Saltwater Fishing Gear
Saltwater fishing gear is called fishing tackle by specialists and hobbyists, and it generally refers to rods, lines, hooks, sinkers, spears, lures, baits, reels, nets, and so on. Some of these items belong to the fishing gear known as terminal tackle which usually covers snaps, sinkers, swivels and hooks.
Etymologically speaking, the “tackle” as fishing equipment originates from ‘takel’ which designated the rigging of a ship, that is, the rope supports necessary for a ship's masts and sails. Later the same word was recorded to have a different meaning, that of apparatus for fishing and that meaning has been preserved ever since.
The most basic fishing equipment consists of a rod with a line and a hook, a lure and a bait attached to the hook and a sinker. The line is a basic cord manufactured according to a specific pattern to be both resistant and nearly invisible for fish. When a fisherman buys fishing line he has to be sure that the stretch, the resistances and the strength of the product is suitable for the kind of fishing he has in mind. The line will be chosen based on the size and the species peculiarities of the fish he/she intends to catch.
The sinker, also called a plummet, is made form a weight that helps in casting the hook and the bait as far as possible from the shoreline or from the boat that the fisherman uses. Sinkers are usually made of lead as their purpose is also to sink and to get the bait closer to the fish in the water as fast as possible. However, the lead sinkers have been banned in some parts of the world especially if they are really small. If ingested by bird species or other fish, the lead causes the death of the animal.
Another basic item of fishing equipment is the hook. The hook serves as a support for the bait and it gets stuck in the mouth of the fish. These sharp “claws” get attached to the line; and the fisherman can choose from a pretty wide range of hook sizes, materials and shapes.
Last but not least, the fishing equipment relies on baits and lures for efficiency. The lure is an item of material hung at the end of the line that looks and moves like something resembling the prey of the fish you are after. The color, motion and vibration of the lure become focal points for the fish that afterwards goes for the bait. Once the fish attacks the lure, it gets hooked. Bait is the prey like element attached to the hook that works together with the lure for a successful catch. Bait can be natural including insects, little fish or worms, or artificial made of fabric or plastic materials.
Learn more about fishing, fishing techniques and fishing destinations here Fly Fishing Gear and also here Fly Fishing Equipment
