In a well stocked tackle box you can spend as much money on the terminal tackle as you do on the rods/reel, there is a vast amount to chose from and you will soon find out what you like and what you dont.There are various quirky "bits and bobs" that we all think is indispensable (i know a couple of people who always take a cut down paint brush handle with them when fishing for flatties) but there are some essentials that we will always need to catch fish.
LINE.
Line comes in two main forms, monofilament and braid, there are many different breaking strains available and all have their place.For shore fishing on clean beaches most people use mono between 15-20lb BS, some will use slightly lighter line in the summer when trying to fish at extreme distances and others will prefer to use a thicker higher breaking strain line without a leader when floating weed or debris can be a problem.
A leader is a length of much higher breaking strain line (usually twice the length of the rod) this equates to 10lb BS per oz of casting weight, so if you use 6 oz leads then you require 60 lb breaking strain leader. This is used to prevent "crack offs" when casting, the increased forces placed on the line are tremendous and the last thing anybody wants is for a weight to come off or the line snap when casting , hitting somebody and potentially killing them, the usual knot for joining the leader to the main line is to use a half hitch in the leader and a 4 turn grinner in the mainline. there are tapered leaders available that start about 70lb and taper down to 18lb that can be joined using a double grinner knot.
Braid has a much higher BS than the equivalent sized mono, it also has much less if any stretch, some anglers like to use braid instead of mono because of this lack of stretch and as it cuts through the water it allows you to spot bites much easier at distance and you can feel every twist and turn of the fighting fish.This lack of stretch can work against you sometimes, if it is rough it is harder for the weight to get a good grip,it also offers no cushioning when a fish makes a sudden lunge, so mqake sured your drag is set right.If braid has a down side it is not very abrasion resistant and can snap quite easy if chaffed or rubbed on sharp under water objects, it is because of this that you still need to use a leader when fishing with braid but also to help prevent the hook pulling out if a fish makes a last lunge for freedom. Be careful when fishing with braid, it can cut through rod rings if you are unlucky and you can end up with a nasty cut on your thumb with the to and fro action when reeling in, many who use braid use some form of finger protector. Braid also has the habit of picking up more rubbish and weed in the water, and thus clogging up the top eye of the rod. Braid seems to be more popular with boat anglers than shore anglers.
Low memory line(amnesia) and fluorocarbon lines are popular for the short snoods or hook lengths that connect direct to the hook.
Power gum is quite thick springy line that is used primarily in sea fishing for stop knots, either when float fishing or rig making when you need to be able to alter the stops positions.
WEIGHTS.
Weights have 2 jobs to do in sea fishing, to propel the rig out to sea and once there to stay there. They come mainly in 2 varieties, either plain or wired and both have their uses.
WIRED LEADS.
Wired weights are more common than plain and again come in 2 different forms, fixed wires or the more common breakout form. The breakout have become more common now as they offer you the stability of a fixed lead but the ease of retrieval of a plain lead (in theory), this is either done by indentations on the weight and beads as on the breakaway version on the wire or by the gemini method that has a specially designed plastic nose that the wires clip into. Extra extensions and different grade of wires are available with the gemini system that allows different rates of hold and release pressure needed. A handy hint is to carry an elastic band with you, if your breakout leads are still releasing too early by having the band tight over the wires you can make it harder for the weight to release, making it more like a fixed wire that will eventually break free with steady pressure.
Breakaway leads have special hook clips that release every time due to the force of water when it lands, the gemini have a version called "flat back" that are useful for clipped down rigs, the baited hooks sit right behind the weight making the rig more aerodynamic.
Fixed wires offer even greater grip of the sea bed but are much harder to retrieve and more likely to snag than the breakaway style. There are different grades of wire so that you can further adjust the grip.
Wired leads either fixed or breakout are also used when uptiding from a boat.
PLAIN LEADS.
Plain leads still have a role in modern sea fishing and at times offer positive advantages over wired leads, they are used to allow you to search the beach for the fish rather than the fish finding the bait, though obviously it is harder to do this unless you have more beach to search without tangling other anglers.
Plain leads are used when downtiding off a boat, where all you need is something to take the baited trace down to the fish, these boat leads can weigh over 1lb in weight
Flattened plain leads are good when fishing into areas where the bottom is made up of soft mud, the shape helps to prevent it sinking ito the mud and becoming stuck.If you want some travel of the bait around the sea bed but a plain lead is traveling too fast then a flattened lead will help slow its travels down. Flattened leads are available to buy commercially but the easiest way to make them is top simply hammer a plain lead with a hammer till you get the desired shape .These offer you similar benefits of the old "watch" style leads.
a selection of leads
HOOKS.
Hooks come in a huge variety of styles,shapes,sizes and strengths more so than any other part of your tackle.You will need to consider the fish you are targeting and thus the size and shape of the bait than you will need.
There are relatively few hook manufacturers such as mustad kamasan gamakatsu and a couple of other smaller ones and it tends to be down to a personal choice what people like or feel confident in using.
Hooks vary in size from tiny fresh water ones up to the huge 10/0 hooks for big game, the size of your hook should be matched to the size of baits you intend to use. Small hooks up to size 2 are good for delicate baits like harbour rag when targeting small fish.Size 1and 1/0 are good for general fishing or match fishing when using lug/ragworm fish strips etc.2/0- 3/0 will take bigger baits like large multi worm baits, sandeels or combination or cocktail baits such as lug/squid. 4/0 up are for the large baits such a whole squid, big crab baits, mackerel flapper or heads and when targeting BIG fish
Hooks are made from a fine wire or a forged (flattened) pattern, the fine wire hooks as the name suggests are made of lighter materials and are ideal for targeting smaller fish, though some anglers will use them in snaggy waters were they are more likely to straighten out and release their grip than of the stronger forged variety. Forged hooks are made of stronger, thicker wire that is hammered into a flattened shape that further strengthens them.You should not be using fine wire hooks when targeting big fish as the will simply straighten out during the fight.
There are hundreds of different patterns available and some are more suited to certain baits than others, shorter shank hooks are better for crab baits whilst the longer shank hooks are better for fish baits and worms, some hooks even have small barbs along their shank to help prevent the worm sliding back down to the point and masking (or covering) it
The point of the hook is arguably the most important art of a hook, for unless it is able to penetrate the fish's mouth and hold it secure it is useless. Some hooks have been chemically sharpened, and when new they are ultra sharp, but they do lose their point far easier than others and unfortunately you can not sharpen them again as the much as the others and therefore need replacing when blunt .Because hooks are mass produced it is a good idea to check them for bluntness or bad eyes when making up your rigs just to make double sure.
There are several different finishes on a hook and all are designed to protect the hook from its biggest enemy ..corrosion, what you like again will be a personal thing that you will get with experience.It is far cheaper to buy hooks in bulk rather than packs of 10, but obviously this is more viable with the popular sizes, it is no good having 50 size 6/0 hooks if you use them once a year.
SWIVELS.
Swivels are a small but important part of your tackle they used to minimize the chance of your rigs/snoods from spinning up and tangling .I use them at the end of my rigs an at the end of the snood that joins the rig. Cascade swivels have built in line clips built into them that allow them to be incorporated into clipped down rigs.
BEADS.
Beads are used as buffers that help to protect the knots on your rigs from being damaged. They are also used on the snoods, next to the hook and are there for attraction, they are especially thought to be of benefit when fishing for plaice. There are fluorescent floating beads available that not only have attraction properties but hopefully help suspend a bait out of the way of bait robbing crabs.
CRIMPS.
Crimps are used to position the snoods exactly on the rig where you want them, care should be taken when attaching them not to squeeze to hard and possibly damage the line underneath, most people use fine nosed piers or forceps to attach them to the rig bodies.
LEAD LINKS.
Used at the end of rigs to attach the weight to, available in many different forms some have built in bait clips that allow you to hold a hook when used in clipped down rigs. I use a line clip at the end of my leader to attach my rigs to, allowing me to change them very easily and quickly.
RIG RAISERS.
Rig raisers are used when fishing snaggy or weedy waters. They look quite like a kite and work by their shape raising the rig up in the water ands away from the snags when retrieved. They are cheap to buy and simply attach between your line clip and the weight.
BREAKER CLIPS.
Breaker clips are again used in snaggy waters where tackle losses are high, you attach the weight into the clip and slide the retaining collar over it. The weight is then tied to the clip with a rotten bottom, this is simply a short length of much weaker line (say 10lb). When engaged the clip allows you to be able to cast safely but in the event of the lead becoming stuck when you pull for a break, the clip will slip, leaving the lead only attached by the weaker rotten bottom that is much easier to snap. You will lose the weight but you will be able to retrieve the rig and hopefully the fish attached.
BOOMS.
Several variety of booms are available made out of plastic or metal. They all do the same job and that is to keep the snood away from the main rig body and hopefully minimize the risk of tangles. Some anglers believe that the metal ones emit an electric force that is attractive to fish, especially flatties. They are still popular with those anglers that fish from piers or down the sides of breakwaters as when fishing from these structures casting distance is less of an issue.
Tube booms are very popular with boat anglers and nearly all rigs incorporate one in their design, they again are used for keeping the snood away from the rig body and main line.
SEQUINS.
Sequins are used in conjunction with beads on snoods for their attraction , they come in different sizes and in various eye catching colours.
IMPACT SHIELDS.
Impact shields are plastic devises incorporated into the bottom of your rigs, they are used mainly when fishing with big baits at distance, their aerodynamic shape helps combat wind resistance and thus increases your casting distances.They also help protect the bait from damage caused when landing and incorporates its own hook clip.
BAIT ELASTIC.
Bait elastic is a small but very useful part of your tackle box, it is used to secure some baits such as crab/squid and sandeel to the hook and when fishing with peeler vital.
BAITING NEEDLE.
Baiting needles are used to help thread baits (usualy worm) along the hooks with minimal damage, they have a blunt point at one end and a small indentation in the other, you thread the worm along the needle and insert the point of the hook into the indentation,by keeping the line taught it is a simple job to slide the worm off the needle onto the hook.
a selection of terminal tackle that you will need.