Boating Tips: Fishing Setups Explored: Basic Fishing Setup

Line

Braided line is an excellent choice to use for fishing line. It is very abrasion resistant, has a small diameter meaning that more line can be packed onto a reel and almost no stretch. Not having stretch in it gives the line great strength, but will necessitate an angler to fight fish more carefully at times.

Leader

From your main line, you tie on your leader, you don’t want to tie a hook directly to your line. Leaders are primarily made from fluorocarbon, which is similar to monofilament. Fluro leaders are clear and are designed to disappear in the water so that wary fish are more apt to bite. Additionally, they provide more abrasion resistance.

Hooks

A circle hook doesn’t need to be set like a traditional J hook, simply reeling to come tight on a fish when getting a bite will hook the fish. Circle hooks have high hookup ratios and are specifically designed to hook fish in the corner of the mouth and help prevent gut hooking. Some bodies of water require circle hooks to be used, so be sure to research your local fishing areas before heading out.

In Sum

Fishing can be very regionalized and require different things depending on how you want to fish as well as when and where. What we have described above are three key parts of any fishing setup - the line, leader and hook. Stop by or visit your local MarineMax online to connect with one of our knowledgeable team members who can help you to achieve your on-the-water goals. We’ll see you out there.