Fishing Basics: What Equipment Do I Need to Go Fishing?

Fishing is a great way to spend a day. It's a balm for the soul, a relaxing tonic for the mind and body. Fishing gets you involved with nature. There's neat stuff to pick at and play with along the bank and in the water. Hawks and eagles soar overhead, turtles bask, and frogs hop. You'll see polliwogs, crayfish, killdeer and, of course, those shiny, wriggling fish that you lure from the deep.

Lots of people want to fish but don't know how. To hear a fishing professional or an experienced angler talk about structure, patterning, thermoclines, downrigging, flipping, planer boards, crankbaits, jerkbaits and jigs, you would conclude that fishing is an incredibly complex pastime.

It doesn't have to be. One of the joys of fishing is that it can be fun and productive at any skill level. You can complicate the sport with jargon and sophisticated equipment - and you may as you keep fishing - but the whole sport can be pared down to some basic equipment and techniques. This article presents equipment basics to you.

Rod & Reel

You could catch fish with a stick, some string and a safety pin. In a similar vein, you could also pound nails with a rock. But wouldn't it be easier to use a hammer? And like the hammer, a fishing rod and reel is a purchase that will serve you over and over again.
Fortunately, taking this giant evolutionary step from stick and string to a modern and suitable fishing rod and reel is not expensive. You can outfit yourself for fishing for anywhere from $10 to $50, depending on the quality of the equipment you choose.

We're going to be spin fishing, as opposed to flyfishing or baitcasting. In spin fishing, the reel lays line around a fixed spool, the way you might wind thread on a spool. The spool end points toward the guides on the rod, and line falls off it in loops when you cast.

Spin fishing reels are of two types (don't get scared; this is easy): closed face and open face. The closed face reel has a cap with a hole in it over the top of the spool. On the open face reel, you can see the entire spool and the line wound on it.
Closed face reels have either a push button or a lever that, when depressed, allows line to fall off the spool. Open face reels have a semicircular metal device known as a bail, which guides line onto the spool when closed and allows line to be released when open.

You'll want a good all-round rod-and-reel combination to start with - something
that will let you catch fish of all sizes. Look for or, better, ask the clerk for a medium-light rod from 5 1/2 to 6 1/2 feet long and a matching reel that will handle lines from 4-pound test to 12-pound test. (The "pound test" tells you how strong the line is.) Medium-light tackle is sufficient for fishing ponds and small lakes and rivers, even trout parks.

Line

Start with 8-pound test monofilament line. People sometimes use lighter line to cast farther or to get more bites from skittish fish or heavier lines to pull out of snags, but 8-pound test line is a good compromise for most fish. Choose clear, light blue or green line for your starting outfit.

Check your reel or the instructions that came with it to determine how much 8-pound-test line it will hold. Usually a 100-yard spool is large enough to fill a medium-light reel. Follow the instructions that come with your reel and line before filling. The reel is full when the wrapped line is about 1/16 of an inch from the outside edge of the spool. Don't allow knots in your line, except at the end. Knots both weaken line and make it difficult to cast.

Fishing Gear

Sporting goods departments and bait shops often stock mind-boggling inventories of equipment and accessories. They offer artificial baits in every color and size. Plus you'll encounter a whirlwind of bugs, bobbers, sinkers, hooks and swivels. Don't be misled or cowed; you don't need a garageful of equipment to go fishing. In fact, the following basic items will equip you nicely for your first outings.

Shopping List:

• Package of hooks size 6
• A "wheel" of split shot in assorted sizes
• One package of three bell sinkers, 1/2 -ounce
• A small plastic tackle box
• Two or three bobbers, small or medium size
• Monofilament line, 8-pound test
• Stringer
• Bucket
• Landing net (optional).
• A Missouri Fishing Permit (If you are between 16 and 64 or are a non-resident) and a trout permit if your target is trout, except in the state's four trout parks, where you will need a daily permit.

Other useful items:

• Pair of needlenose pliers
• Pair of fingernail clippers
• Cooler
• Fishing towel

Baited Hooks

Keep baits fresh. With few exceptions, fresh bait will attract more bites than old bait. Try using this bait chart to help with bait choices:

Bluegill/Sunfish: worms, insect larva	Catfish: worms, nightcrawlers, stinkbaits	Crappie: minnows, worms
Bass: minnows, nightcrawlers	Carp: worms, corn, doughballs	Trout: worms, minnows

Bait costs vary throughout Missouri, but should cost between $1.00 and $3.00 per dozen of live bait and prepared baits (cheese, stinkbaits) range from $1.50 - $4.50.

So, there you go. All basic fishing equipment and supplies can be had for $40-$100, and the vast majority of it can be used over and over.