Fishing Tackle: What It Is, What a First Box Holds, and the Lead Laws

Fishing tackle is everything you fish with, from the rod and reel to the hook, sinker and bobber at the end of the line. Most of it fits in one box, and what goes in that box depends on the fish. Panfish want size 6 hooks and small bobbers, bass want 4/0 worm hooks and bullet weights, and catfish want circle hooks and no-roll sinkers. Keep it dry, keep soft plastics in their bags, and check the lead rules before you fish in New England.

Kentucky’s aquatic education coordinator starts beginners on size 6 hooks, because a 6 is “big enough to catch a catfish, which is often what you’re going to catch at urban lakes.”

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• Tackle boxes: hard boxes, bags and waterproof trays for the bank, boat or kayak.
• Fishing for beginners: from the license to the first fish.
• Hook size chart: how the size numbers run, and which hook fits which fish.
• Rod and reel combos: the outfit matched to the fishing.
• Fishing accessories: the net, pliers, scale and thermometer.

What goes in a first tackle box?

Pliers and clippers go in every box. Kentucky’s list has both, “to remove hooks and clip excess line”, and South Dakota’s trip planner adds a tape measure, a stringer and a fish ID book. The rest depends on the fish.

Pennsylvania’s Fish and Boat Commission calls 6-lb test “a good all around size” for a first line. Kentucky’s pick for the box itself is a one-tray box “fitted with a latch, rather than the snap-on variety.” Stocked from the panfish row, it makes a child’s first box; for an adult, see gifts for fishermen.

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What counts as fishing tackle?

Tackle is “the equipment used by anglers when fishing.” Terminal tackle is “the gear at the end of your line that gets cast out with your bait,” in Outdoor Life’s definition. That means hooks, sinkers, floats, swivels and snaps. A rig is one arrangement of them, such as a Carolina rig.

• Rods (fishing rods): power, action and length decide which lures a rod can throw.
• Reels (fishing reels): spinning, baitcasting or spincast, sized to the rod.
• Line (fishing line): monofilament, fluorocarbon or braid, and when to add a leader.
• Hooks (fishing hooks): sizes, styles and the circle-hook rules.
• Lures (fishing lures): the six families, from spoons to swimbaits.
• Rigs (fishing rigs): how hooks, weights and swivels go together.
• Tools (fishing accessories): pliers, cutters, a scale and a stringer.

The gear hub says which number matters most on each.

How should you store and organize tackle?

Bassmaster’s Bernie Schultz splits hard baits from soft ones first, then sorts the hard baits by type into utility boxes. Keep soft plastics in their original bags: materials like ElaZtech “can warp and compromise thinly made plastic tackle boxes.” In a boat, Wired2Fish stacks 3600 and 3700 utility trays and loads only the boxes for that season or species. The tackle box guide compares Plano, Flambeau, KastKing and other boxes.

How do you keep tackle from rusting?

Waterproof boxes keep water out, but “they also do a great job of keeping water in, resulting in rusty hooks,” GearJunkie found. Rinse used tackle in fresh water and dry it on a towel in a well-ventilated spot before it goes back. SKB’s rule is never to put “a wet or salty lure” straight back in your main box. Rust-inhibiting boxes such as Flambeau’s Zerust line release a vapor that coats exposed metal. They “do not work perfectly,” GearJunkie says, but they prevent “a full-on rust takeover.”

Where is lead tackle banned?

Lead rules cover small sinkers and jigs, by weight or length. Check your state’s rules before you fish.

Since Sept. 1, 2026, Maine’s use ban covers painted lead jigs too. Yellowstone National Park requires lead-free terminal tackle and allows sinkers and jig heads of bismuth-tin, molybdenum or tungsten.

Can you take tackle on a plane?

Yes. TSA allows small fishing lures in carry-on and checked bags, but wants large hooks “sheathed, securely wrapped, and packed in your checked luggage.” The officer at the checkpoint has the final word.

Which lure catches every fish?

No lure catches everything. Kentucky’s starter list puts two lures in a first box: size 1 feather jigs and small inline spinners such as the Rooster Tail, with white “a good, all-around color.” The best fishing lures ranks ten by what each one does.

Can you make your own tackle, or buy it at a discount store?

Making your own sinkers and jig heads means pouring them: melt lead in a pot, pour it into a mold around the hook, then trim the excess. The EPA strongly advises against doing it at home, because melted lead releases particles that spread through a house. If you pour anyway, it says to work in a ventilated shop detached from the house and wear a respirator. Homemade sinkers and jigs fall under the same use bans as bought ones; New Hampshire’s ban covers lead jigs “regardless of whether they are painted, coated, or covered.”

For a first box, Pennsylvania’s commission notes that many sporting goods stores sell tackle boxes already stocked with hooks, sinkers and bobbers. Call a discount store such as Dollar Tree or Sam’s Club first to ask what it carries.

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