Fishing Tools and Essentials

(286 products)

Essentials is the gear that isn't the rod or the reel but still decides whether the day works — the pliers on your belt, the crimp that holds your leader, the gaff that lands the fish, and the tackle box that gets it all to the rail. We stock the tools SoCal anglers actually reach for: Toro Tamer and Toit split-ring pliers, Bubba and Dexter knives, Charkbait and United Composites gaffs, Smitty's fighting belts, Stick Jacket rod covers, and Plano, SKB and FishLab storage. Use the links below to shop by type, or call the shop and we'll point you at the right one.

The cheap gear that decides the day

The reel gets the credit and the rod gets the money, but the day usually turns on the five-dollar stuff — the crimp that held, the pliers that reached the hook, the gaff shot that landed the fish. Terminal tackle you buy by the pattern; this page is everything else the boat needs, and most of it you only miss when it fails.

Tools that live on your belt

Split-ring pliers open the day and close it — Toro Tamer and Toit build the ones we sell most, in stainless that survives salt. Add cutters that actually cut braid (Boomerang, Bubba, Toro Tamer braid scissors), a crimper and swager for wire leaders (AFW, Toro Tamer), a haywire-twist tool, and a reel wrench so you're not fighting a stuck clamp at the rail. Knot pullers and drag scales round it out.

Knives, landing and handling

Bubba, Dexter-Russell and Danco cover the knife from bait to fillet table. For putting fish in the boat: Charkbait and United Composites gaffs, and Promar nets and dip nets. For handling them right, a tuna spike or ikejime tool makes a clean dispatch, and a descending device — SeaQualizer or Hi-Liner — sends a released fish back to depth alive. Insulated fish bags from Deckhand Sports and Reliable Fishing keep the catch cold on the long ride in.

Keeping it organized and protected

Plano, SKB and FishLab carry the tackle from the truck to the deck; Nomad and Palmarius jig wallets keep slow-pitch and surface irons from tangling. Then protect what costs real money — Stick Jacket rod covers, and reel covers and bags from Charkbait, Avet, AFTCO and Daiwa keep salt and grit off your gear between trips.

Belts, and staying in the game all day

A fighting belt turns a long fight from a wrestling match into leverage — Smitty's and Izorline for everything from a day belt to a full stand-up rig. Then the things that keep you fishing: Xtratuf boots, AFTCO and Grundens layers, gloves, SOL sunscreen, and a rinse of Salt Away over your reels at the dock so they last.

Rigged for the boat

Private boaters can stack the odds with the right hardware: trolling and downrigger weights, Z-Wing diving planers, and kites for slow-trolling live bait up top. Promar lights bring bait and squid to the boat after dark, with more deep-drop lights on the way. Round it out with bait cages, a sabiki setup, a little scent, and the local knowledge — SoCal fishing maps and reference books to put you on the right spot.

The house stuff no one else has

A couple of these are ours. Charkbait lure wraps keep trolling lures and single-hook or assist-rigged jigs from tangling in the bag — for treble-hung plugs, reach for Nomad's lure rolls instead, since trebles catch on wrap material. And our finger tape saves a thumb on a hot bait bite. Not sure what you need? Call the shop at (714) 840-4500.