Terminal Tackle

Terminal tackle is all the little parts that go into making great rigs. Add together some hooks, a swivel, weights and some beads and you can make just about any rig you want!

Hooks:

Contrary to popular belief, big hooks don’t always catch big fish. Hooks are sized by numbers, 32 being the smallest and 1 being bigger, then you get 1/0 (one-aught) to 19/0 (nineteen-aught) which is the biggest hook. Most freshwater fishing is done with size 16 to 2/0. Here are common hook size/bait combinations:

Live Bait:

  • Size 16 - grubs, ants, flies

  • Size 12 - small minnows, red worms

  • Size 8 - nightcrawlers, fatheads, small crawfish

  • Size 4 - large crawfish, small chubs

  • Size 1/0 - large chubs, frogs, shiners

Soft Plastics:

  • Size 10 to 6 - curly tail grubs

  • Size 6 to 4 - paddle tails small flukes

  • Size 1/0 to 2/0 - flukes and frogs

Hooks also come in many different shapes, designed to hook a variety of species in the corner of the mouth. Popular hook shapes are baitholders, snells, circle, octupus, and offset. Depending on what species of fish you are targeting you will want to coordinate the correct shape hook.

Weights:

As with just about all terminal tackle, there are different sizes and shapes designed for different styles of fishing. Maybe one of the most common weight are split shots, small increment weights that just crimp onto your line. The typical size of split shots ranges from 1/64th ounce to 1/8th ounce. Another common weight style is egg sinkers and bullet weights, these are slid onto your line usually in between beads or a swivel and your hook and swivel. Bank sinkers are used for, well, fishing from the bank. These have a few different shapes depending on what the bottom terrain is: sandy, rocky, muddy.

Split Shots

Pyramid Bank Sinker or Surf Sinker

Egg Sinker

Traditional Bank Sinker

Bullet Weight

Flat/No-Roll Sinker

Bobbers:

Just about every angler starts out fishing with a bobber. Its a super easy way to target depths as well as very visual strike indicatior. I’ll say it on last time, as with all terminal tackle they come in many different shapes and sizes.

Snap Swivels:

Snap swivels are a quick and effective way to swap out lures and rigs without constantly having to retie your knots. The swivel helps prevent your line from twisting and getting knotted up, thats why they are most commonly used with crankbaits and lures that move alot or spin. Swivels are available in many different styles and sizes. When fishing for big game fish like steelhead, salmon, or musky it is crucial to have a snap swivel that can handle the beating from those type of fish!