Building A Beginner's Tackle Box

We recently asked a question on the EarthSports Facebook page about whether or not our readers would be interested in some beginner-level how-to articles. The response we got back was an overwhelming "Yes!" 

With over 100,000 anglers in our expanded EarthSports network, one of the biggest challenges I face as a writer is trying to come up with content that is interesting and engaging to anglers of all skill levels. Some of our members want to read about the subtle intricacies of fishing a deep-diving crankbait around ledges for summertime bass, while others just need some help deciding which bait or color to tie on for a given situation.

I decided to take a swing at writing a piece about how to build a beginner's tackle box, but I had a couple of problems. First of all, this is the kind of topic that might put an experienced angler to sleep. And second, once I sat down and actually started writing I realized that trying to pick a handful of baits and terminal tackle for multiple species in different parts of the country is nearly impossible. Redfish in Florida don't respond to the same baits and presentations as redfish in Texas. And smallmouths on deep, clear northern lakes require a different tackle arsenal than a largemouth in a stained, grassy southern impoundment.

Then I came up with an idea that would solve both problems. One of the coolest things about the EarthSports community is our angling diversity. We've got college bass anglers from around the country mixed in with some of the top inshore and offshore guides on every coast. Our members include kayak anglers that target small ponds, rivers and creeks, as well as tournament pros that travel the country casting for cash. 

The way I see it, I shouldn't be writing this article. YOU should. This is the perfect opportunity for the experienced EarthSports anglers to lend a helping hand to the folks that are still getting their feet wet in the sport.

The topic is building a beginner's tackle box. The idea is to keep it simple. The best way to think of it is to pretend all your tackle was stolen, and you had to start over from the beginning with only one rod and reel combo and a handful of baits and colors. 

I've created a template below for you to use. Make sure to tell us where you're from and the type of fishing you do. As we get more responses I'll break things down by species and region and make a quick reference guide that we can all learn from.

This won't work if you don't take time to respond, so please participate! I'm going to fill out the one below to give you an idea of how it should look.

Where do you fish? (state/water type)
Texas, mostly inshore bays 

Which species do you fish for?
Redfish, flounder and speckled trout

If you had to pick one rod for your type of fishing, which would it be?
I'd go with a 7-foot medium-action rod. This rod will handle most situations and presentations for inshore fishing on the Texas coast.

If you had to pick one reel for your type of fishing, which would it be?
I prefer a low-profile baitcaster with a retreive of at least 6.3:1. However, spinning reels are probably a little more versatile when it comes to casting finesse baits (1/8-ounce and less).

You can choose two different types of line to put in your tackle box. Which lines would you choose?
I prefer 50-pound braided line for the most part. Braid is very sensitive and extremely tough. I fish around a lot of oysters and other gnarly structures, and the braid holds up well. In extremely clear water I use a 3- to 5-foot length of 20-pound fluorocarbon as a leader. I tie the leader to the braid using a uni-to-uni knot. 

If you don't like to fish braided line (many anglers don't) I'd suggest 15- to 17-pound fluorocarbon as the main line. However, remember that fluorocarbon sinks, so it's not the best choice for topwater baits. Braid or mono works best for topwaters.

Choose up to five soft-plastics to put in your tackle box.

1. A small (less than 4-inches long) paddletail swimbait is my main soft-plastic.

2. I also like to have a straight-tail jerkbait on hand.

3. Other than that I always carry a large swimbait (longer than 5 inches) to imitate mullet.

4. I also like to have a scented bait on hand for dirty-water situations. A Berkley Gulp! 3- or 4-inch shrimp works nicely.

5. The only other bait I might keep on hand is a small shrimp imitation like a D.O.A. for sight-casting.

What are you five favorite soft-plastic colors? 

1. Glow/chartreuse tail

2. Black/ chartreuse tail

3. Pumpkinseed (or any natural brown to imitate mullet)

4. Salt & Pepper (or any silver to imitate shad)

5. Transparent pink (to imitate shrimp)

You can choose up to five other baits of any type (hard baits, spinnerbaits, etc.) to put in your box. What are they? List your favorite color of each bait.

1. I'd go with a walk-the-dog style topwater, like a Rapala Skitterwalk or Super Spook Jr. (bone)

2. A slow-sinking plug like a MirrOLure or Corky. (glow or pearl)

3. A Colorado-blade spinnerbait like a Strike King Redfish Magic. (gold blade/chartreuse body)

4. A sqaure-bill shallow-diving crankbait for working around shell clumps. (blue back/chartreuse belly)

5. I can get by with the four baits listed above, but if I had to choose a fifth it'd be a vibrating (Chatterbait-style) jig. When fishing around floating grass the vibrating jig tends to snag less than the spinnerbait. (gold blade/chartreuse body)

Choose up to five pieces of terminal tackle (hooks, weights, corks, etc.) to put in your tackle box.

1. A small selection of jigheads from 1/8- to 3/8-ounce. Preferably chartreuse.

2. A small selection of weedless jigheads from 1/8- to 3/8-ounce for fishing around grass.

3. Popping or rattling corks for fishing extremely windy conditions.

4. Some small glass rattles for inserting in soft-plastics

5. A small spool of 20-pound, 100% fluorocarbon for leader material.

Any other accessories you'd put in your box? Tools? Scents? You can choose up to five.

1. You definitely need a good pair of stainless steel pliers for fishing inshore. If you buy the cheap pliers they're going to rust in a few trips. You're better off spending a little extra money and getting a pair that last. 

2. A high-quality line cutter that can cut braided line. Some pliers feature a line cutter. I personally use the Tri-Shear cutting tool. 

3. A few sticks of FishSticks Lure Enhancer scent. I'd use the shrimp, mullet and shad formulas. 

4. A Boga Grip for landing toothy flounder and speckled trout.

That's it! You don't have to be as detailed as me, but you get the idea. Whether you fish ponds for panfish, bayous for bass or near-shore shipwrecks for giant stripers, we want to hear from anglers from all parts of the country. Just make sure you tell us where you're from and how you fish so we know which type of species your tackle selection applies to.

You can respond in the comments section below, but it'd probably be easier if you jumped over to the forums and responded there. 

If you're a saltwater angler and want to respond, click here.

Freshwater anglers that want to reply can click here. 

Details:

> The idea for this article was submitted by an EarthSports community member, and we're always looking for new topics to cover. If you have an idea for an article or video you'd like us to do, let us know in the comments section below.

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