Fishing is a great outdoor activity that can be shared with family and friends. In addition to your rod, reel, and a few lures or bait, you will need a few tools to make your fishing more enjoyable and efficient. There is no need to harm the fish or your hands in trying to remove a hook or ruining your teeth trying to cut your fishing line. there are a few tools I won’t leave home without.
The Hook Remover is necessary and there are several styles and types to suit your needs. One of my favorites are the needle nose pliers they are inexpensive and readily available. Most people have a pair in their tackle box or garage. The pliers come in many different lengths the bigger the fish you're going after the longer the pliers you should have especially for those toothy critters. Some needle nose pliers have bent noses which can be handy when a bass takes the hook deep. You may have to go through the gill but the angle of the pliers helps twist and remove the hook without harming the fish. Some of the higher end pliers are designed specifically for fishing and are made of lightweight space age materials that won’t rust in salt water with very good line cutters and an attachment for a lanyard. These are great pliers and have a great look as well, but you wouldn’t want to forget these on the shoreline.
Hemostats also make great hook removers especially for fish with small mouths like trout, bluegill, crappie or other panfish. Hemostats can be clipped right to your shirt or fishing vest keeping them nearby when needed
Some hook removers are specifically designed for the task of removing hooks. They can be very simple from a plastic straw type device to a metal trigger mechanism and anything in between. These tools work great when used properly. You can go online and find a video on the proper way to use a specific device for removing hooks without harming the fish. These items will be a great addition to any tackle box.
The line cutter is a very simple tool that I won't leave home without along with my pliers I have them attached to my person or tackle box so that they are always nearby. The line cutter can be as simple as a pair of fingernail clippers they work great on Mono or fluorocarbon line and you can buy several pairs without breaking the bank to keep in your fishing box, bag pocket, vest or anywhere nearby when you need them. I have used fingernail clippers for years to cut the tag in of the line all the way down to the knot. One thing to keep in mind they do not cut braided line very well.
There are several fishing companies that produce a fingernail clip style line cutter that may contain extra tools like a line picker (for backlashes), hook sharpener, small knife and a spot to attached a
lanyard. These are great items to have while fishing and some may even be able to cut braid. Some line cutters attach to the fishing pole in front of the reel other line cutters can be worn on your finger like a ring. You will need to find the best cutter that fits your needs.
The line cutters that I now prefer are the scissor type cutters mainly because they cut braided line I have braid on my main line on most of my reels now and attach a mono or Fluoro leader. I use a product made by Boomerang they are great line cutters with a retractable cord for convenience. They now make a super size for a heavier salt water line.
I will not go fishing without these two tools to me they are the most important beside your rod, reel and tackle. I like to attach one or more of these tools on a retractible device that I can attach to myself or tackle box (bag). There are other tools that can help make your fishing day more enjoyable I will discuss those in detail in a later blog.
Other Tools you May Want to Consider
- Measuring tape (retractable)
- Scale
- Camera
- Back Pack (fanny pack)
- Pocket knife
- Flash light
- First aid kit (at least bandaids)
- Hook sharpener
- Hat (cap)
- Sun block