First and formost I would recoment a compact but reasonably complete first aid kit. Make sure that there is iodine in the kit. It is an old antiseptic but still one of the best.
For those
people who wear glasses or sun glasses here is a handy and useful
item
to have. Get a spray bottle of Simonize car wax. Spray the hankie
lightly with the car wax and let it dry. When you need to clean your
glasses the wax impregnated hanky will do a respectable job. A plain
clothe will just smear the film on the glasses. Another thing I like
about using the wax is it polishes and fills scratches so they are less
visible.
Most fishers carry pliers and a
knife but for long
life and dependability there is nothing like stainless steel. Several
times at the start of a new fishing season I have reached for my pliers
only to find them rusted tightly closed. Especially since I have done
so much salt water fishing lately. This won't happen if you make
sure they are stainless. Stainless is essential for salt water fishing.
While we are discussing stainless steel, another
very useful item is a sturdy pair of surgical clamps. Their narrow nose
makes them ideal for reaching deep into a fish that has swallowed the
hook. You can grasp the hook and then lock the clamp onto the hook
making it easier to work at getting the hook loose. Most if not all
surgical clamps are made out of stainless and are carried in most
fishing tackle stores and departments.
A cool bait to carry in your fishing tackle box is freeze dried night crawlers. If you want freeze dried night crawlers though, you will have to make them yourself. Click here to Make your own freeze dried night crawlers. They keep indefinitely in your fishing tackle box so if you see an inviting fishing spot you will have bait right at your finger tips just inside your tackle box. Freeze dried night crawlers are great for back pack trips because of their negligible weight. They are so light that you can take plenty of bait with you without sacrificing other items. Watch for them to appear soon on this fishing site.
If you want to consistently catch more fish one secret is to keep your hooks razor sharp! I would hazard an opinion that most lost fish are due to insecurely hooked fish because of a dull point on the fish hook. My recommendation is to always keep fish hooks so sharp that they easily penetrate the first layer of skin on your finger although I would not recommend going through two or three layers of skin.
Another item I consider as a luxury but nice to have is a good light weight pair of binoculars. They are great for watching wildlife while you are waiting for a fish to strike your lure or fish hook. There is always something just out of viewing range that you would like to get a better look at. Also when others around you are catching fish and you are not it is nice to be able to spy and see what kind of fishing tackle, lure, spinner or bait they are using.
Now last but certainly not least snack food. Not only is it great when you get hungry and need to boost your fishing energy but it might also be a useful fishing tool. I'll admit this falls into the superstition range but then any die hard fisherman is entitled to at least one good superstition. I swear that nearly every time I start to snack a fish will hit my rig. I will get out a sandwich and wham!! my fishing rod will get a strike and I have to set my snack down to land the fish. So the moral of this tid bit is to always have your fishing line in the water when getting ready to snack.
If you have a favorite item you like to take on fishing trips email me and tell me about it. Label the subject; "My favorite fishing accessory.
Luck sometimes plays a role in catching fish but more fish are caught because of skill and knowledge. So I will not only wish you good luck fishing, but will also wish you success in your knowledge of fishing lure and how you apply it. Happy fishing. Oh and by the way, take a youngster fishing!
