BlogSeptember 2015

Rigging Fishing Tackle So It’s Ready to Use

Rigging Fishing Tackle So It’s Ready to Use

By Tom Keer

Sep 23, 2015

Sometimes you can buy ready-to-use fishing gear while other times you can make it yourself.

Sometimes you can buy ready-to-use fishing gear while other times you can make it yourself. I remember when we had a hot bluefish bite, the kind where you're catching a fish on every cast. Those toothy sons of guns chopped up everything to the tune of one fly/soft plastic per fish. Constantly rigging fishing tackle cuts into fishing time, and on that day it was catching time. None of us has time for that...

Some Pre-Fishing Tips

 
  1. Try pre-rigging your fishing tackle, like lures and flies when fishing for toothy critters. Wire leaders with Haywire Twists aren't hard to do, but they take some time. It's much easier to pre-rig lures and flies in the winter and put them in a stretcher box. When the fish are in and the bite is hot the quick change puts more fish in the boat.

  2. Mono-shock leaders. When fishing for tarpon or snook, pre-straightened mono in the 40-100 pound class is important. The sharp gill plates can cut through light leaders. A non-slip loop isn't tough to tie, but when a school of 'poon are daisy-chaining off the bow you won't want to take the time.

  3. Two rods for soft plastics. Whether you're using a spinning or baitcasting rig, rig one with a hook and one with a jig head. The beauty of soft plastics is that you can quickly change styles and colors on a rigged hook. If you set one rod outfit for shallow water and a second one for fishing deeper water then you can grab the appropriate rod and cast.

  4. Floating lines and sinking lines. The same holds true with fly rods. Rather than reel in your line, switch spools, re-string your rod and then tie on your leader and fly simply set up two outfits for shallow and deep water. As you change locations all you'll need to do is to grab a rod and go.

Ready-to-use fishing gear makes life simple and is an advanced fishing tackle rigging technique that many people overlook. It helps us focus on catching 'em up instead of rigging, rigging, and rigging fishing tackle. And when the fish are in and the bite is hot we spend more time catching than cussin'.

Read more about ready-to-use fishing gear for more information.

Tom Keer
Tom Keer
Tom Keer is an award-winning writer who lives on Cape Cod, Massachusetts.  He is a columnist for the Upland Almanac, a Contributing Writer for Covey Rise magazine, a Contributing Editor for both Fly Rod and Reel and Fly Fish America, and a blogger for the Recreational Boating and Fishing Foundation’s Take Me Fishing program.  Keer writes regularly for over a dozen outdoor magazines on topics related to fishing, hunting, boating, and other outdoor pursuits.  When they are not fishing, Keer and his family hunt upland birds over their three English setters.  His first book, a Fly Fishers Guide to the New England Coast was released in January 2011.  Visit him at www.tomkeer.com or at www.thekeergroup.com.