Some of you, like me, have already started the new season (and like me, likely left home without something you missed later on :o ). The rest, you'll be heading out on the maiden voyage in a couple of weeks. Let's see if we can put together a checklist for the first trip of the season. It goes without saying that you've serviced all your reels and re-spooled with fresh line, sharpened hooks, and done all of the major things. I'm talking about the little details you tend to overlook in the flush of excitement about FINALLY beating the shack-nasties ;)

I'll start:

-Fresh batteries for the flashlights.
-Check hook file to make sure it's not a sheet of rust (and replace if needed).
-Check spool of leader material and add another to the bag if needed.
-Locate box of snaps, swivels, and other terminal gear and put it in plug bag.
-Check 4x4 gear to make sure you have all of it, including your tire guage.
-Pliers
-Spare reel spool for the reel you'll be using now, not the one you used last November that's still in your bag.
-Ever leave without your waders on the first trip? I have :o
-That bag of small rubber you bought at the show, the ones that said "I'm perfect for those early spring outings"?

What can you add to the list?

1) Waders
2) Wader belt
3) Foul weather top
4) Korkers and replacement studs and duct tape
5) Sweatpants, sweatshirt (I prefer fleece tops and bottoms), tube socks
6) Hat & Gloves
7) Beverages and snacks
8) Pliers & sheath
9) Belt gaff
10) Sand spike
11) Waterproof flashlight and spare batteries
12) Length of thick rope to string up your catch.
13) Boga-grip or similar type of weighing scale

14) Tide charts
15) Weather report

16) Rods (including backups)
17) Reels
18) Spare spools

19) Hooks
20) Swivels
21) Snaps
22) Leader
23) Lead sinkers - bank, pyramid, or storm, various sizes

24) Lures - tins
25) Lures - bucktail jigs and trailers (pork rinds, plastic rubs)
26) Lures - Scandinavian-style swimmers (single body, jointed)
27) Plugs - poppers (polaris and pencil types), and spooks
28) Plugs - metal lipped swimmers (e.g., dannies)
29) Plugs - darters
30) Plugs - bottle swimmers
31) Plugs - needlefish
32) Lures - rubber minnows, paddletail type swimmers, jerk baits

33) Plug bag(s) and tackle bag(s)

34) Coolers
35) Ice
36) Filet knife
37) Tape measure/ruler
38) Recent copy of updated fishing regs
39) Bait cutting board
40) Bait knife

41) Tire pressure gauge
42) 12 inch x 12 inch plywood jack boards
43) Tow cables
44) Porta-potties and TP for your bungholes
45) Shovel suitable for moving sand
46) Jack
47) 4WD Beach Permit
48) First aid kit
49) Fire extinguisher
50) Spare air hose and nozzles

51) Your prescription meds
52) Fully-charged cell phone

53) Fishing buddy

Extra Gear for Newport, Jamestown, and The Avenues - ASIAN FISH POACHERS

* Lots of non-biodegradable litter (like beer cans, fishing line, bait wrappers and soiled baby diapers). Don't be stingy, spread it around. :rollem:

* A swaggering I-don't-give-a-fukk disregard for sportsman-like conduct and marine recreational fishing regulations. :hang:

Extra Gear for Newport, Jamestown, and The Avenues - GOOD Weather

54) SOS inflatable vest and replacement CO2 cartridges
55) Wetsuit instead of waders and foul weather top
56) Waterproof marine band VHF in case you need to call for help
57) Change of underwear in case you have a close call with a wave
58) Several hundred hours of swimming at the local Y under your belt.

Extra Gear for Newport, Jamestown, and The Avenues - BAD Weather

59) Your ID tattoed on your forehead
60) Your next-of-kin phone contact in a waterproof ziploc bag
61) Your signed organ donation card
62) Updated Last Will & Testament
63) Proof of most recent premium paid for your life insurance policy

Extra Gear for Breachways - WEEKDAYS

64) Duct tape to cover your mouth up to mask uncontrollable giggling

Extra Gear for Breachways - WEEKENDS

65) Taser or cattle prod

Extra Gear for Breachways - HOLIDAY WEEKENDS

66) Threat Level III A Kevlar ballistic vest (riot helmet optional)
67) Glock pistol, 9mm - .357 Sig - .40 S&W - .45 ACP - 10 mm (n.b. you can fire a Glock underwater if you need to).
68) Four spare loaded mags for the Glock
69) Zip-loc bags for Glock
70) Rhode Island carry permit http://www.riag.state.ri.us/criminal/bci.php
71) Name and # of good criminal attorney to bail you out.

Extra Gear for Quonnie East - Anytime

72) Spud gun to launch tubers or rotten chum at the RIMS guys on the other side. :hihi:

73) Big metal pot or bucket to bang on at 2 a.m. on the way out to the rocks so you can announce to the locals that you are poaching scup. :whackin:

hat
wallet
extra clothes
and if you use them:
teasers
bait
gloves

Looks like this thread is done. Thanks Weewee ;)

I'd like to add extra fuses for your vehicle, and or possibly a hi lift jack, 1 gallon zip locks come in handy in case you decide to bring fillets home and you can just toss 'em under your seat, extra tire guages even if they're the buck a piece ones come in handy in case someone else needs one, ya dont feel so bad when ya let someone borrow a tire guage in the lot and they dont return it and it was only a buck... One pack of storm shads to be kept on ones person at all times (learned this the hard way thanks peter) and all the other stuff thats been mentioned, oh sunscreen and also repellent I hate the no see ums....

Looks like this thread id done. Thanks Weewee ;)

I guess when you're posting for three, you gotta get your money's worth :huh:

The idea was to let some of the other kids play too, Ben ;)

Ben I hope you don't take anything out. :rtfm: or you will have to double check. My first outing last week I was pleasantly surprised I had everything.

extra cigs and extra lighter .


extra skins !

WeeWee any room for yourself in your truck? :hihi:

It's all in a trailer. He just hitches it up to his truck and goes :D

Korkers, Ive left home w/o them a few times

Dont forget a leash if you're wading and need to tie a fish off to your waist...
Duct Tape (For patching holes in your waders on the fly
Black tape (for everything else..
Extra flashlight/neck light

GEEz whata @#$%^& surprize / I never really stopped fishin ,except when the ice forced a stoppage ///

never cleaned any gear of any kind
never did anything with the boat because it stayed in all winter /& I fished out of it inJanuary & february////

what I did due was ::

replace hubs & bearing of the trailer //because I actually blew them out //
replaced the cable on the trailer because it was ready to go//
got the lights to work on the tin boat ,because when it got dark I had no lights //
put my waders on last week & went fishin //they leaked -threw them away //
put batteries in a head lamp /because when I went to use it //they were dead..//
changed line on a reel yesterday// finally got sick of last years loops

no changed hooks leaders, reels ,line or anything else that would make good sense....

sooooooooooooo I have no @#$%#$%$% excuse when all my gear breaks down /or fish keep snapping my line ///

the adventure continues ///// :huh: :jump1:

Some fuel- monster , redbull

I'm a 100% ready.

I try to keep it simple.Only about a dozen or so things on MY list.

check waders for leaks

Eels and hooks.

RAG"S!! I always forget rags!!!! for them slimy eels and wiping the crap off!!
Trash bags to pick up your trash!!

I'm a cross between Ben an clamma...totes for everything and everything in the totes..plus some..extra's of most things.....one thing I can't stress enough is having an UP TO DATE first aid kit[2] one under the seat of your car or truck and one on the boat...clean packing if you or someone else decides to slice half a hand off or get spiked by a dog fish in your artery on your wrist 15 miles offshore...chitt happens anywhere.

Singles for the stop at Zachary's on the way home. :humpty:

stuff and water

Steve, you might as well put some Krazy glue in the first aid kit, in case you get cut good and are miles offshore, it's a good way to close a wound. Was used in the field during VietNam. I have had to use it myself. Just don't close completely so you don't seal in any infection. Just remember "You'd be Krazy to use Super glue ....


Ben, what's this about a belt gaff?

Oh yeah, the phone # for the local EPO and other authorities for when I see non legal fish being killed. :peessed: I am gonna do something when I see that this year......

1)
Extra Gear for Newport, Jamestown, and The Avenues - GOOD Weather

51) SOS inflatable vest and replacement CO2 cartridges
52) Wetsuit instead of waders and foul weather top
53) Waterproof marine band VHF in case you need to call for help
54) Change of underwear in case you have a close call with a wave
55) Several hundred hours of swimming at the local Y under your belt.

Extra Gear for Newport, Jamestown, and The Avenues - BAD Weather

56) Your ID tattoed on your forehead
57) Your next-of-kin phone contact in a waterproof ziploc bag
58) Your signed organ donation card
59) Updated Last Will & Testament
60) Proof of most recent premium paid for your life insurance policy

Extra Gear for Breachways - WEEKDAYS

61) Duct tape to cover your mouth up to mask uncontrollable giggling

Extra Gear for Breachways - WEEKENDS

62) Taser or cattle prod

Extra Gear for Breachways - HOLIDAY WEEKENDS

63) Threat Level III A Kevlar ballstic vest
64) Glock pistol, 9mm - .357 Sig - .40 S&W - .45 ACP - 10 mm
65) Four spare loaded mags for the Glock
66) Zip-loc bags for Glock
67) Rhode Island carry permit
68) Name and # of good criminal attorney to bail you out.

we need to fish more :hihi: :rotf2:

Ben, what's this about a belt gaff?


http://shop.thesurfcaster.com/images/items/GASC1N.jpg

Nightfighter, I find this belt gaff very helpful on jetties and breachway rockpiles if I know I want to keep a fish, or if there is a fish stuck in the rocks and the only way to get it out to release it is to lip gaff it.

Eben - when are we going fishing? :hihi:

-leader wallet
-need new vest like FWW's
-eel rigs
-plug rigs
-chunk rigs
-korker
-breathable wader
-wading boots
-flashlight
-knife
-gloves
-rope
-rod n reel
-plug bag w/ assorted lures
-water
-bug repellent
-eel bucket
-cooler

portable weather radio

30 Gallon Keep Alive tank with aerotor system
AmmoLok
Baitsaver
Kosher Salt
small rod
sabiki rigs
cast net
Long Handled Square face Dip Net

Canal Basket
Canal Bike
bike rack
cooler rack

Kosher salt (you can never have enuf)
2 100-150' gill nets
gillnet pick
recreational inshore gill net permit
long handled dip net

belly boat

MikeP...this would have been a geeod threat...send Int angler to get weewee

:bshake:

In case someone gets hooked in the head you can snip the hook so the person does not have to fish all night with a hook buried in his head some anti biotic to put on wounds after :wiggle:

a bunch of "got stripers" plastic baits :kewl:

One thing I have added to my surf arsenal is a roll of TP. You just never know when nature will call, and a few sections rolled up in a zip-loc tucked away in your surf bag can be a life saver! Goose taught me that one last year out on Cutty... :(

One thing I have added to my surf arsenal is a roll of TP. You just never know when nature will call, and a few sections rolled up in a zip-loc tucked away in your surf bag can be a life saver! Goose taught me that one last year out on Cutty... :(
good call.... tough using dried up seaweed....... fishweewee, you forgot one thing..... A PORTER to carry all that %$%$%$%$.... :hihi:

hatchet, knife, 2-million candle power light w/ battery, an extra....whoops, wrong list...

let's see, an elf to get your fish and sacrifice themselves in the gale and pounding surf, a back support to carry all the stuff fww listed (or that elf again), but seriously - spare rod tips, glue, and e-tape (for on the water, emergency, nasty cuts; temp tip repair; etc.), a candy bar or energy bar to a quick snack and burst of energy, and a bottle of water. and, please, buy yourself a pair of pliers that can cut a real hook, like a 4/0 treble! i've already seen on finger w/ a hook in it and the gentleman had nothing to cut it with. manley's are only $25-30, last for a few years, and you're not heart broken if you lose them in the drink. you can buy them almost everywhere.

FWW's list could have been worse---since he dumped the Rover, he doesn't have to carry a full set of tools any more :D

:laughs:

Seriously, I keep a checklist of stuff for every trip I make out.

Obviously, I don't bring everything on the aforementioned list, but I find a list very helpful so that I don't overlook anything in a mad rush to get out.

If you're driving a few hours to fish, it's better to have something with you and not need it than need it and not have it.

I have a separate list for boat trips. I hate it when I have a boat trip and want to surf fish afterwards. :wall:

The list is much shorter if you're flyfishing.

Unlike all the other crap I listed, you really can carry all your fly stuff with you. :btu:

I have never used a checklist which is proven by the fact it takes me 6 trips to finally accumulate all the gear I need. Besides I know Toby will be fishing in my spots so I'll just get what I need from him. :eek5: :bl:

Besides I know Toby will be fishing in my spots so I'll just get what I need from him. :eek5: :bl:
Jeff, any time you want me to show you how to fish your spots you are welcome to come down and get schooled. The lessons will begin as soon as the water drops back down...

One more thing, I need to add loking for a beach buggy

Wow that was fast, Toby's always lurking in the shadows :eek5: The river looks ugly right now I was figuring it would come down by the weekend but with more rain predicted who knows.

I have eyes all over the place... :eyes:

Yeah, she is looking mean right now. It's cool, though, as I have been finding good fish for a few weeks... :devil:

WEE WEE,
YOUR FORGOT THE RELOADING EQUIPMENT. IF YOU EVER WERE CORNERED LIKE A RAT AT THE END OF THE JETTY RUNNING OUT OF AMMO IS ALWAYS THE UNFORSEEN SITUATION. OR INCLUDE A 10 " TO 12" 12 GAUGE SAWED-OFF DOUBLE BARRELL SHOTGUN, THE SPREAD AT 10' IS ABOUT 10', SO CLEARING A PATH GETTING OFF THE JETTY WITH THAT 60 POUNDER OVER YOUR SHOUDER WOULD COME EASY. MORE SERIOUSLY FOLKS, HOW MANY OF YOU LICENSE TO CARRY PEOPLE DO CARRY AT NIGHT FISHING, MANY/ANY? :bgi: :rocketem:

Swimmer, I tape on an M-203 to my heaver stick to fend off jetskis and boats that get too close to my spots.

Here are a couple of accessories that are very helpful.

http://www.mr40mm.com

:eyes:

WOW, what size was that truck you bought Ben????? :hihi:
Dragged CS out on the beach one night, he carried all his stuff in 2 ziplock bags, course he had it narrowed down... as you know if you go with BM, he's got half a tackle shop in his truck... I always seem to bring too much of stuff I don't use, and not enough of something, but, I make do.
Good Tip on the first aid kit, will update mine before season, and, ya can't have enough water for drinking, either.
Of cousre, it helps when the family is out in the "Hilton", I can make a quick run, and hit the inventory there.....
Ben U need a Hilton to carry your stuff :hihi:

Actually, I don't carry THAT much stuff with me. :spin:

The checklist is just that - something that you run through to see if you need stuff as your situation requires.

I need, one plug bag to rotate plugs thru
Better Eel bucket/Bag
2 Pliers + 1 Cutting Hooks
Spare necklite, clippers
water, water, water


One more thing, I need to add loking for a beach buggy

I might have a good one with a cooler rack and some mojo that needs an engine. Mojo consists of my biggest fish have always been around that truck, it has kissed the sand on the Cape, MV, Nantucket, Block Island, and Rhody Beaches, and it has the Big Kahuna's cooler rack, which has probably had more big fish in it than 99.95% of the members of this board and any other board :hihi:

In the last 6000 miles it has had:
4 new tires
Gas Tank
Fuel Pump
segment of wiring harness
Fuel Filler hose
and some other odds and ends.

What it needs:
Long Block (I have a 98 Explorer engine seperate with the GT40P heads)
Exhaust
A little rust work or Bushwacker Fenders :hee:

I need,
Better Eel bucket/Bag:
I noticed this on the New Items tab of SWE. interesting... http://www.saltwateredge.com/miva/graphics/00000001/surfgear/tackleboxs/eelbucket_g.jpg

Personally, I use a 2 gallon plastic pickle jug type thing. It has a screw on top, I can thread a rope through it, it fits right over my shoulder like a surf bag, and it is extremely light.

I noticed this on the New Items tab of SWE. interesting...
Personally, I use a 2 gallon plastic pickle jug type thing. It has a screw on top, I can thread a rope through it, it fits right over my shoulder like a surf bag, and it is extremely light.

I'm looking more for the plastic jug to run some rope thru and wear with me...

kinda like my camel back :hee:

That is what I was referring to that I use. Got a few from a restauant as they were throwing them away. Free and effective.

I need, one plug bag to rotate plugs thru
Better Eel bucket/Bag
2 Pliers + 1 Cutting Hooks
Spare necklite, clippers
water, water, water




I might have a good one with a cooler rack and some mojo that needs an engine. Mojo consists of my biggest fish have always been around that truck, it has kissed the sand on the Cape, MV, Nantucket, Block Island, and Rhody Beaches, and it has the Big Kahuna's cooler rack, which has probably had more big fish in it than 99.95% of the members of this board and any other board :hihi:

In the last 6000 miles it has had:
4 new tires
Gas Tank
Fuel Pump
segment of wiring harness
Fuel Filler hose
and some other odds and ends.

What it needs:
Long Block (I have a 98 Explorer engine seperate with the GT40P heads)
Exhaust
A little rust work or Bushwacker Fenders :hee:

lol, u must be joking with me. if i have a permant job after college and thai boxing career in thailand (maybe...), i will buy it if it still runs well. :cool:

Life is fairly simple for me in the equipment dept. That's a definite advantage of the Canal.

One jig bag about 4 inches wide , eight inches long and 4 or 5 inches deep made of heavy , tough material (Nylon mat weave works good) .
Add a nice wide strap cause jigs are heavy and a thin one will kill your shoulder.

In the bag I put :

5- 2 Oz ball jigs (bare , not even painted)
5 -3 OZ balljigs
3-4OZ ball jigs
5 -4 OZ white smilin Bill bucktail jigs.
3- 4 OZ black smilin Bil bucktail
5 -2 OZ white SB bucktail jigs
2 -5 OZ white SB bucktail jigs

1 bag fin s fish dark( not black)
1 bag fin s fish white

10 white 8 inch curltail grubs
10 black 8 inch curltail grubs

5 herring colored shad bodies

3 white Ledgerunner midi sized jerk grubs
3 black Ledgerunner midi sized jerk grubs

tape measure
Swiss Army Knife
head lamp
water proof flashlight cliped to bag strap
Nickel plated long nose cutting pliers
1 spool 50 Lb Ande pink
1 -10 pack 8/0 mustads for any kind of bait from herring to eels
Lip grip type scale (Berkley)
Second sping scale with big dial for use only on really nig ones!! Hey , you never know when you'll need it!! :)

A Rod capable of handling 2 to 5 OZ and a big fish in the current. XRA 1205 last 3 or 4 years , this year a Century I made for myself.

An Abu BG 7000CL Reel (one great reel!!) spooled with 50 LB Spectron.


A good pair of Knee high boots
a good Raincoat with lots of pockets.
A hooded sweatshirt

About 6 Tylenal in your pocket
Bottle of water with me , plenty in truck
Some hard candies like fireballs or Giant lifesavers , etc


A rod ion one hand , water in the other . Small bag over the shoulder and off we go. Tarveling light has its advantages.