Beginners Fishing Equipment

This post I wanted to make about equipment and such that you'll need to start fishing in the San Antonio area. First thing your going to need is obviously going to be a fishing rod and reel. There's a lot of combos out there for a decent price that could be had. The size of fishing your going to need will depend on what type of fish you'll be going after and where you'll be fishing. I would recommend a medium powered rod as they will allow you to get a little bit of everything. If your going after sunfish I'd recommend a light or ultra light rod as this will make fighting those little fish a lot more fun. If you wanna get some bass too I'd pick up a light to medium light rod. For catfish I'd go with a medium rod. And if you plan to go out to Calaveras and Braunig lake then I'd go with a medium to medium heavy rod for those reds. Basic thoughts when buying a rod and reel are, graphite is better than fiberglass, and the more bearings in the reel the better. Make sure you take the time to check the reel, a lot of reels are plastic and in my opinion are just crap. Next thing your going to need is Fishing line. Fishing line will be dependent on the rod and reel combo you get but for most part you will be staying between 4 and 12 lb line. I prefer 8 lb mono filament line but I haven't had an opportunity to go out after those big ol' reds. There's many different kinds of line, but I'll go over that in another post. Next thing you'll need is weights. Get bass sinkers, they look like a little bell with a loop at the top that you can run string through. Brand makes no difference on the sinkers. Size of weights are again dependent on the fish your going after and the body of water, but for the most part if you get some 1/4 oz and 1/2 oz sinkers you'll be good for most fishing. Last thing you will need is hooks. There are so many different types of hooks out there, it can get overwhelming. I've tried quite a few hooks and my favorite are still some plain ol' J hooks with a straight shank. I buy mustad or eagle claw hooks. Sizes you will need will be #6, #4, #2 and if your going to be going after some of the bigger fish in our area I'd get some 1/0. I will be going over the different types of hooks in another post at a later time, but these hooks still seem to be my go to hooks for now. Last thing you MIGHT need, and this is optional, is some barrel swivels and bobbers. Both of these items are used for different types of rigs that I'll also be explaining at another time. Thats pretty much it though. That would be all you need to get started. I spent about 35 dollars getting my first set up, so remember you don't NEED to go out and spend a lot of money to catch fish.