Ever watch your boyfriend or husband pack up for a fishing trip?  With all the stuff they carry, you'd think they were embarking on a long-weekend camping trip!  This scenario truly begs the question, "exactly what does a woman angler really need to take on a fishing trip?"
 
The tackle box on wheels, like an airport carry-on bag, is a conspiracy propagated by the gigantic tackle shops that would love for you to fill it up.   Catching more fishermen than fish, most lures and fishing gizmos are not necessary for a well-prepared angler on any given fishing day.
 
Here's the real story.  Show up on a trip with this concise set of tools and you will be admired for your on-target fishing style. 
 
Let's start with clothes and boots, something a woman really understands!   Good boots that fit your feet and protect you from stingrays and oyster shells are a must.  Don't wear hand-me-down boots.  Foreverlast boots are a great choice because they are light in color, and have very good stingray protection.  They are a little heavy, but, hey girls, they'll give your legs and booty a good workout while you are fishing which is a bonus!  Go to www.foreverlast.com for more info.  Find these boots at Academy and try them on.  Light microfiber-type socks (check out L'eggs Trouser Socks ($2.50) at the grocery store in the hosiery section) are essential to protect your pedicure in those big ol' boots, as well as keeping your feet free of blisters for a full day of wade fishing.
 
Long sleeve fishing shirts in any color other than white, along with either quick-dry pants or shorts keep you cool and protected from the sun.  Remember, pretty colored fishing shirts look great in fishing pictures!  Colombia, Ex Officio and Simms have some of the best looking and most functional clothing in women's sizes.  A hat with a dark underbrim and polarized sunglasses in amber, brown or copper are essential to round out your fishing attire.
 
All self-sufficient anglers carry clippers, pliers (or hemostats) and a boga-grip type fish handling tool.  Beginners might want to include a wading net for landing those big fish.  A wading belt helps to carry some of this gear while you are walking and fishing.  Companies like Walk-n-Wade, NuMark and Foreverlast sell wading belt packages that have everything that you need.  Walk-n-Wade even has wading belts in women's sizes and girly colors. 
 
Purchasing the right rod and reel for your style of fishing is very important.  A good rule, however, is to always carry two rods on any fishing trip.  Whether you fish with spinning or casting reels, it does not matter.  Purchase the lightest, highest quality rod that you can afford.  A starter set could include one 6'6" casting rod with medium action and one 7' spinning rod with a medium-light action.  The shorter, stiffer casting rod works great for topwaters, larger lures, down-wind casting, and deeper water wading.  The medium-light spinning rod is well suited for shallow water sightcasting or tossing lighter tackle, such as gold spoons and small plastics.  For no back-lashing on a windy day, the spinning reel comes in really handy.  Reels can get expensive, check with your fishing compadres or discussion boards for good recommendations in your price range.
 
Whether to line your reel with braid or mono line is your preference.  Braided fishing line (like Suffix in 30lb test) has no stretch and make working topwater lures very easy.  Suffix also has a bright yellow mono line that makes it easy to keep track of where your lure is at all times.
 
A concise tackle box really makes fishing more fun.  A bag (that closes with Velcro rather than zippers, if you can find it) that carries about four medium-sized plastic boxes will help keep your tackle organized and easy to access.  One box should carry a selection of topwater lures, one with plastics, one with spoons and one with miscellaneous stuff and hooks.  This system keeps everything organized and makes it easy to recognize when lures need to be replaced.
 
Some bay systems require certain colors that may work better than others, but for the most part, a selection of topwaters should include light and dark colors, small and large sizes and low and high-pitched sounds.  That sounds a little complicated, but not really.  Here's a good starter selection for almost anyone:
 
Small Topwaters:  Super Spook, Jr's, small Skitterwalks
Large Topwaters: big Skitterwalks, Top Dog, Jr.'s, She Dogs, He Dogs
Light Colors: bone, chrome, chartreuse, silver, white, pink
Dark Colors: black, brown, gold, orange, pink
Low Pitched: big Skitterwalks, Top Dog, Jr.'s
High Pitched: small Skitterwalks, Super Spook, Jr.'s and She Dogs
 
Use this same thinking for soft plastics.  Purchase light and dark colored selections, small and large sizes, paddletail (redfish, shallow water), straight-tailed (trout, deeper water).  Jig heads should include light (1/16th ounce) and heavier (1/8th ounce). 
 
Gold spoons are a staple for any tackle selection, in 1/8th ounce and ¼ ounce weedless styles. 
 
Then there are the wildcards, such as crank baits (Mann's Baby 1-, Bandits or Wakers) and spinner baits.  Don't go crazy here, but having these wildcards in your arsenal might make the difference between fishing and catching on some days. 
 
Don't like to tie knots?  Use a Norton Quick Clip or a Quickswirl (www.quickswirl.com) for easy changing of lures without retying. 
 
A waterproof digital camera in your pocket, like an Olympus Stylus will keep everyone honest and record the big fish you are catching! 
 
Showing up for a fishing trip rigged and ready with the right gear puts you in a different league.  Starting out in a new sport is always a challenge, so try and keep things simple and concise for more fun!

by Capt. Sally
As seen in Saltwater Texas, June 2009