All About Saltwater Fishing Tackle

A saltwater fishing tackle is the equipment used to catch fish at sea. The gear is essential to fishermen who operate on a commercial level and also by 'sport' fisherman. The term enjoys the etymology that implies 'apparatus for fishing'. It is also recorded as the 'act of tackling', more in the sport sense.

In a broader sense, a saltwater fishing tackle is almost any equipment or gear used by a fisherman to catch fish. It is attached to the end of the fishing line, and includes hooks, leaders, and swivels. It also includes lures or bait, leaders, rods, trawls, traps and floats, and even harpoons.

The fish hook basically impales the fish in the mouth or snags the body of the fish. This tackle has been employed for centuries to catch saltwater fish, and in fact, it features as 'one of the top twenty tools in the history of man'!

Fish hooks are attached to the line, and there are a variety of fish hooks in the world. They differ according to size, shape, design, and material. Although the intended purpose of the hook is obvious, these fishing tackles are also designed to hold various types of artificial and dead or live baits, or to be integrated into other devices.

The design includes loops of wire on either end, to attach to the rod or line. The weight or this saltwater fishing plummet or sinker is around a couple of pounds or more for sea bass, and much lesser in the case of trout. The use of lead based sinkers are being banned due to the fear of toxic lead poisoning seen among waterbirds and other aquatic organisms.

The slide sinker allows the line to slip through the tube when the fish bites. This sinker works very well, since the fisherman can feel even the smallest bite. Split shots are also used, especially in the case of trout fishing, instead of a sinker, and independent swivels do well to prevent entanglement of the fishing line.

A fishing reel is the most traditional fishing equipment or device. It is basically employed for retrieval of the line and catch, via the design that includes a spool and axle.

The optimized use of the saltwater fishing reel is seen in angling, a purely recreational sport.

The reel is an attachment to the fishing rod. It is usually used in conjunction, but there are special varieties that are mounted directly to the gunwales. This is most observed in Chinese paintings and records that date back to approximately 1195 A.D! George Snyder of Kentucky is credited with the invention of the popular bait casting design.

A downrigger design comprises a large weight suspended from a rod-like device. A stainless steel cable is used for suspending the weight. The operation involves the bait being attached to the downrigger wire. The reel holds the bait and the wire together.

Saltwater fishing tackles serve different purposes and are personal preferences of fishermen. They allow the optimized use of the bait and vessel, with the help of the designs that fit in different situations.