Essential Fishing Supplies
Warm weather and clear skies mean one thing to the avid angler—time to hit the water and cast your line! But before you take your fishing boat out to the lake, you’re going to want to ensure that you’re ready for anything. There’s a whole roster of essential fishing supplies that you’ll need to have a comfortable and productive fishing trip, and even if you’re an old hand at fishing, it always pays to double-check and be prepared.
L&M Marine, LLC, located in Stapleton, is your local fishing boat dealer. Here is a buying guide to essential fishing supplies to help you stock up for your next trip!
First-Aid Kit
No fisherman worth his salt should hit the water without being prepared to deal with minor illnesses or injuries. Stock up a first-aid kit to keep on your boat in a waterproof container so that you can always treat wounds and stomach upsets and other problems. Some items you may wish to have in your kit include bandages, gauze, ointments, sunscreen, aloe vera, bug spray, calamine lotion, painkillers, antacids and a pair of tweezers.
Lures, Sinkers & Bobbers
You’ll want to keep a good stock of different sorts of lures, sinkers and bobbers in your tackle box so that you can pick and choose the one to use for any given situation.
Lures might include top-water lures, spinners, spoons or minnow imitations. Keep a selection on hand even if you have a few that you prefer to use most of the time.
Sinkers help to pull your hook and worm or lure down deeper into the water. Traditionally made from lead, modern sinkers are often made from other metals now that are less toxic, like brass or steel. Keep several sizes handy.
Bobbers or floaters will let you know when you’ve got a fish on your line as they sink into the water. Even a piece of cork on a stick will do in a pinch if you don’t have a plastic or slip bobber handy.
Pliers
A sharp pair of needle-nosed pliers is a handy tool to keep in your tackle box. Remove hooks from fish easily once they’re caught with a pair of pliers. Maybe you need to bend some wires or prise a wood splinter out of your boat. Whatever it is that needs a precise hold, pliers can come to the rescue.
Several Hooks
You can’t just go fishing with a single hook and expect it to work for every type of fish. A selection of hooks will allow you more versatility with your fishing so that you can swap them out for different areas. Stash some J-hooks and French hooks in varying sizes in your tackle box so that you’re ready for anything.
Line Cutter
If your line gets hopelessly tangled, sometimes the best option is just to cut it and move on. A small blade of some kind will help you trim your lines quickly so you can get back to fishing. In fact, a pair of nail clippers can serve as the perfect compact line cutter and you can stash them in your first-aid kit. A pocket knife or a multi-tool is also handy to have around, though, for other issues that may arise.
Extra Line
Remember that snarly line you just had to cut? Well, you can’t do much if you don’t have more line on hand! Your line might be snapped by a big fish or caught on some driftwood, so you should keep some thin, clear line and some heavier line with you to suit different fishing conditions.
We hope this list has provided you with the information you need to get your fishing boat packed and ready to go. Still in search of the perfect fishing boat? Stop by our dealership in Stapleton, Alabama, to view our vast inventory of new and used fishing boats for sale. L&M Marine, LLC, proudly serves the cities of Mobile, Alabama, and Pensacola, Florida.