Heading out to fish? This cheat sheet has you covered with the essential gear to pack, which baits and lures work best for popular freshwater and saltwater species, how to match your rod, lure weight, and line size, and even a few jaw-dropping world record catches to aim for on your next trip.
To catch fish consistently, anglers need to know some things about the fish they pursue and the habitat where those fish reside. A prepared angler is often a successful angler, so you can use a chart to help you decide what to bring on your next fishing trip. For more preparation, you should know common catches and their usual haunts. And in case you ever catch a whopper, you can compare it to the world record holders according to the International Game Fish Association.
Outfitting your fishing trip with the right equipment and clothing
No one checklist works for every fishing trip, as there are many variables to consider. Are you fishing saltwater or freshwater? What species are you fishing for? What’s the weather like? What season is it? Are you fishing from a boat or the bank?
This table is a broad list of things necessary for most trips, arranged in order from most to least crucial. Go through this list before each venture, skipping items that aren’t relevant for a particular trip. It should help you remember many of the items you need!
Fishing Equipment
General Equipment
Clothing
Rods/reels
First-aid kit
Life jacket
Tackle carrier containing all your terminal tackle, as well as
your lures and flies
Camera
Foul-weather waterproof bag containing rainsuit, knit hat,
gloves, and dry socks)
Line clippers
Meals and snacks
Polarized sunglasses
Needlenose pliers
Insect repellant
Baseball cap
Towel (for drying hands after catching fish)
Flashlight or headlamp
Waterproof boots
Cooler containing bait (keep livebait cool and dry, and keep
minnows cool and wet)
Cooler containing (nonalcoholic) beverages
Deck shoes
Landing net
Thermos
Gloves
Extra spool of line
GPS unit or compass
Waders or hip boots
Measuring tape
Knife or multitool
Fleece jacket
Castnet or seine if you plan to gather bait
Lighter or matches in waterproof case
Shirt – SPF fabric and longsleeved
Mouth spreader if you’re fishing for species with
teeth
Sunscreen
Shirt – SPF fabric and shortsleeved
Weight scale
Hand sanitizer
Long underwear
Hand warmers
Convertible pants (pants with zippered legs, making instant
shorts)
Plastic bags
Socks
25 feet of small-diameter rope
Seat, bucket, or cushion
Toilet paper
Matching up the fish, the water, and the offering
Almost every sizable body of water, providing it isn’t too polluted, will have some fish in it. Whether the fish have been stocked there, or appear through natural reproduction, there’s a good chance more than one species is present.
The following table lists a few common species of fish and provides typical habitats for them, as well as bait, lures, and flies that often trigger them to bite. Of course, these fish can be found in other habitats and will hit other offerings in addition to those listed.
Fish
Water
Offering
Freshwater Fish
Bluegill
Ponds, lakes, and reservoirs
Worms, crickets, and small spinners
Largemouth bass
Ponds, lakes, and reservoirs
Spinnerbaits, crankbaits, and soft plastics
Smallmouth bass
Streams and rivers
Jigs, crankbaits, and topwaters
Channel catfish
Ponds, reservoirs, and rivers
Nightcrawlers and cutbait
Crappie
Ponds, reservoirs, and lakes
Minnows, spinners, and jigs
Northern pike
Cooler lakes and rivers
Spoons, crankbaits, and spinners
Rainbow trout
Cooler streams and deep lakes
Flies and spinners
Walleye
Cooler rivers and lakes
Jigs, crankbaits, and nightcrawlers
Saltwater Fish
Summer flounder
Bays, harbors, and estuaries
Jigs, shrimp, and cutbait
Red drum
Shallow bays, flats, and estuaries
Crankbaits, jigs, and cutbait
Weakfish
Shallow bays and marshes
Shrimp, jigs, and spoons
Bluefish
Bays, warm estuaries, and beaches
Spoons, crankbaits, and jigs
Snook
Warm lagoons, mangrove swamps, and estuaries
Crankbaits, livebait, and topwaters
Tarpon
Estuaries and mangrove bays
Livebait, spoons, and crankbaits
Yellowtail snapper
Coral reefs
Cutbait and squid
Goliath grouper
Rocky ledges, reefs, and wrecks
Livebait, cutbait, and squid
Matching your fishing rod, lure, and line
Your fishing rod has a limit to how much weight it can lift and cast effectively. This is called the “power” of the rod. Anglers can use this chart as a guide to match up the right rod, lure weight, and line size for the right balance.
Rod Power
Lure Weight
Line Size
Ultralight
1–4 lb test
1/64–1/16 oz
Light
4–8 lb test
1/16–1/4 oz
Medium Light
6–10 lb test
1/4–1/2 oz
Medium
8–12 lb test
1/2–1 oz
Medium Heavy
12–25 lb test
1–4 oz
Heavy
20–40 lb test
4–8 oz
Extra Heavy
25 lb test and above
8 oz and above
Keeping up with fishing world records
The International Game Fish Association (IGFA) keeps track of world record catches for almost every species of fish you can think of. Do you think you just hauled in the next record catch? It could happen! If your fish beats the current record, get it registered at the nearest tackle shop. Then wait for those endorsements to come piling in.
Fish
Weight
Where and When It Was Caught
Bluefish
31 lb 12 oz
Hatteras, North Carolina; January 30, 1972
Brown Trout
42 lb 1 oz
Oahu Canal, New Zealand; July 27, 2013
Largemouth Bass
22 lb 4 oz
Tied:
Montgomery Lake, Georgia; June 2, 1932
Lake Biwa, Shiga, Japan; July 2, 2009
Learn about key components of a fly rod and examine the three standard grips. Remember everyone has a different style of casting and like different rods.
Discover the four most popular species of catfish, which have grown in popularity as sportfish due to their large size, good taste, and sporting fight.
Learn about the sunfish family, which includes the widespread and feisty bluegill, the sporty crappie, and the highly prized largemouth and smallmouth bass.
Learn about fish and their habitats to be a more successful angler. Prepare by using a chart to help you decide what to bring on your next fishing trip.
