Most common
Fishing Accessories

These are some of the common fishing accessories you should have in your tackle box:



Swivels
If you want to keep your line from getting twisted, you should use a swivel. A swivel makes some baits and lures spin betterand help prevent that these baits and lures twist your line. There are several types of swivels available. The most common are: 1. Safety pin snap 2. Ball bearing and 3. Barrel snap. Generally, the best ones are ball bearing swivels.

Ball Bearing Swivels are high priced. They can save you money, when you are casting spinners or spoons that like to twist your line. They are also good to use, when you are using high priced lures on a premium line.

Barrel Swivels are cheaper than ball bearing swivels. They provide a good way to link the line with the leader.

Snap Swivels have an eye on one end to which the line is attached. On the other end is a safety pin type snap to which the lure or bait is attached. There are many types available.

Three Way Swivels are mostly used for bottom fishing. They have three eyes pointing in different directions. One eye attaches to the fishing line, one to the sinker and the third is used for the bait.

In general, use the smallest swivel that will accomplish the job. Dark types are preferred over bright ones.



Leaders
Leaders are important components. They provide the connection between the fly and the line. They should be large in diameter, where they attach to the fly line and small at the end, where the fly is tied.

Most fishing leaders are made of common materials like monofilament, stainless steel cable or nylon coated cable. Monofilament leaders are easy to cast and are less visible to the fish.

The most popular material is monofilament, because it is less visible to the fish and it is also easier to cast. The disadvantage is that sharped toothed fish like walleyes, muskies, mackerel can cut the leader fast.

Stainless steel leaders are stronger. Stainless steel is not much more visible than momofilament, but it is stiffer.

Hooks
There is a great number of hook styles available. The appropriate hook depends on the fish you want to catch. In general, the smaller the hook, the less visible it is to the fish.

The parts of the hook are: eye, shank, bend, barb and point. Important is the gap and the throat. The gap is the distance between the hook shank and the point. The throat is the distance between the point and the bend.

The regular hook has a round shank that is bent into a hook. The diameter of the shank is about equal to a strong, thin wire.

The point of the hook can be short, long, straight or bent up or down from the shaft. The point must always be sharp. The barb is the part of the hook that will hold the hook once it penetrates the fish. There are barbless hooks available that make it easier to release the fish.

The bend refers to the curved part of the hook. The shank is the straight portion of the hook between the bend and the eye. A short bend might be better when bait fishing, because the bait can cover the hook.

Sinkers
Sinkers are used to get your bait down in the water. They will hold the bait near the bottom of the stream. There are many types of sinkers. The most popular ones are: split shot, bank, clinch on types, pyramids and sliding sinkers. To choose one, you need to consider depth, current, line strength and the type of fish you want to catch.

The Pyramid is used mostly in bottom fishing. It rests at the bottom. If the bottom is soft, the pyramid can dig in and hold in place. The bait is attached above the pyramid with a three way swivel.

The Bank swivel is used just like the pyramid swivel. It is best used on a rocky bottom.

The Clinch On is good to use with a spinning tackle. The line is placed in the slit and the slit is closed by bending down both ears.

There is a great variety available in different sizes, shapes and colors. Most are round, because they float high and are easy to see, but they offer great resistance to the fish. Therefore, it might be better to use small bobbers.

Sliding or cylindrical types are tapered to reduce air and water resistance. They are better for casting and don't spook the fish as much as round bobbers. They also interfere less when fighting a fish. Some can be filled with water to improve casting distance.

For easy use, store your fishing accessories in plastic boxes with individual compartments.

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