Tackle Talk

When I first started fishing I remember going to a big box store that starts with a “W” and finding a Shakespeare combo that looked nice at a price I could afford. I fished with that rig for about 6 months and I got really good at fishing. There was one thing that puzzled me during those first 6 months. I realized one day I often had no idea I had a fish on the line unless I saw my line wandering off away from where I had cast it. This resulted in a lot of missed hook-ups or a gut hooked bass. I remember killing a nice 1.5lb largemouth trying to get the hook out of it’s gullet and getting incredibly frustrated.

I was recently asked in regards to purchasing a casting reel “Why wouldn’t you just buy the casting reel with the biggest gear ratio? Wouldn’t you want to reel on your line as fast as possible to reduce the risk of losing your fish?” My answer was “Yes, you want to get your catch to you

When I first began fishing, I tied everything with the only knot I knew. In fact, I didn’t even know how to tie it without instruction. I cut out the back of a Stren mono filler package and kept it in my tackle bag so I could reference it. Eventually, as my skills and techniques grew, so did my knowledge of knots and their appropriate applications. Whether you are a novice, weekend warrior or professional angler, these are the 5 knots we believe everyone should know.