Tackle box essentials?

[fishin-fool]

Hey all,

To make a long story short, it's only recently that I've gotten back into fishing. And I'm taking it way more seriously than I did when I was younger. I'm trying to learn as much as possible so I can have more success as I don't have a boat. Just curious as to what kinds of things you guys would consider to be ESSENTIAL to a tackle box. It can be a lure, terminal or whatever you might think no one should be without.

I'm not looking for anybody's secret lure or anything like that. Just what would you recommend that a newbie definitely have in the tackle box/bag?

-Matt

[IronWorker]

A good pair of needle nose pliers, a small pair of Xuron Brand sprue cutters and two chain saw files tightly wired together at both ends as a hook sharpener.
Sometimes if you have a fish hooked in a difficult spot you can use the Xuron Cutters to perform "minor surgery" by snipping a small section inside the fishes mouth to allow you to more easily get the hook loose.

And you do need a emergency kit somewhere in your boat with a bic lighter, fire starter material, aspirin, tobacco for stings, small flashlight, granola bars and some paper towels all this in a zip lock bag.

[jcb]

Great advice, IronWorker. Dryer lint works great for the fire starter material, none better IMO.

[DJD]

Pliers
Side cutters (cut hooks)
D&L Jigs
Cabin Creek Tubes
2/0 Hooks
1/8oz Sinkers
1/4, 1/2oz rattle traps
Bandit 100, 200 series cranks (fire tiger and shad pattern)
Sunscreen
Bandaid
Ibuprofen
That's just a few items and there are many more. If you walk creeks then you can downsize to crappie size baits too. Btw.....keep some "code brown" emergency wet wipes with you in case mother nature calls.

[RoadToad]

Trash bags!
Various size lead-heads, and some white and pink curly tail grubs to go on them.
Barrel swivels, #3 & #10, beads, & slip-sinkers.
A couple extra spools of line for tying leaders. I save the tail end after I re-spool a reel for just this purpose.
Trout hooks, 2/0 hooks, basically whatever hooks fit the fishing you're going to do.
slip bobbers.
Super-Duper lures, silver & chartreuse (my personal favorites).
Rooster tails, red and white at least, also whatever color you like.
A good multi-blade knife. I have an old Leatherman that my dad gave me that I keep in my tacklebox. Also a specialized line-cutting tool, similar to nail clippers, comes in handy.

[fishin-fool]

Some great suggestions! Several things mentioned that I hadn't thought about. Keep 'em coming.

[HURRICANEBOB]

Bottle Opener

Small flat tip and cross tip screw driver, jewellers sizes.

[ErikSmith]

Personal defense weapon. Ky is an open carry state, or opt for a concealed carry license. There areto many losers around, dont become a statistic.

[fishin-fool]

Personal defense weapon. Ky is an open carry state, or opt for a concealed carry license. There areto many losers around, dont become a statistic.

Let's keep it to fishing.

[artcarney_agr]

The Falcon Terminal Tackle organizer - the FTO501
Gamakatsu EWG hooks - size 2/0 through 5/0
various sizes of bullet weights, reg. and screw lock (Florida rig)
1/2 oz. and 3/4 oz. steel egg weights
red glass beads
crane barrel swivels
6" Zoom Lizards - Watermelon Seed and Watermelon Blue Flake
Baby Brush Hawgs - same colors as above
Regular Brush Hawgs - same colors as above
5" Yum Dinger - Watermelon Candy and Watermelon Seed
Zoom Super Fluke, white pearl
Strike King Baby Rage Craw - candy craw
With all that you can carolina rig, texas rig, wacky rig, florida rig, soft jerk, and weightless rig. You should be able to catch fish in many many different places and situations with all that.

[fishin-fool]

I looked up that Falcon terminal organizer you mentioned. I definitely need to get one of those!

[killroy1221]

Well, what type of fish are you going to be targeting and what kind of water?
Creeks bass:
Four inch zoom lizards and shad raps

Lakes bass:
Spinnerbaits and seven inch tequila sunrise worm.
Devils horse
Jigs

Panfish:
Carlisle float
1/16, 1/32, 1/8 ounc jig heads. And 15 dollars worth (to get started) of different colors of tube jigs from wallmart.


I would recommend picking one or two fish on one or two close bodies of water. Then acquire a handful of the baits mentioned here (not just mine) and use them until they make sense and you catch fish consistantly. Don't be afraid to broaden your arsenal, but it is good to have confidence in your ability to catch fish in different conditions on your favorite lures. You can go most anywhere then. That is what I did to start off. Keep us updated with pics!!