Choosing Your Sea Fishing Tackle
Having the right tackle for sea fishing starts with the rod. There are several kinds of sea fishing rods but roughly speaking they can be split into three categories: the spinning rod, the beach caster and the boat rod. The beach casting rod is the longest of the three and is built for casting long distances to reach the water behind the surf from the beach. The rod itself is strong and relatively inflexible. The spinning rod, on the other hand, is slightly shorter and more flexible. It is usually outfitted with lighter tackle and used to enjoy good sport when landing small to medium sized fish from shore. The boat rod is short and stiff and used as the name suggests to fish from a boat - where casting is not a priority.
Most reels used in deep sea fishing come with around three hundred yards of strong fishing line. The size of the hook is an important factor and is chosen to suit the size of the fish you are after. In general, however, hooks used in sea fishing are larger than hooks used for freshwater fishing. This is in part because the prey is usually larger and in part because the obstacles and complications in the sea are usually larger and more difficult than in a regular stream or river. Hooks can range in size from the tiny 32 used for catching rainbow trout, through the 4/0 used to snag the great pollack, the 1/0 used to chase mackerel, and all the way up to the massive 19/0 used only in rare cases to hook extremely large game fish.
When sea fishing off a pier or dock, also known as ledgering, many anglers use weights, or ledgers, and floats. Because many sea fish are bottom feeders, used to taking their food directly off the sea floor, a ledger or weight will weigh your bait down and keep it stuck to the bottom where the hungry fish are searching for food. For fishing at mid-depth, a float is used. Sitting on the surface above to help mark the position of the bait, is generally decked out in bright colours to help make it easier to spot.
In order to pick exactly the right tackle for your expedition, it"s important to get an idea of the eating habits of the fish you are aiming to catch. Because there are so many different types of sea fishing tackle, knowing your prey will help to narrow it down for you and make sure you pick the right pieces.
Each item of sea fishing tackle is designed for a specific purpose and imitates a specific kind of ocean food. Once you know what type of fish you"re after and what it eats, finding the right lure to fit your tackle will be a piece of cake.
Most reels used in deep sea fishing come with around three hundred yards of strong fishing line. The size of the hook is an important factor and is chosen to suit the size of the fish you are after. In general, however, hooks used in sea fishing are larger than hooks used for freshwater fishing. This is in part because the prey is usually larger and in part because the obstacles and complications in the sea are usually larger and more difficult than in a regular stream or river. Hooks can range in size from the tiny 32 used for catching rainbow trout, through the 4/0 used to snag the great pollack, the 1/0 used to chase mackerel, and all the way up to the massive 19/0 used only in rare cases to hook extremely large game fish.
When sea fishing off a pier or dock, also known as ledgering, many anglers use weights, or ledgers, and floats. Because many sea fish are bottom feeders, used to taking their food directly off the sea floor, a ledger or weight will weigh your bait down and keep it stuck to the bottom where the hungry fish are searching for food. For fishing at mid-depth, a float is used. Sitting on the surface above to help mark the position of the bait, is generally decked out in bright colours to help make it easier to spot.
In order to pick exactly the right tackle for your expedition, it"s important to get an idea of the eating habits of the fish you are aiming to catch. Because there are so many different types of sea fishing tackle, knowing your prey will help to narrow it down for you and make sure you pick the right pieces.
Each item of sea fishing tackle is designed for a specific purpose and imitates a specific kind of ocean food. Once you know what type of fish you"re after and what it eats, finding the right lure to fit your tackle will be a piece of cake.
