Fishing Gear – Handy Fishing Tools You Won’t Leave Home
Fishing Gear - Handy Fishing Tools You Won't Leave Home Without
A fisherman carries a lot of gear besides that rod and tackle. The reasons aren't hard to find, since a good angler has to work with sharp hooks and stubborn fish. A toolkit that makes those things easier to manage leaves more time for fishing. Who wouldn't want that?
A pair of pliers is a basic element of that toolkit. But the average household needlenose item just won't cut the mustard. Fishing pliers are specially designed to make hook shaping and removal and the hundred other things they're used for a simple job. Many offer tungsten carbide cutters that'll never wear out. They're also specially treated to resist corrosion much better than the average home pliers.
A split shot crimper, special ergonomic grips and a split nose ring are just a few of the features good fishing pliers will have that are foreign to the household type. Unlike home pliers, they're handier with the jaws open, so a center spring is a must. Like the home style, any good one will incorporate a good wire cutter. But fishing pliers go beyond this since they'll be used to cut monofilament and fluorocarbon lines.
One tool that not every fisherman thinks about, but should, is a lure retriever. These are metal spirals on a long pole. They look (and are) simple, but the job they do is priceless. 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.
With a lure retriever, it's a simple matter to telescope out the pole, wrap it around the line at the lure, then give a gentle push to free that favorite. The only downside is that it will come up so easily you'll be reminded there's no fish on the end.
Don't forget to include a sharpener or two in the tool box, either.
Since you'll be carrying a ton of hooks, a few knives and other gear a sharpener is a must. Sure, you could just toss a hook that's dull. But apart from parting with your favorite Aberdeen, doesn't that get expensive pretty quickly? You bet it does. A premium hook sharpener will be one that's easy to use under real life conditions and just won't wear out.
A knife sharpener requires even higher standards. You'll be cutting line, boning fish and doing lots of other tasks that will dull your blade before you know it. A simple block just doesn't do the trick. They get slimy and useless pretty quickly.
But a pocket-sized, pen-style sharpener in a case will be protected until you need it. Then the diamond-dust covered surface will do the job right in a jiffy. Sharpen broadheads, hooks, shears and all your knives with ease thanks to the tough file and ergonomic handle.
Be sure to stock your toolbox with all the right tools. You'll have much more time for fishing. That's the whole idea, after all.
Fishing Gear - Kayaks and Canoes For The Fisherman
