Help with tackle choices
 

We are new to fishing the bay, coming out of Oxford MD - up to this point we have been fishing from the docks and having a great time, but we are looking to move up in the world... I suppose there are a million answers to this, but has anyone seen a "must have" list for tackle - both rod and lures? We will be fishing in the Tred Avon/Choptank as well as the Bay near the Choptank. I have read Rudows book as well.

Thanks for any suggestions.

One of my "must have" lures is a chrome 1/2 ounce rattletrap. Its good for nice sized White Perch and Rockfish up to about 28 inches on a good day. Even Blues and Catfish have attacked it plenty this time of the year. I usually mash the barbs down since the dual treble hooks usually do a good job of holding the fish.

I'll get lynched for admitting this, but one of my favorite rods is a 6'6 Shakespeare medium action Ugly Stick with a decent Okuma reel on it. 10# Powerpro for the line this year. Its a great all around utility rod, but there are always better choices if youre targeting specific fish and fishing a specific way (casting crankbaits, jigging spoons or soft plastics, etc)

Fishing the bay can get expensive fast. I fish 2 or 3 times a week.....but sometimes its freshwater, looking for Largemouth or Crappie, and sometimes its looking for Perch or Stripers on the bay. So a lot of my stuff is "multi purpose" gear.

Jigheads from 1/2, 3/4. 1, 1 1/2 from Capt Steve http://basskandydelights.hypermart.net/

Bass Asssassins, 7", Opening Night, Chatrusse, and Albino from Herbs Tackle in Northeast, Maryland

Smack It ! top water lures from Marty's in Edgewater.

Trout Bombs from Marty's, while your there...:)

Study up on your knots.. Nothing worse than finally finding fish and having your knots fail you.
http://www.animatedknots.com/indexfishing.php

And what ever you do, don't buy an Ugly Stick.. They are for pussies....:rolleyes:

It would be tough to type even 10% of what you could use.

Best bet is to seek out your local tackle shops and ask their advice. attend local MSSA meetings and ask what others are using.

Check out other boats at the ramp - most fishermen will show you what they use.

There are days when I'll use 7-8 different rods / reels - depending on what I'm after and size of the fish.

A good all around choice will be a 6 1/2 foot med. action rod rated for 1/2 to 2 ozs. Take rod ratings with a grain of salt though.

A spinning reel to match - Penn 440 or 450 size as an idea. Use 8-12 lb mono or better yet 10 to 14 lb braided line.

This outfit might be too heavy for some fish and too light for others - this is where having other rigs comes in.

As you get more into fishing - likely you'll aquire more rigs. Matching the rod / reel to the lure and fish helps a lot.

So you have more than one, eh?

Nothing wrong with "ugly sticks and Rhino Rods". If I could get a bunch of them that is all I would use!

Best rods under 50 bucks...More often than not you can get them for 25 to 30....

If you can't get a number of rods like Skip suggested, get an ugly stick...You can catch big rock and blues with them as well as have a blast catching perch and spot....

Great all around rods....

Remember that mono tends to stretch where braid does not...Think it comes down to personal preference...I used to use braid all the time, but now I love using lighter mono when casting for striped bass, something in the way they pull the mono is so much better than braid...

However, as skip said, many types needed for conditions...In the fall and early spring I would rather use braid for heavier lures and bigger fish....

Talk to folks...will help a lot...

Rudow is a bait fisherman....
If you want to use a double rig..drown some bait...ugly sticks are just fine...:eek:
I must admit I do have one ugly stick...I use it when I'm cutting grass...it's great for pushing up limbs when on the riding mower..
check out Shawn Kimbro's book on his website..www.chesapeakelighttackle.com
He covers every possible way to catch fish on light tackle..
Ugly sticks are not the "preferred" rods to use for jigging...you need to be able to feel the bite..medium action rods...braided line is a must..#10 test with a mono leader for stretch..can handle anything in the bay..