Fishing Accessories For All Occasions

Pick up the rod and reel, select the line and lure and you're ready to go fishing, right? Not quite. There are half a dozen highly useful fishing tackle accessories that are needed to complete the package.

If there's one tool you gotta have, it's a good pair of fishing pliers. Of course they're great for hook removal but you'll find all kinds of other uses for them as well. You can cut your line, crimp split shots, straighten bent hooks, flatten the barbs and more. They can even help you get that dreaded bird's nest out of your baitcasting reel.

When you're after the big game, you'll be using a bigger hook. While far from the most expensive part of your gear, they can add up. Rather than buy a new one every time the old one gets scraped over a rock and dulled, a sharpener or file is just the thing to keep them working like new. That'll make it easy to throw on the bait and hook the big one. Check the hooks on your lures and flies as well. Run the hook point straight down lightly across your thumbnail if it doesn't leave a scratch run a file along the point a few times until it does.

Ever get that favorite lure stuck underwater on a rock, log or other obstruction? Sure you have. Feel like diving for it? Didn't think so. One tool that not every fisherman thinks about, but should, is a lure retriever. Rather than breaking your line and losing that $7.00 crankbait, you might want to invest in one. They look (and are) simple, but the job they do is priceless. This handy easy-to-use tool is a 16 foot telescoping pole with a stiff coiled wire at the end. Just run the spiraled end down your line until you hit the lure and push. For about $20 it will pay for itself in no time at all.

Once you've reeled in that big one a net is often the best way to get him in the boat. Even a tired fish well-earned after a hardy struggle can display a lot of fight when it comes up out of the water. That can make getting it into the box or boat, removing it from the hook, and other chores a... well... chore. A good landing net is the first line of defense against wasting time when you'd like to get back to targeting that next big one.

Another handy tool is a 'Boga Grip' or landing grip. This is a device that with one hand lands, controls and weighs the fish simultaneously. It consists of a short handle with strong jaws that encompasses the lower jaw of the fish while allowing you to release your catch unharmed.

If you don't have a Boga Grip and you want to release your fish there are a few things you might want to take along so you can back up your bragging rights. Take an inexpensive spring scale or even a digital scale to weigh your catch and a tape measure. Some scales even have a tape measure built in.

Whatever you do don't forget your camera! You never know when that once in a lifetime whopper is going find his way on to the end of your line. You'll definately want to capture that moment in time.

Having the right fishing tackle accessories with you will give you more time for fishing and less time for fooling around with fish.

Berkley Portable Line Spooling Station

Fill your reels, anytime, anywhere! This convenient portable line winding station lets you fill your spinning and baitcasting reels with constant tension. Easy to use, just load up a spool of line, attach your reel, tie a knot and go. It's that easy. Comes complete with a FREE ($14.99 value) line stripper for removing old line from your reels.
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Rapala ProGuide Lock'n Weigh

Rapala Pro Guide Lock'N Weigh... land and weigh your fish with one hand! Once the fish is boatside, just slide the gripper over the bottom jaw and pull back! The tough cam-lock system safely locks on to the fish so you can lift it into the boat and the built-in scale gives you an accurate weight with no fuss. For fast, easy release just pull up on the triggers to send your catch away unharmed! Choose between 20-lb. and 60-lb. models!
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Go-Get-It Lure Retriever

A "Go-Get-It" is the most innovative lure retriever available to the fisherman today. The design is unique. The molded plastic head is attached to a telescoping pole that is offered in either a 15ft or 18ft model. The patented feature of the head design traps the line in place and guides the gripping slots of the head to the lure. These gripping slots will hold the bill of a crank bait, the head of a jig, or the tie end of the wire on a spinner bait. A slight twist of the pole secures the snagged lure into the gripping slots of the head and an easy push of the pole towards the snag frees the lure. The "Go-Get-It" saves the fisherman money, time, and aggravation...and leaves him with his favorite lures to be used on his next fishing trip.
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