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Fishing Accessories: The Small Gear That Decides the Day

The fishing accessories worth carrying: net, pliers, scale, thermometer, tackle box and the rest, with the one spec that matters on each and what it is for.

By · · Updated ·5 min read

An old tackle box open on a wooden deck: trays of lures, a bobber, a box of hooks and swivels, and a Fisher-Price fishing guide
Photo: danielle.brigida (CC BY 2.0)

Fishing accessories are the small gear between the rod and the fish: the net, the pliers, the scale, the thermometer, the box, the cutters and the clips. None of them catches a fish, and a bad one costs you one. A net with the wrong mesh strips the slime off a trout, pliers that cannot cut braid leave you chewing line, and a tackle box without a drain rusts a season of hooks. On each of them, one spec decides whether it is any good. Most of them also make the safest gifts for fishermen, because none depends on how the angler fishes.

A fish’s slime coat protects it from disease, and knotted nylon mesh damages it more than rubber does. Keep Fish Wet’s tips come down to a rubber net, no vertical hang from a lip grip, and ten seconds of air at most.

Start here

Which five go on every trip?

A rubber-mesh net, pliers that cut braid, a scale, a thermometer and a tackle box that drains. Each one has a single spec that sorts the good from the bad.

Accessory The spec that matters Why Fishing it is for
Landing net Rubber or rubber-coated mesh, hoop about 20 × 23 in (51 × 58 cm) for bass, 24 × 27 in (61 × 69 cm) for catfish and stripers Keeps the slime coat; hooks do not tangle in rubber Every release fishery; a knotless nylon bag only for fish you keep
Pliers A hardened cutter that takes braid, 7–8 in (18–20 cm) long nose, a lanyard Braid frays under ordinary cutters; the nose reaches a treble inside a pike’s mouth Bass, pike, catfish, saltwater; small forceps for trout and panfish
Scale A certified or tested 50 lb (23 kg) digital with a hook or a lip grip, read with the fish supported A record and a tournament weight both need a scale that is right to the ounce Bass tournaments, catfish, carp; trout anglers carry a tape instead
Thermometer Encased analog or an IPX7 digital, read a foot down in shade 60 °F (16 °C) starts the bass spawn, 68 °F (20 °C) ends the trout day Every freshwater trip; a depth probe for trolling walleye and salmon
Tackle box A drained, rust-inhibiting tray that fits the boxes you own Wet hooks rust in a sealed box; a 3600 or 3700 tray standard lets boxes move between bags Bank, boat and kayak; a chest pack or lanyard for wading trout

Two numbers in that table are worth memorizing. The first is the net hoop. The net makers’ size ladders put bass, walleye and crappie in a hoop of about 20 × 23 in (51 × 58 cm). A flathead or a striper needs 24 × 27 in (61 × 69 cm) or more with a deep bag, because the fish is longer than the hoop is wide and folds into the net rather than lying in it.

The second is the tray standard. Most plastic utility boxes are “3600” (about 11 by 7 in, 28 by 18 cm) or “3700” (about 14 by 9 in, 36 by 23 cm). Bags are sold by how many of each they hold. Buy the tray size first and the bag second.

What else belongs in the bag?

Cutters, a hook remover, a grip, a measuring board, polarized glasses and a few clips. Each does a job the five above cannot.

Line cutters and nippers. A pair of nippers on a zinger is faster than pliers for mono and fluorocarbon and useless on braid. Braid wants a serrated cutter or small scissors. Fly anglers wear nippers; bass anglers carry braid scissors in the pocket.

Hook removers and forceps. A 5–6 in (13–15 cm) locking forceps backs a hook out of a trout or a crappie without touching the fish. A long-nose disgorger reaches a bait hook swallowed by a catfish. When it cannot, cutting the line at the hook kills fewer fish than digging. Barbless or crimped hooks make every remover work faster.

Fish grips and gloves. A lip grip holds a bass, a walleye or a catfish by the jaw for a photo. It does not hold the fish’s weight hanging vertically: Keep Fish Wet says a fish should never be held that way on a lip grip, and the tool is for fish you cannot control any other way. A glove or a wet rag holds a pike or a muskie behind the head for unhooking, and a catfish is held with the fin spines between the fingers.

Measuring board. A bump board with the nose stop at zero gives the length a limit or a slot regulation asks for; a tape in the net bag does the same on the bank. In states with slot limits on bass or walleye, the board is the accessory that keeps the license.

Stringer or basket. For fish going home, a chain fishing stringer through the lower jaw, never the gills, keeps the catch alive in the water for a few hours; panfish off a dock go in a wire basket instead. At the cleaning table, a fillet knife sized to the fish takes over.

Sunglasses and light. Polarized lenses in amber or copper cut glare on stained water and show the bottom in clear water. A headlamp with a red mode keeps night vision for catfish and walleye after dark.

Clips, swivels and leaders. A snap lets a lure change happen without a knot, and a swivel stops an inline spinner twisting the line. The fishing leader page says when each belongs on the line.

The gear section covers the rods, reels and electronics these accessories serve. Of everything in the box, fishing hooks and fishing line are the two consumables the box runs out of first.

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Sources

  1. Take Me Fishing (Recreational Boating & Fishing Foundation), Fishing gear and tackle
  2. Keep Fish Wet, Tips (rubber nets, 10 seconds of air, no vertical holds on a lip grip)
  3. Keep Fish Wet, Principles (the slime layer protects fish from disease)