Whether you are planning a fishing trip with your friends or your family, you always want to make sure you are fully planned and prepared with all the tools in the toolkit that will lead to a successful fishing trip! If you are only a part time angler, you may not know where to start when look at reels and rods, or even what to wear and if you need to look into getting permits! Even people that go fishing all the time can need reminders and pick up new advice for the best items to bring on their fishing trip.
Start planning for your trip by grabbing a large tot and a tackle box and begin filling it up with all the items you will need to make all of the memories and have the best fishing trip!
- Check to see if you need a permit or license.
This one is up top because it can be the most important thing you will need for your trip—and sometimes the easiest thing to forget! If you are going fishing in the United States, there may be permits at the local, country, or state level that you have to sort out before you can embark on your trip. Permits can be general and used for all fish and all seasons or based on the type of fish you are going for or the specific places you are heading to.
Thankfully, getting a permit no matter where you are is extremely simple. Many times, these days, all you need to do is have a laptop and a way to print out the permit you will be given. And if it’s a local permit only, a local bait and tackle shop should be able to sort out the correct permit for you. It is important to do your research on this before you leave, or else you may get a fine or ticket if you are caught fishing without one.
- Make sure you wear the right clothing.
Fishing is not meant to be a fashion show, and while you properly were not going to be wearing designer clothes while you were out on the lake or river, you still might need some reminders. The areas near a body of water—especially if it is larger—do tend to get a little chilly and can have more wind swirling around than you will experience as you are leaving your house. You and also want to make sure you bring a hat for sun protection and a change of clothes in case you get wet (at the very least, you will want a change of socks).
Depending on the type of fishing you are going on, you may need to invest in some fishing orientated clothing, such as waders and boots. These rubber pieces of clothing go over your street clothes and protect you from the water and the cold. Typically, they are only worn when you are going into the water to fish or pull a boat out. While they might not always be the comfiest, they are very useful things to have.
- Grab bait on your way to the lake.
Well, you obviously can’t catch some good fish just on hopes and dreams alone! You will definitely need to stop and get some bait in order to guarantee some nipples and hits on your line. Depending on what fish you are going for, you will have to decide what type of bait you need to purchase. There is of course the classic worm, and although a useful piece of bait at the end of the line, this isn’t always what the fish down below want to eat. You may also want to consider getting squid, crab meat, or even smaller fish like shiners in order to attract the fish to your hook. Snake the bait onto your hook and let the smells and colors of your bait attract the fish that you are looking for.
And if you’re going to go fishing, you need to do it right. Which means you should probably buy a fancy hook lure as well. These come is all different shapes and colors depending on the type of fish you’re going for. If you are going fishing in the ocean, you may have better luck with a bright color and fluffy lure. If you’re going fishing in a lake, you may benefit more from a simple or subdued lure. It all depends on what type of fish you are hoping to catch. Thankfully, any bait and tackle shop is going to help you find the best equipment for the waterways you’ll be fishing in.
- Rent or buy a fishing pool with the right fishing line.
You may also have a to buy a fishing pool! This seems like an obvious suggestion, since you know you need something to catch the fish. But just like everything else in fishing, what you need to get is based on the type of fish you will be going for. You wouldn’t take a stiffer and longer fly-fishing pole out on the ocean. And you wouldn’t take a bendable and indestructible ocean pole on a salmon run. A fishing pole is a key tool of the trade while you are out fishing, so putting some thought into the one you end up getting is only going to benefit you in the end. You also want to make sure you buy the correct fishing line for your trip. Line comes in different weights depending on the fish you want to catch. Just like with hooks and fishing poles, you don’t want to get fishing line that is meant for salmon if you are going for ocean bass. Store clerks will be extremely helpful in showing you the best lines to take on your fishing trip.
Depending on where you are going on your fishing trip, you may be able to rent your fishing pole. If you are doing this adventure as a destination trip, the local bait and tackle shops are surely equipped with the resources to rent poles to customers, since they know you may not be able to take any large items on your flights back home. This is especially true if you are going to Alaska or on a charter boat into the ocean. And who knows—you may fall absolutely in love with fishing and then ask the owner of the local bait and tackle shop on pole recommendations so you can keep up with this new hobby!
- Have a net nearby.
You have definitely seen countless videos where there is a large fish at the end of the line, and the line breaks, or the angler can’t reel up the fish and this giant fish is gone forever. Now, there is no way you can guarantee you will always catch the fish but using a net is going to ultimately up your chances on bringing that fish onboard. And you don’t need a super large net. Depending on what type of fish you are going for, you can get an appropriately sized net. And don’t forget—when you are ready to pull a fish onboard, lower the net next to the fish and scoop up from below so it can’t unhook itself and then swim to safety. As an angler, you will hopefully only learn this lesson the hard way once!
- Bring a long-nose plier.
Having pliers in your tackle box or tote bag will be a life saver when you least expect it. It is not uncommon at all for hooks to get caught on fish in a way that it is impossible for you to pull the hook out without hurting the fish. And if you’re not keeping the fish for a meal and instead are doing a catch and release trip, or if the fish is too small to keep, the last thing you want to do is keep the fish out of water while you wrestle with the hook. Having long nose pliers readily available will be the best planning you can do all trip.
- Have multitool handy, just in case.
This has the same sentiment as having long nose pliers in your tackle box. You may not plan on having to cut new line or cut more bait up, but you will be very happy when you have the ability to do these tasks easily. And sometimes you might have to creatively use features of the tool in order to complete a random task or solve a problem while you’re fishing. The main benefit to having a tool nearby is that you won’t be taking away from the fishing at hand by being prepared with this tool. And really, all of this preparation is meant to lead to that.
- Make sure you have a measuring tape.
No every state, or even every lake, is going to have the same rules for the type of fish you can take home with you, if that is the intent of your trip. And you can get in a lot of trouble if you take home fish that are too small! A lot of coolers that are designed for fishing will have a table measure etched into the top cover so you can check to see if the fish can stay onboard or if they need some more time to grow in the water. Measuring fish is also important since a small fish isn’t going to have the same quality of meat on it that a matured fish will have. In addition to size minimums, many states will also have catch limits, so you will want to be prepared for those are well! When you sign up for your permit, you will most likely have the chance to be educated on all of these regulations and rules.
- Bring two coolers with ice—one for drinks and the other to bring home your catch!
Of course, you don’t want to get dehydrated while you’re out on the water. So, make sure you bring a cooler with enough refreshing drinks so you don’t get a heat headache while out on the water. You will also want to have a cooler with water nearby so you can put all of your legally caught fish in that you want to bring home. If you are catching a fish that has regulations, don’t start fileting the meat until you are on land. And you’ll want to change the water out for the fish every couple of hours so their meat stays fresh.
- Do not forget sunscreen and bug repellent.
And to end this list, a reminder that you will hear from everyone who knows you are heading out for a day of fishing. Make sure you bring your sunscreen and reapply at least every two hours. There is no easier way to ruin a fun day on the water than by having to ice your legs at night because you fried your legs. Try to use a sunscreen with at least 30 SPF and find a brand that has a water resistant or sport mode type of feature so you won’t be sweating into your eyes and distracting you from the fishing.
The same goes for bug repellent. There are bugs flying above the water; this is especially true if you’re going to be in marshes or on rivers. You certainly don’t want to have an itchy leg as you’re trying to enjoy your catch for dinner! Try to not spray your clothing with the big repellant as that can stan cotton shirts. A couple sprays on your arms and legs should do the trick perfectly!
A fishing trip is a great way to bond with other people and with nature. Going on one of these trips should never be stressful and should always been embraced. The planning tips above will ensure a smooth and fun trip to be had by all!
