Outdoors Ladies - Fishing Gear- What You Will Need

Ok, now you have your fishing vest. What do you need to have in it? You do not want to fill the pockets with a bunch of stuff you don't or won't need. Like instead of lip gloss, you might need Chap Stick or Lip balm. hee hee

Here is a list of the fishing gear I like to carry in my fishing vest. Most of this is for FRESH WATER FISHING and the rest you can keep in your tackle box in the vehicle.

I put this list together so that someone who has not been fishing can get an idea of what to buy and how much you can expect to spend. I tried to show the least expensive. You don't want to go real cheap because it may break real easy and kids are hard on fishing gear.

You should carry extra fishing line in your vest. You never know. There are many brands and sizes to choose from. I use Stren or Berkley. I do not use SpiderWire because if you get it snagged you will have to cut the line and loose your lure.

If you are fishing for Trout or Bass you do not need real heavy string. You can use six pound test to 12 pound test. Remember it goes by the size fish you are going after. There is fishing line for big game fish too.

Do Not forget to bring a stringer if you plan on keeping some of the fish you catch for supper. A stringer is very simple to use. You take the end that has the pointed metal end pull it through the fishes mouth and out the gill. The other end of the stringer will have a metal ring on it, you will pull the pointed end of the stringer through the metal ring. You then stick the pointed end in to the ground near the water so you can put the fish in the water to keep it alive and fresh.

There is also the stringer with the little snap closures. Sometimes when it is cold, they are hard to open.

You may need a few Steel Leaders. I keep a few in my vest. They are good if you are fishing for fish you know have teeth, like Pike and Muskie. If you use just line they will get away every time. Pike and Muskie have very large sharp teeth. You can also use a steel leader if you are going after really big fish and you don't think using just line will hold them.

You will need to have a container of split shot. Split shot is used to give your line some weight. If you are in fast moving water or you want to cast to a specific spot. You will be surprised by how many you will loose. They do not cost much so make sure you have them. The kids loose a lot of these.

Bobbers are a lot of fun for the kids to use or if you are feeling lazy fishing in a hole or pond. Somewhere where the water is calm.

There is a nub on the top, where you will see a little hook. You push on the nub and the hook will come up. Place the string under the hook. Do this to the top and bottom.

Swivels are also another great thing to have with you. Swivels make it a a lot easier to change your hook to a lure or back again. These work great with kids along. They can never make up their mind what kind of bait to use. lol

You will need plenty of hooks. You will go through a lot and so will the kids. The kind of hooks you use very with the type and size of fish.

For Trout and Bass fish you can use a size 4 to a 10. The smaller the number the larger the hook. The larger ones are good to use if you are fishing with worms or rubber worms.

I use Bear Claw but there are many brands to choose from

You may want to snip the barb off the hooks the kids use. That will make it easier to get the fish off the hook and to get it out of them if they hook their self.  lol

Needle Nose Pliers have a long pointy nose that will help you get the hook out of a fish with the least damage. They come in handy. I would kill for mine! There is also a sharp edge near the middle. Good for snipping a hook to get it out if you have one stuck in you.

My son hooked his self in the lip trying to bite a hook off to put a new one on. The pole slipped and the hook went right through his lip, just like a fish. My husband snipped the end off with the needle nose pliers, pulled the hook out, went to the store got peroxide, cleaned the wound and they went right on fishing.

Hemostats can be used for getting a hook out of a fish too. They work real well and are light to carry. The good thing about Hemostats are you can clamp them right on to the pocket of your vest and they are always there, handy.

When fishing freshwater you can use live bait or lures. In some areas they do not permit live bait, so check first.

Trout - Live Minnows, Salted minnows, wax worms, meal worms, blood worms, salmon eggs, flies, Rooster tails, jointed minnows, Power bait,

Rapala have great fishing lures, there are so many. Ask others what works for them. Then try and see what ones work for you.

Bass - worms, plastic worms, plugs, crankbait, poppers, rubber grubs, rattlin lures, jointed minnows

There are many, many to choose from. When you go to your sporting goods store they will or should be able to tell you which lure to use for which fish. Also when you go fishing, stop at the local live bait store. They will be able to tell you what the fish have been biting on.

 I carry a small dish towel through the loop on my vest so I can dry my hands after rinsing them in the water. Your hands can become cold fast if you don't dry them.

Another thing I make sure I have with me is a few napkins. That cold water will do more then make your hands cold. hehe.

I know this looks like a lot to do and buy. After the first time you are prepared with what you will need. Most of this stuff you only buy once (unless lost) and most of the fishing supplies come in packs of more then one.

I hope that Outdoors Ladies Fishing hubs will get someone out fishing that maybe would not have done it because they had no idea where to start.

Fishing is a great way to spend time in the outdoors and time with your family.