TERMINAL TACKLE
Over the years i have tried most bits of kit available, and as braided line has got thinner and i’ve been using lighter tackle, so my end gear has been refined too.
Open my bits box and you’ll find a whole host of little metal lures and jigs, with just three compartments of terminal tackle.
i do have another box with some larger swivels in it for when i’m targeting conger eels, big blonde rays and tope, but for the most part i use exactly what you see here. Tiny swivels, 3mm and 5mm beads and Breakaway Mini links – for everything, whether i’m fishing in three feet of water with lure rods for bass or uptiding for cod.
i stopped using booms a long time ago, because i’ve found that i don’t need them, even in deep water. What i do is attach a Breakaway Mini link to a micro swivel and just use that to hold my lead weight. The smaller diameter swivel eye slides neatly up and down a 40lb or 50lb leader, and i guess because it’s so small it is less prone to tangling. i rarely get tangles using this set-up.
i also use the Mini links when fishing lures, either with a link tied directly to the end of my leader for attaching the lures, or when fishing in deeper water where a little extra weight is needed, when i use them as a fixed lead system. By this i mean i tie my leader to the top eye of the swivel, then tie my hooklength to the bottom eye of the swivel and attach a lead to the Mini link. it’s a foolproof method that has caught me a lot of fish over the years.
NEXT MONTH: The best knots to hold everything together, from leaders to hooks and lures.