Saltwater fishing gear is called fishing tackle by specialists and hobbyists, and it generally refers to rods, lines, hooks, sinkers, spears, lures, baits, reels, nets, and so on. Some of these items belong to the fishing gear known as terminal tackle which usually covers snaps, sinkers, swivels and hooks.

Etymologically speaking, the “tackle” as fishing equipment originates from ‘takel’ which designated the rigging of a ship, that is, the rope supports necessary for a ship’s masts and sails. Later the same word was recorded to have a different meaning, that of apparatus for fishing and that meaning has been preserved ever since.

The most basic fishing equipment includes a rod, a line, a hook, a lure, a bait and a sinker. The line is a basic cord especially made for fishing that is both long and thin so that fish do not notice it. When a fisherman buys fishing line he has to be sure that the stretch, the resistances and the strength of the product is suitable for the kind of fishing he has in mind. The line will be chosen based on the size and the species peculiarities of the fish he/she intends to catch.

The sinker, also called a plummet, is actually a weight that helps in casting the hook and the bait as far as possible from the shoreline or from the boat that the fisherman uses. They are usually made of lead as their purpose is to get underwater quickly attracting the attention of fish to the bait. However, the lead sinkers have been banned in some parts of the world especially if they are really small. If ingested by bird species or other fish, the lead causes the death of the animal.

Another basic item of fishing equipment is the hook. This is a device meant for attaching the bait and for impaling the fish mouth. These sharp “claws” get attached to the line; and the angler can take the pick from a pretty wide range of shapes, sizes and materials.

Last but not least, the fishing equipment cannot be efficient without bait or lure. The lure is a piece at the end of the line that looks and moves like something resembling the prey of the fish you are after. Its purpose is to catch the attention of the fish with its color, movement and vibrations. When the fish goes for the lure, it gets hooked. Bait, on the other hand, is the actual item attached to the hook and intended to be attacked and eaten by the fish. Bait can be natural including insects, little fish or worms, or artificial made of fabric or plastic materials.

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