Spring 2023
F
rom rigging a soft plastic bait to making
modifications or repairs to a hard bait, small
terminal tackle components are must-haves for every bass fisherman.
Keeping the right types and amounts of terminal tackle
in your box will ensure you are prepared to rig or repair any
bass fishing setup an angler may need.
Here are my top 10 terminal tackle items that every
bass fisherman should have ready for the season:
HOOKS
The hook is obviously the most important terminal tackle item to have for rigging plastics. Selecting the right hook for the situation is key when fishing a plastic bait, as it will aid in the action of the bait and more importantly the successful hooking up of that bass.
If an angler is looking for one hook utility hook in their tackle box, the extra wide gap (EWG) hook would be an excellent all-around choice. Keeping it in sizes from 1/0 up to 5/0, allows an angler to match the hook size to the size of the plastic bait being used.
Anglers can select and use a wide array of specialty hook styles designed for specific techniques. Hooks that were created to increase hook-up ratios and naturally present
the bait. Some of these hook styles include flipping, tube, drop shot, finesse (Neko, wacky), and swimbait.
WEIGHTS
Like the hooks mentioned above, weights are an essential terminal tackle item. Without it, a Texas-rig, Carolina-rig, or drop shot would never hit the bottom of the lake or river. Having a wide selection of styles and sizes will allow a bait to be presented at the chosen depth of water, based on wind or current.
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Photo: Chad Eddings Photography
I keep flipping/ bullet-shaped tungsten weights that range from 1/32-ounce all the way up to 2-ounces, along with select sizes of Florida-rig weights (bullet weights that have a built-in wire corkscrew on the back end) and punch skirt weights (3/4-ounce to 2-ounce weights that have a collar to slide a skirt on) for specialty situations on the water.
Don’t forget about the weights for other presentations, either. The Carolina-rig weight can be tungsten or brass and is commonly bullet-shaped or barrel-shaped. Each of these travel across the
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