The Ultimate Checklist for the Fishing | Bass Angler Magazine
There is hardly any better entertainment in the world than fishing. She captivates you from the first second and doesn’t let you go until the very end. There are a vast number of types of fishing. Each of them has its fans who are ready to devote dozens of hours of free time to their favorite business. To make any fishing fun and successful, prepare for it in advance. Your main task at this stage will be compiling a list of items you need to take with you. Everyone will have their own. One will finish the work by writing only ten lines in the notebook, another will limit himself to 20 points, and someone will even fill out several pages. No matter the length of your list, there should always be a particular set of items on it. It is essential for all fishing types, and it is not recommended that anything be deleted. We studied the opinions of many experienced fishermen and compiled our ultimate checklist for fishing. If you are interested, then quickly start considering it.
Documentation
The main thing in fishing is a license that allows fishing in a particular body of water. Without it, your actions will become illegal and be punished accordingly. Most often, an expired permit or its complete absence is subject to a fine, the amount of which depends on the current legislation of your country, state, or region. Most often, obtaining a license involves paying a certain amount. This money is used to implement various programs related to the popularization of fishing. Also, most are used to improve fish habitat and increase their population. So the next time you go fishing, think about who you’re fishing for and be sure to get a valid license.
Another valuable document to fishermen is a set of rules and laws regulating the fishing process. Each country, state, and region has its own, so be sure to check the available information for relevance in the places where you plan to catch your trophy. The best solution is to find the current rules and laws, print them out and place them in your backpack next to your fishing license. You can check the document anytime and evaluate your actions for their legality.
Clothes and shoes
To get the most out of fishing, you must guarantee yourself a high level of comfort from the first to the last minute of your stay at the reservoir. Because of this, it is essential to include the proper clothing in your ultimate checklist. It must have such qualities as strength, lightness and safety for health.
If you go fishing in the summer or in the warm months of spring and autumn, try to include a minimum of wardrobe items in your list. In all cases, they must be made of high-quality materials that have good breathability and do not cause an allergic reaction upon contact with the skin. Avoid shorts, T-shirts, and short-sleeved shirts if you are fishing from a boat or in an open water area. Otherwise, exposed parts of the body will be exposed to prolonged exposure to direct sunlight, possibly resulting in burns. Also, don’t forget about a hat to help you avoid sunstroke.
The list of necessary clothing for winter fishing will be much longer than for summer fishing. To avoid getting frostbite or simply not getting cold, you will need thermal underwear, several layers of warm clothing, an insulated jacket, a hat and mittens. This set is optimal for most cases, and excluding any item from it is highly not recommended. A light jacket and vest will be ideal during the transition period when it is not very cold outside but not too hot. You can wear whatever you want under them, depending on the air temperature in the fishing areas. Also, the best demi-season option would be jeans or unique fishing pants.
Equally important in your ultimate checklist will be the right shoes. It is also selected depending on the weather expected at the location of the reservoir. The most versatile option is boots. Models with good breathability are selected for summer, while models with high-quality insulation are chosen for winter. It is also essential to pay attention to the sole. It must be made of high-quality, non-slip materials. You will only be sure you will not slip on mud or water and receive any injury in this case. Of course, the chosen shoes must match the size of your feet and not create discomfort while wearing them. Otherwise, you will think less about the fish and more about the calluses appearing on your feet.
Security features
Fishing is a relatively safe activity. Despite this, you should consider various dangerous situations and carefully prepare for surprises. To minimize the likelihood of negative aspects occurring, you should include several essential items in the ultimate checklist. First, you must collect a first aid kit and put it in your backpack. It should contain everything you need to provide yourself or a fellow hobbyist first aid. In addition to the basic medical kit, the first aid kit should include medications a doctor prescribes for each fishing participant. Perhaps they will help improve a person’s condition or even save his life.
To feel safe throughout your fishing trip, you must always keep your phone or other means of communication with you. In an emergency (for example, a heart attack, a bandit attack, etc.), this device will make it possible to call for help and prevent trouble. Because most of your fishing you will be near water, which any electronics are afraid of, you need to keep your phone in a waterproof bag or a particular case. Don’t forget to include one of these items in your ultimate checklist.
Whenever you go fishing from a boat, always take a life jacket. This needs to be done even if you are a world champion swimmer and can cope with stressful situations. Having a life jacket on your shoulders will give you additional confidence that even if the boat capsizes and you receive any injury, you will remain on the surface of the water and will be able to wait for help. In some cases, a life jacket will also be needed when fishing from the shore (for example, you can put it on a child whom you took with you fishing).
You haven’t been to night fishing if you don’t know when night vision was invented and how to use it correctly. But in vain, this exciting activity is not inferior to its daytime counterpart and gives a lot of positive emotions. If you go to the pond at night, do not forget to take a monocular, binoculars or night vision goggles with you. These devices will help you move safely in the dark and avoid trouble. When fishing, night optics will make it possible to monitor your gear, even in cases where there is very little natural light. This will increase your chances of success and help you catch a cool trophy.
Tackle
Fishing without a fishing rod is the same as hunting without a gun. Therefore, this gear should be a must-have item on your ultimate checklist. Ideally, you should take several fishing rods designed for different fishing methods. In this case, you can choose the best fishing option for each situation. Today, you can find hundreds of types of fishing rods on sale. Among them, you should choose models that are made of modern materials. Such products will always be durable and can become your constant fishing allies for a long time.
In addition to the fishing rod, the required items include gear such as fishing lines, hooks of all types and sizes, sinkers, floats (if you prefer float fishing), spare reels, and other necessary items. All of them must be taken with a reserve so that if the main gear breaks down or is lost, you can replace it and continue doing what you love. All of the items listed should be collected together. Of course, you don’t just need to throw them into your backpack and mix them. The best option would be to use a special tackle box, where each item will be in its place, and you can always quickly find what you need. An alternative could be a bag designed for storing gear. It is sold in any specialized fishing store and is always easy to find.
Bait and ground bait
Fishes are amazing creatures that often behave unpredictably. Sometimes, they can even bite on an empty hook, but such cases are the exception to the rule. In this regard, your ultimate checklist should include a variety of bait that can satisfy the nutritional needs of a particular species. Ideally, you should take as many bait options to the pond as possible and experimentally select the best one.
The best option for catching predators would be live bait (worms, insects, small fish, etc.). It is selected depending on the reservoir’s characteristics, where you will fish, and your desired trophy preferences. For example, live bait for trout will be ineffective when fishing for bass and vice versa. Alternatively, you can use spinners, balancers, wobblers, various silicone baits and much more. Each of them can be a good fishing choice and will allow you to catch a big trophy. You will also need good bait to catch more peaceful fish that do not have various living creatures in their diet. It most often becomes bread, cereal grains, corn, peas, vegetables and fruits. You can also use boilie made from a variety of natural plant-based ingredients.
In addition to bait, you will need ground bait. It will attract the fish’s attention and help increase the intensity of the bite. You can prepare bait yourself or buy it in specialized stores. They will work effectively in both cases and can make your fishing more fun. The bait may contain various components of plant and animal origin. They will create the ideal fish food in the right proportions, which they cannot refuse. Very often, multiple flavorings are added to bait. They enhance the smell and help attract the attention of more fish.б
Food and water
Most types of fishing involve constantly performing a variety of active actions. This leads to significant energy expenditures, which must be replenished with food. Not all food is suitable for fishing. This is because, in nature, you will not have access to a refrigerator, microwave oven and other devices in every kitchen. Therefore, in your ultimate checklist, include products that do not require freezing and will be suitable for use even when cold. Among the many options for a fisherman’s lunch, canned food, biscuits, cheese, nuts, crackers, dried fruits, and bread are suitable. However, if you can cook over a fire, the variety of products available will be enormous.
When fishing, you will want not only to eat but also to drink. Using water from a river or lake to quench your thirst is not recommended, as it may contain many harmful microorganisms. In this case, the only way out is to use the drink you brought. It is recommended to take still water when fishing. It is better absorbed by the body and is suitable for various uses (for example, not only for quenching thirst but also for washing down tablets and hands). It is also essential that the water does not contain various aromatic additives and dyes that can cause an allergy attack. It is not the best, but an acceptable alternative to water is juice or iced tea.
Additional items
The ultimate fishing checklist may contain dozens of additional helpful items. Among them will be a knife. This simple and accessible item will become one of the most in demand. You can use it to cut fishing lines, cut up caught fish, collect material (such as tree branches) to create homemade fishing rod holders, and much more. In the most extreme situations, it can even be used for self-defense.
An essential additional item will be insect repellent. In some cases, it can save your fishing and save you from thousands of annoying pests. When choosing a product, be guided by its composition. It should not contain components that can cause you an allergic reaction. The following helpful item is an ordinary measuring tape. It will help you determine the length of the fish caught and compare the obtained values with the current legal restrictions of the country, state, or region (for example, individuals of a specific size must be released and not kept).
If you plan to take the catch for yourself, you will definitely need a landing net. This simple item will allow you to store caught fish in the water until the end of fishing. As an alternative, you can use a portable refrigerator, which will definitely prevent your catch from spoiling.
Even a person who has never done it can fish in any water. It is its simplicity and accessibility that make this activity one of the most popular in the world. It always brings great pleasure and provides an opportunity to have a pleasant time alone or in the company of like-minded people. For the fishing to be perfect, thoroughly prepare for it. We have helped you with this by compiling a list of the most valuable items you should always take. If you carefully read our article, you have noted the most critical points for yourself and have begun the preparation process. We hope that on your next fishing trip, you will be able to catch a good trophy and thank us for the information provided.
Source: https://bassanglermag.com/the-ultimate-checklist-for-the-fishing/
