Fishing in general is a great way to enjoy the outdoors and feel in touch with nature but where do you start out with sea fishing?
Sea fishing has many different variations and so in terms of choosing sea fishing tackle the two basic questions are where do you intend to fish and what sort of fish are you looking to catch? Sea fishing can take place from a boat, from a pier or jetty or from the beach or by an estuary.
Your choice of sea fishing tackle will also be influenced by what species of fish you are looking to catch. There are far too many species to list here but to name just a few you might be looking to catch mackerel, cod, bass, wrasse, Pollock or even shark. Obviously the sort of sea fishing tackle youll need to tackle a shark will be somewhat different than if you are looking to catch some mackerel for your supper.
Lets start at the beginning though with the most important issue which is your safety. The sea is a wild and dangerous place so your safety always has to be at the forefront of your mind and so some basic tips would be
Always let someone know where you are going and keep in touch
Keep warm, remember several layers are far more effective than one thick one. Always have spare clothing with you
The sea is cold, hypothermia can creep up on you without you knowing
Make sure you always know what the tide is doing, you dont want it to come in behind you and cut you off
Ensure you take food with you, this will help keep your energy up if you become cold
If you are on a boat a life jacket is an absolute essential no matter how strong a swimmer you are
So what sea fishing tackle do you need? Inevitably there are several trade offs, the more money you have to spend the better quality gear you will be able to purchase and also the more specialist you want your rig (i.e. targeting specific fish) the less flexible it is going to be in terms of catching other fish. So a key question is do you want a flexible rod etc for use in as many different situations as possible or do you want a rig designed to maximise your chances with one specific type of fish.
As part of your sea fishing tackle you will need:
A sea fishing rod
A sea fishing reel
Sea fishing line
Bait and or lures. With bait you are tempting fish with real food but with a lure you are trying to fool the fish into taking an artificial lure that looks like a tasty meal
Line weights to help your line to sink and enabling you to cast as far as possible
Other accessories such as a landing net, a fish finder or if you are fishing from a beach or estuary a tripod to hold your rods as you wait for the fish to bite
Sea Fishing Clothing and obviously if you are boat fishing a life jacket is an absolute must
