Finding Saltwater Fishing Gear

by bgautrea

Finding Saltwater Fishing Gear

For anglers lucky enough to live close to the coast, getting out on the saltwater and hooking a big one—whether going after bonefish, redfish, snapper, or ocean bass—is one of the best thrills possible. But, as many women have pointed out, fishing can be the male equivalent of scrapbooking: you’ll pay as much time and money looking for “just the proper” lures, hooks, rod, reel, or you-name-it as you can spend time actually putting the line in the water! Admittedly, the explore for the elusive “perfect setup” may be a very real part of the pleasure of fishing, however why spend oodles of effort and time trolling the aisles at your local retailers for saltwater fishing gear when you could be trolling the estuaries and lagoons, or surf-casting for jack or roosterfish?

What Do I Require?

If you’re a real saltwater novice, you need to grasp that saltwater fishing gear is generally heavier than freshwater equipment and is additionally made of materials that resist the corrosion so prevalent in environments that mix moist air and high saline content. Even saltwater fly fishing gear is heavier than the tackle favored by the guys angling for rainbows in those high mountain streams. Also, rods differ depending on the kind of saltwater fishing: surfcasting rods are totally different than a boat rod you’d use to bottom fish from a pontoon or pier; Deepwater trolling rods are vastly different than saltwater flyfishing rods. And, as with any alternative kind of fishing, you need to choose your line based on what you’re going after: for ladyfish and other smaller inshore species, you do not need twenty-pound test line! In fact, if you know what you’re doing, you’ll be able to catch more fish on smaller line.

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Take Care of Your Stuff

As implied by its need for corrosion resistance, your saltwater fishing gear ought to be regularly cleaned and maintained for maximum life and minimum down time. Every time you employ your saltwater fishing gear, you must straight away clean everything with soapy water and a soft brush—nothing else will take away dried salt. Clean all the eyes on the rod, and hang everything vertically to dry. Use sparing amounts of a good quality reel lubricant to keep the reel in top operating condition and to extend its life. But watch out not to use an excessive amount of lubricant-fish hate the scent of oil!

Spend Your Money Wisely

Usually, spending the most cash on a rod does not invariably ensure getting the best deal. With reels, on the other hand, the higher investment will pay real dividends, since more costly reels typically are created with real bearings instead of plastic shims. Bearings will last longer and offer smoother operation throughout the lifetime of the equipment, while the less expensively created reels will begin to wear and drag sooner.

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