial hit on the investment of the reel. The up front cost is usually pretty high on these types of reels, so finding one that can save you more than 50% off the sticker price is going to help you enjoy the reel a lot more, usually for a lot longer as well. If the previous angler has had the reel functioning for them the entire time, chances are safe that the saltwater fishing reels are going to perform the same way for you.

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There are certain types of fish found in the tiniest of fishing holes, usually farm ponds, and neighborhood retention ponds, that carry all sorts of hard fighting fish.  The deal with these sorts of species, is that you don't need massive sized fishing lines, as most of your fun can be had by using ultralight sports fishing tackle.  Using line sizes in the 4lb to 6lb test range, with ultralight or light action fishing rods is a great way to enjoy a hard fighting panfish, crappie, or even smallmouth and largemouth bass.  Catfish put up great fights on ultralight spinning tackle.

photo credit: Qrodo Photos

When people think of light tackle sport fishing, they often think about freshwater fishing, or using the gear that we just talked about.  When most anglers are speaking of light tackle fishing though, they are usually talking about inshore and flats saltwater fishing, where the water is usually less than 6-10 feet deep.  The gear used is usually medium/light or medium weight fishing rods, with lines being braided in the ranges of 20lb to 50lb test.  This helps to put up the fight that these strong saltwater fish provide, as well as providing abrasion resistance from the large amount of sharp objects that anglers have to deal with.

When you are planning an offshore fishing trip, or even getting a charter to take you deep sea fishing, you are going to be using extremely heavy line sizes, as well as fishing rod weights.  The current in the ocean is incredibly swift, as well as the fish that you are chasing will be growing to incredible sizes.  It is very easy to catch fish that weigh 200lbs or more when you are deep sea fishing, and those types of species require specialized, heavy duty tackle.  Hopefully, with this sport fishing tackle guide, you can make the best decisions when it comes to buying tackle, no matter what species of fish you are chasing.

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Crankbaits come in a lot of different varieties ranging from the flat sided and flat bodied, or lipless crankbaits, as well as the fatter broad bodied style of billed crankbaits. Both types have their own place and time, and depending on the environment that you are fishing in, you are going to want to test which has it's place on that given day. Fish tend to change their minds a lot, and could be keying in on baitfish one day, while picking off crustaceans on the bottom the next, so ensuring that you remain versatile is key.

There are a lot of different ways to fish crankbaits, but for the most part you are going to want them to appear out of nowhere, either by means of bringing them over a ledge, or by running them across where an eager fish is waiting for a meal. To get the ultimate strikes from fishing with a crankbait, try banging the plastic bill up against a submerged piece of structure and allowing it to deflect off. This method doesn't work quite as well with lipless crankbaits because of the large plastic bill on the front of fat bodied lures giving them the ability to bounce off and quickly recover. It doesn't matter where you are fishing, or what you are fishing for, if you give the lure a pause after it bangs against something and then continue reeling, you are going to feel hits as solid as a freight train.

For the most part, these lures aren't really expensive. You could easily get every crankbait you needed for less than $30 and be ready to go fishing. During the spring and fall seasons, fish are actively feeding on smaller baitfish so this is going to be the best time to get use out of that $30 investment. You can get away with using them year round however, the best times that I have found in the types of waters that I like to fish are using them during the spring or fall periods in the year. If you are planning to learn a little bit more about crankbait fishing, you may want to consider picking up a lure banger, or something that can help you dislodge the bait if it gets hung up on something your plowing it through.

There is a little trick when you are fishing with crankbaits and get it lodged onto something. Instead of pulling hard against the lure trying to dislodge it, while only burying the hooks deeper into the structure, try taking the rod in one hand and tightening down the slack. Next, between the reel and first eyelet, grab the line and pluck it like a guitar string. Make sure your hand holding the rod and reel is steady because the action you are placing on it will cause it to move. Plucking the string a few times will cause the crankbait to free itself, allowing you to reel it in and try again. This has been a lifesaver for those times when the fish have only wanted my expensive custom crankbaits.

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The features in braided fishing lines do a lot for its success. Braid has nearly zero stretch, so even with 30 yards of line out into the water, if you tighten down to set the hook you are still going to get a decent hookset. With monofilament, the line has a lot of stretch in it, and with having that amount of line on the water you will be hard pressed to get a good hookset even if you do reel down onto the fish. With braid, you can quickly pick up the slack and have confidence knowing that you can still get a hookset with this much line out, which is critical to flats fishermen dealing with spooky saltwater fish.

Braided fishing line also comes in line diameters much thinner than monofilament. Mono used to be known as the skinny line, but with newer braids becoming thinner and thinner while still increasing their test ratings, it is no wonder why so many anglers are making the switch. Before, anglers were under the impression that braid was incredibly visible underneath the water, but with the line diameters decreasing with each new production model, as well as anglers using monofilament leaders on the end of the braid, they are quickly switching over all of their reels.

While braided fishing line sounds like the best thing since sliced bread, there are a few downfalls to using it, and the complaints that the old timers have ring true. If you are using braided fishing line on a baitcasting reel for instance, and end up getting a backlash, they are often severe enough to cause you to pack it in for the day. Pulling a birds nest out of a reel loaded down with fine diameter braided line is a trial in patience, and one that you won't soon forget. Monofilament does get backlashed as well, but it is much easier to remove than it is with braid.

Braided fishing line knots are also a lot harder to tie. With monofilament, the old timers knew that they needed a few good knots to get the job done, and as braid came onto the scene, realized that the waxy coating on the line as well as the ultra thin diameters meant that there were going to be issues getting knots to hold. When you are tying braid onto a new reel, you are often going to have to use a monofilament backing, as well as a monofilament leader, which requires two fishing knots for braided line to monofilament line. Doing this will ensure that the line doesn't slip on the reel, as well as ensuring that you have a completely invisible line underneath the water.

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In Finland during Lauri's time, anglers were actively competing in daily fishing competitions, so he knew that he had just found himself an advantage. He knew that other anglers had never seen a lure like this, let alone the fish. Originally starting with the materials he had readily available, his initial tests didn't turn out quite as he had hoped. Because of this he wound up wrapping part of the lure with a thin aluminum foil that you can buy just about anywhere, and used some film negative paper to completely waterproof the wood and cork. This helped to add to the bouyancy of the lure, and gave him results that he could have never imagine. This became the first of the Rapala tournament fishing lures.

There have been a lot of productions since that first lure put Lauri Rapala on the map. Once he shared his findings with other anglers, the idea took off like a rocket ship. He ended up having to hire more people to fulfill the demand placed on him, while ensuring that each and every lure still had the attention and quality to the details that his original tournament winning lure held. From 1936 onto the mid 1960's, this was the only lure that Lauri ever produced. He started introducing other lineups in the mid 60's on into the late 1980's when he started releasing more crankbait style fishing lures.

The newer Rapala fishing lures are coming out quicker than anglers can get them in their box and test them, and this is a very good thing for Rapala, because the quality has never disappeared. From the early 1990's onto the present day, they have began manufacturing tools and other fishing products for anglers to enjoy, and have began catering to niches such as saltwater fishing and ice fishing. The lineup of Rapala ice fishing lures has become amazing, with the baits being in freezing water and still able to maintain their lifelike appeal. Rapala fishing lures are here to stay, folks.

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First, you have to understand that for most trout, all that they ever really eat are bugs off of the surface, and underwater bugs that lay larva. These fish just like small meals, so you can't approach them with a big 6" jerkbait like they are a largemouth bass, you are going to have to downsize your trout fishing bait to match the hatch as they say. The best bait for trout by far is going to be something that can fit between your fingers.

In my personal opinion, there is one bait that has to be the all time best trout bait, the good old earth worm. Tying one of these worms on to a set of smaller pre-rigged hooks and letting it float downstream will quickly put it in front of a trouts face. Once this happens you can guarantee that they are going to take the bait. Trout love live worms and it is actually one of their natural forage items, so they will readily accept them. You must make sure your hooks blend in with the color of the water though to keep from throwing them off.

There are a few other trout baits that I have used, that aren't nearly as messy as worms, and also keep better in the refrigerator if you have a bad day out on the water. Berkley released a new Power Bait formula that comes in a small glass jar. The stuff is a chartreuse green, and carries a lot of menhadden, shad, and other types of forage fish oils, as well as other secret recipes that Berkley isn't letting go of. This bait for trout has gotten me a lot more fish than even live worms do, because you can leave it soak without having little pick fish tear it apart. If you haven't already done it yet, you really need to try out Berkley's new trout bait.

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When most people take a look at the Pen Fishing Rod, they will probably discount it as some novelty item, or gag gift, even a child’s toy perhaps. This is a huge mistake, because even though this little rod and reel can’t catch huge fish, you can still have a lot of fun with it. I personally love taking it to small retention ponds and slaying the ever so eager panfish that are over populated in them. These fish never seem to let me down, and this little rod can be thrown back in my pocket when I have to go back to work from lunch.

I used to carry a larger ultralight fishing setup with me to work every day, and dip out to the corporate retention ponds on my breaks, but now that I have found out about Pen Fishing Rods, I have saved myself a lot of time. The setup comes with an inline spinner, and it’s decent for the kit, but I prefer to use other types of baits in these smaller ponds, so I opt to take them with me over the lure they sent. Not saying it doesn’t catch fish.. inline spinners are one of my favorite trout and smallie baits.

The reel that they included came with some 5lb test line, and it isn’t a whole lot, but it does do the job. You could possible think about dropping it down to around 2lb test braided line to get more distance, some added strength, as well as being able to tie a leader to the end of it for cutting off lures. This should keep you from having to respool it too often, because it isn’t all that easy as you can imagine. It is possible though, I’ve had to do it a few times.

All in all, I was really impressed with this little fishing rod. I received the Pen Fishing Rod Extreme as a birthday gift from my girlfriends parents, and I have to say that I was one of the people who discounted it. I just imagined that I would end up breaking it, and couldn’t get any use from it. A year later I still get kicks using it on the ponds to catch slab sized panfish. I haven’t hit a bass yet with it, but if I do I hope it will hold up. Time will tell. Hopefully this Mini Pen Fishing Rod review will help you in your buying decision.

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