Suggestions For Your First Tacklebox

[roadwarrior]

Brand new to fishing? This thread is for you. I'll start and hopefully some other members will add their advice, but before you start accumulating a lot of tackle, let's focus on the basics. We'll start with a rod and reel, line and a few basic lures that anyone can fish.

My first rod & reel was a Zebco spincast combination. They haven't changed much in fifty years, but they are still the easiest rig to fish:

http://www.basspro.com/servlet/catalog.TextId?hvarTextId=63971&hvarDept=100&hvarEvent=&hvarClassCode=3&hvarSubCode=3&hvarTarget=browse

The combination probably comes with line already spooled, but if not have the retailer put 10 lb test monofilament on for you.

Now a few lures that are "user friendly." By this I mean, cast them out and reel them in. Let's catch some fish first, then we'll work on some other techniques later. All of the lures I am recommending catch bass, as a matter-of-fact some of these are the greatest producers of all time! So, here we go:

#1 Rapala Original Floater (silver)

#2 Jitterbug (green)

#3 Zara Puppy (silver & black)

#4 Rat-L-Trap (chrome & blue)

#5 Spinnerbait (chartreuse & white with two willow blades)

#6 Norman Fat Boy (bluegill pattern)

#7 Bagley BII (Yellow)

That's it, those are all the lures you need to get started catching some bass this spring. Practice casting so you can place them near cover and structure. Cast, let it sit for ten or fifteen seconds and retrieve.

That's all there is to it.

[Chris at Tech]

For the 'simple' lures, I'd add some inline spinners.  They catch EVERYTHING

[Raul]

I 'd say: get the largest one you can find, The BaitMonkey will take care of filling it in an eye blink.  

I should have known that one a long time ago.  :

[roadwarrior]

Raul,

Your "tacklebox" is a tackle garage! :

[Hawgin]

RW,  I agree with you that the Zebco spincast are the easiest set ups to use if you are brand new, but I would recommend to anyone who plans on fishing more than a few times a year to at least consider picking up a spinning set up instead.  They are pretty easy to learn and maintain, and you can buy a decent combo at a pretty friendly price.  It may be a little more money and time to learn at first, but if you plan on fishing with any regularity I think it would be more worth it in the long run.  If a beginner turns serious about the sport then a spincast will quickly be out the door due to it's limitations, where as a spinning outfit is something you can use for almost any application (as you are the living proof of).

As far as lures, well that's a much harder decision as the numerous debates on this site can attest, but I think the list you gave is a good "starter" package.

[Matt Fly]

May I add a must have item to your first tackle box?

A camera is never a bad idea.   It don't catch fish, but does capture them on film.

Matt.

[Deuceu72]

Needlenose pliers are also a must in my book..........good post RW!  ;D

[Shad_Master]

No Senko's???  I would think this would be a must from the Road Warrior.

[roadwarrior]

Soft plastics is the next step, but I think they are difficult to fish productively when someone is just starting to fish.

Maybe not. What do you think?

[Shad_Master]

I think Senkos and Senko-like baits are one of the easiest soft plastics to lean with.  They can be fished in so many ways and (especially in the Spring) there is no way to truly mess it up.  I agree that the lures you have listed are good to learn with, but to make that next step it is important to learn to feel that fish strike the lure and this is where the Senko baits come in.  Once you get the "feel", you can begin to refine your soft plastic presentations and learn from there.  Once you have that down, is the natural progression then to jigs?

[RiskKid.]

I agree with RW, I think if one is going to start with a spin cast set up RW's original list is plenty.

If the next step is a regular spinning set up I think this would be the time and better suited for soft plastics as it would be more sensitive to enable better presentations and feeling bites.

[Painter Dude]

Soft plastics is the next step, but I think they are difficult to fish productively when someone is just starting to fish.

Maybe not. What do you think?

When teaching my wife to fish we used Zebco 33 with soft plastics ie. senkos beavers t-rigged and I spent alot less time removing snagged lures. Plus she caught fish and was very excited. So I would recommend plastics for learning. My 2 cents

PS: Don't forget the band aids!!

[Deuceu72]

I think plastics take time to get the "feel" down.............otherwise, you have a beginner with a lot of missed fish and frustration.........I would start a newbie with reaction baits such as a spinnerbait or crankbait..........You dont need as strong a hookset as with plastics and there is not as much feel involved with this kind of fishing...............Plastics takes practice..................

My .04 cents...................... ;D ;D

[docav]

it is a great start to a tackle box. i would add a top water like a torpedo or devil horse. they dont take much to learn to fish it. me and my little girl who was 6 at the time wondered into a school of white bass. she was able to catch 20 or more in a couple hours with a torpedo and she had never used a lure before. doug

[tugabasser]

My firt setup was a 5' spinning all metal 2 piece rod (weird, right?) with a Abu reel 20 years older than me and a couple of inline spinners that snagged ALL the time. But I manageg to catch a few suicidal basses with it.

I would say a spinning medium action outfit matched with a fairly good reel should be a good starting point and, assuming that one usually starts fishing from the bank, I would swap your selection of hard baits for plastic worms and grubs.

[MyKeyBe]

Curly tail grubs and some ball head jigs. It's one soft plastic bait that will catch fish anytime, anywhere and can be used by anyone that can cast and reel. It was the first lure I ever used and they are still my favorite.

[Matt Fly]

RW,

  I think that your first tackle box was designed with no brainer baits that requires chunk and wind to catch a fish and not much thought needed.

You hit the nail on the head.    Its the same baits I would offer to a person who has never had much experience.

Great tackle box, its designed to have instant fun and success.  

Matt.

[Guest the_muddy_man]

Hey RW I would include some floating worms T rigging them The C thing takes a lot of patience and practice But truthfull t rigging floating worms in shallow weeds will always catch fish and developes a feel for plastics

I would also include Senkos I didnt try them for a long time It was yours and Russ's postings that finally made me try them They produced most of my bass this year. Thjey arent so hard to figure out and you can just cast them and let them do thier thing in a do nothing approach and still catch fish

[The_Natural]

My beginner setup would be based on a medium action spinning setup, which was my first serious bass rod.  My first actual rod and reel was a snoopy combo, but I received a spinning setup soon after and felt it wasn't any more difficult to learn.  That first spinning combo was a 6' medium action lightning rod, with a Shimano AX2000 spinning reel, and I used it for largemout as well as sand bass. Baits would be as follows:

A Jitterbug for surface action (this is a must/staple/classic!)

*4" Berkley power worms(purple) (In water 60 degrees and up, this will keep you busy all day!)

*6" Zoom Lizards

White 3/8oz tandem spinnerbait (gold/silver blades)

Bomber 6A in firetiger

Rattlin' Rogue in blue/silver with orange belly

Bill Lewis Rattletrap in Chrome/silver

Rooster tail (which ever color looks purdy  )

*A pack of 1/8oz jigheads will make any soft bait easy to rig and fish, while not requiring a hook-set.  Since the advent of the 'shakey head' technique,  jigheads have improved dramatically and are now larger (usually 2/0 or 3/0).  These should work fine for most plastic baits, and won't limit the beginner to a small worm.  Since I know RW won't take it personal, I will say IMHO that the BII seems a bit specialized for a starter box.   The Zara puppy is also very effective, but 'walking the dog' may be a little advanced for someone just starting out as well.  For beginners, you hit the nail on the head with the Jitterbug;  I had forgotten about that timeless bait.  I suppose a buzzbait would be easy to master as well.