More and more people are finding a love of fishing, shown by the almost 55 million Americans that went fishing last year at least once. It’s a peaceful and therapeutic activity that almost anyone can do, and it doesn’t have to cost a lot of money.
If you’re just getting started or haven’t gone fishing in a while, you want to make sure you have everything you need beforehand.
Read on for the only fishing trip checklist you’ll ever need.
Fishing Gear
The smartest fishing checklist will first start with your fishing gear. You want to make sure you have all of the essentials first, so if worse comes to worst and you forget something else, you will still be able to enjoy your fishing trip.
Your best fishing gear will include:
- Fishing rods
- Fishing reels
- Extra lines
- Tackle bag or tackle box
- Hard baits and spinnerbaits
- Soft-plastics
- Bass hooks, walleye hooks, and circle hooks
- Various sizes of bait hooks
- Leaders
- Live bait rigs
- Fishing net
- Fish scent
- Scale and ruler
- Headlamp and batteries
It’s wise to purchase a container that will be able to hold most of your fishing gear. Keep it in a specific place, and check on it before each fishing trip so you can see exactly what needs to be replaced before embarking on your journey.
Clothing
While you technically can wear whatever you want while going fishing, it’s much smarter to choose the proper clothing attire. You’re likely to get wet and cold, as much of fishing is done during the early morning hours or late at night.
You’ll want to choose the best fishing shoes to keep your feet dry, various rain gear, waterproof gloves, hats, fleece vests, hooded sweaters, swimsuits and towels, and fleece pants.
Since a good bit of fishing requires you to stand still for hours at a time, you want to make sure your body feels comfortable enough to do so. Being too hot, cold, or wet can hinder this process and cause your fishing trip to become much less enjoyable.
Instead, choose to plan ahead!
Miscellaneous Items
Similar to going camping, going fishing requires more tools than just those that are used to capture the fish. Being out in the wilderness means you have to prepare for different elements.
You should also be prepared to bring:
- Sunscreen
- Lipbalm
- Bug spray
- Extra batteries
- First Aid Kit
- Solar Powered Generator
- Pocket Knife
- Binoculars
- Camera
- Cooler with lunch and drinks
- Waterproof Container
- Lighters or matches
Keeping these tools handy will help you be prepared for any situation that comes your way, so you can relax and focus on catching all the fish.
Use This Checklist for Your Next Fishing Trip
This checklist can help you prepare for your next fishing trip, so make sure to use it! As you pack, consider what the essentials are first and consider buying it from mom oi. You’ll be sure to be a fishing expert in no time.
While you’re waiting for the fish to bite, why not learn a little something else today? We have tons of articles like this on our website, so go start browsing.
Wayne Probert is a senior reporter at Zobuz, covering state and national politics, and he is a grantee with the Pulitzer Center on Crisis Reporting. Before joining Zobuz, he worked as a freelance journalist in Kentucky, having been published by dozens of outlets including NPR, the Center for Media.
