What tackle do we need to catch bass?
Lure Rods!
Lure rods or spinning rods, there are loads of different makes of rods, popular ones are from, Apia, Savage Gear, Majorcraft, HTO, Tenryu, Shimano. It depends on your budget and what you can afford, you can get rods for £20 or can pay £500.
Then you need to decide what length you will need, the most popular would be a 9ft, some go smaller 8.6ft, some longer 9.6ft, and there are also in-between lengths, 8.8ft and 9.2. It depends on where you are going to fish and use a suitable length for your fishing.
Another thing to consider is what weight of lures you will use, the majority fall in between the most common rod casting weight of 9-35g, if you’re going to fish lighter or heavier lures there are rods with a lower and higher rating more suitable for this.
Once you have worked out what you need, go and check out some rods at your tackle shop and ask them for some advice too, then pick what you feel comfortable with and enjoy.
Spinning Reels!
Spinning Reels are made by many different manufacturers, the popular ones being Shimano, Penn, Diawa, Savage Gear. Again it depends on your budget, we will use Shimano reels as an example here, their budget reels can cost around £25 ( FX3000FC), then their top of the range is in the region of £800 (Stella SW5000HG), which’s a lot of money!
Then you have a list of different model names, all offering something different, that reflects their different prices. If you go to the manufacturer’s website, some have a comparison tool that lets you choose some reels to compare.
Also, you have different sizes of reels,2500,3000,4000 sizes being popular, and there are smaller and bigger sizes available. You also need to think about how much Braid or Monofilament you are going to put on your reel, and choice accordingly.
Some reels have added designs that can help with line lay, this can be helpful with braid, helping to prevent wind knots.
Again when you know what you need go to a tackle shop, ask for their advice, try out a few reels, try on your rod if possible to see how balanced it feels, and get the one you’re happy with!
Braid and Monofilament!
Braid seems to be very popular with Bass anglers, it is made by many of the main manufacturers, Sufix, Shimano, Westin, Majorcraft, and Diawa, all popular.
They come in a range of weight sizes in lbs, and different color options to pick from. Most spools come in 150m, but you can also get 300m or larger from some manufacturers.
Bass anglers like using braid as it doesn’t stretch like mono and you have more feeling when in contact with the fish.
Some anglers still use monofilament and that’s fine, but once you make the switch I think it’s hard to go back. A lot of fishermen use a monofilament backing on their reels as a backing for a 150m spool of braid so their spools are not under-filled.
Lures!
Lures come in a multitude of shapes and sizes, made from different materials, with every color option you could imagine. We could write pages about all of them but we will break them down into simple categories.
Hard lures are usually made of plastic, they come in a range of lengths in mm, and grams, and a range of colors, they float across the surface or dive below the surface when winding. Some come with ball bearings that rattle, most are fitted with treble hooks. They are supposed to imitate small fish.
Metal Lures are made from metal, and come in a variety of weights in grams, a range of different sizes and shapes, and single or multi colors. They are supposed to imitate sand eels and small fish. They come with Treble, Single, and sometimes both sets of hooks.
Soft Plastics made of soft plastic or rubber, have a huge variety of shapes sizes, and colors, some look like little fish, others look like sand eels, some come in worm shapes, and now we have creature baits, like ragworms, shrimps and crayfish. Some come with hooks, others you have to inset hooks, and you can also use weighted hooks, and insert small weights and rattles in some.
Tackle Bags!
Tackle Bags are a must to carry all your gear in, you can have a normal tackle bag, and drop it on the rocks or beech, or a rucksack could do the same thing.
A sling bag is good if you are not carrying a massive amount, a couple of lure boxes, some tools, and accessories, can be slid around the body to access whatever you need. Good for on-the-move anglers.
Chest packs like the one in the picture, are another option, similar to the sling bag, with similar carrying options, but can be used in different positions, compared to the sling bag.
Tackle vests can be another option, some come with float inserts so if you fall in the water they act as a flotation aid. They carry a lot of equipment but some might find them a bit awkward when trying to spin wearing them.
Leaders!
Fluorocarbon leaders, most bass anglers will attach a length of fluorocarbon to their braid to act as a shock absorber, the clear fluorocarbon is more invisible if you’re using a bright color braid, it could be a help if a fish is a bit spooky and it is easier to tie onto your lure clip or direct to a lure.
Most of the major manufacturers make fluorocarbon, and they come in a range of strengths in lbs, usually on 30m spools, try a few makes and use the one you feel comfortable with.
What length of leader to us, some anglers use 12″-18″ of leader, while others use longer, ideally shorter than the length of your rod, when too long it can go through your rod rings, this can be ok, but you run the risk of damaging the knot each time you cast, with the potential of losing a good fish if it breaks.
Tying directly with your braid to lure and lure clips, some anglers do this, which is fine, just make sure you use a knot that isn’t going to slip or break losing you a fish.
Tools!
Fishing tools are a must to help with your fishing, a few are listed below.
Fishing pliers are useful for removing hooks from a fish’s mouth, especially with treble hooks, and also for de-barbing hooks for catch and release.
Braid scissors or snips, a sharp pair of either of these are beneficial to cut braid or fluorocarbon.
A hook sharpener is very handy for keeping those hooks sharp.
Another useful item for your tools is, stretchy spiral key rings, attach them to your tools and attach them to yourself or a bag, which saves them from falling into water and getting lost.
Other Acessories!
Other items that are useful but optional are listed below.
Lure boxes and bits boxes, for keeping those lures and your hooks/swivels, clips, etc safe.
A measuring tape is useful to measure those bass, get a great photo, and also make sure they are over the 42cm legal limit if you are taking them to eat.
Waders chest or thigh, useful to wade into the water if safe to do so, to get past weed beds and get a bit extra distance.
Boot studs, if you are walking on wet weedy rocks or wading on stony ground, studs in your waders/boots, you can buy them and do a bit of DIY and put them in yourself.
Suitable clothing for fishing in different conditions at different times of the year.
These are a few items, we could add loads more, it gives you a bit of an idea of what might be useful to you as a Bass fisherman!
