I have put together an easy to follow list about picking your basic fishing tackle. You won't need expensive or complicated gear to catch a fish. Everyone knows that fishing tackle manufacturers turn out fishing tackle to catch the Fishermen's eye instead of fish. The Rods and Reels I used to catch fish many years ago still catch fish today. In fact, it may even work better today seeing how the fish haven't seen this particular offerings over and over again.

Gear to catch Fish shouldn't be overly complicated. Simple set-ups work best for any fish. Back in my younger days, a Buddy and I went Bass fishing at a local lake. The weather was hot that day, even for June. We knocked off around noon and was standing around after loading the boat when this Old Man and 2 kids came in from fishing.

When they were done loading their boat, I walked over to find they had a limit of Black Bass. The biggest one was 6 and a half pounds and none were under 2 pounds. I walked over and asked the Old Man what they had used for bait, seeing how my Buddy and I were skunked that morning and we had been using the latest equipment and lures on the Market. The Old Man smiled and showed me his Minnow bucket and said "We're using Bass minnows"! I also couldn't keep from noticing their very basic used fishing rods and reels. Their simple set up had out produced the newest technology and presentations on the market at the time!

The necessities you'll have to have in order to begin catching Bass is a Rod and Reel, line and bait. That's all you need. Where do you get your tacke at, your local sporting goods store or Wal-Mart has everything you'll need. I'd suggest a Rod and Reel combo like the Zebco 33 and a matching rod. You may even find this cheaper online.

Stay away from level wind reels to begin with. They're hard to master and expensive. Although easier than a spincast reel to use, Spinning reels can be complex to use and if not used correctly, can leave you with a mess on your hands.

Now on your fishing tackle list comes the line. If you bought a rod and reel combo, chances are it came with line already on it. If not, or you want to change the line, then I'd suggest a 10lb line from either Stren or Trilene. You could use a more expensive line, but there's no use. These two fishing line makers offer excellent line.

Now we're at bait selection. Start with live bait and work your way up to artificials. Again, ignore the marketing hype. Live bait catches more and bigger fish day in and day out than artificial lures do. When you're in the Fishing Dept. of your favorite store, look for Eagle Claw live bait hooks in the 1/0 to 3/0 sizes and get a few packs. Next try and find some weights. You can generally find the ones that come several sizes to a package. Split shot is a great weight for beginners. Next, check out the floats. I like to use the Balsa wood floats. I use the slip floats. These slide up and down the line for easy adjustment. They're held in place at the top by a knot or bobber stop. Now all that's left is checking the regulations, buying a tackle box and stringer and you're set to go!

This is all you'll need in order to catch fish. All total, this should cost less than a hundred bucks. The fishing companies have made it seem like catching a Bass is nearly impossible unless you're using the latest and greatest gear on the Market. Nothing could be further from the truth. If you come home empty handed, don't sweat it. Even the best of us do from time to time!