What Three Fishing Items Would You Buy In 5 Minutes?

frog lure

I was standing at my local big box retail sporting goods store reading over some of the information on everything from fish finders to the newest light weight fishing rods. I was there doing some hands on research but I’m sure I looked like a kid in a candy store. I wanted just about every fish finder I looked over. I also wanted some of the lures, rods, and reels displayed nearby.

The problem with being in a huge sporting goods store is that the whole place can be a distraction. Every shelf and hanger is packed with cool things that I want in my tackle box or boat. You can always use one more lure, bobber, pole, reel, or how about a new fish finder and a new boat! The sport is addicting!

That’s when this article idea hit me. Have you ever sat around thinking about what the next item would be to add to your collection of fishing gear and equipment would, or should, be? I think about stuff like that all of the time. But what if you only could choose a couple of items for a wish list?
Fishing Grab & Go!

Here are rules. Pretend you were given the keys to the fishing department at your favorite sporting goods store. You’re then told you have five minutes to grab the top three items on your dream list of fishing tackle and equipment?

Now, that’s a fun topic of discussion when the lightning storm hits the water and you and your fishing buddies are relegated to small talk conversations in the confines of your truck or marina office.

No. 1 – Hummingbird Fishin’ Buddy

humminbird fishin buddy 140c

Since I was at the store looking over fish finders it stands to reason that one would be on my must have wish list. Right now I have a Hummingbird and a Lowrance fish finder. Both are mid-sized, above a 4” screen, one in color, and one is black and white. What I don’t have, but want, is a portable fish finder.

Over the last several months I’ve watched kayak fishermen working the banks of the lake near my dock. I decided I wanted to try it so I rented a Hobie Pro Angler and went fishing. Man, did I miss my fish finders! Then I was out of town and rented a small pontoon boat for a day on a local lake with the rod and reel. There was one problem – the boat didn’t have a fishfinder.

The Hummingbird Fishin’ Buddy is portable; battery powered, and requires no drilling or cutting for mounting. Just clamp the unit on and start finding fish! The light weight design is simple and the six AA batteries needed for power provide over 20 hours of use. In addition there are a couple of versions to choose from. You can read some more information about the Humminbird Fishin’ Buddy here.

No. 2 – Top Water Popper Style Lure

frog lure

I’m writing this article on a East Tennessee summer day where the temperature is just under 100 degrees. That means even the Largemouth Bass are sweating. And they are looking for cooler water during the heat of the day. That’s why you need your new fish finder in order to locate those lunkers hiding in deep water.

But for this pick I’m thinking about when you first hit the boat ramp in the morning, when you’re packing up towards the end of the day, or see a nice patch of lily pads offering some shade in shallower water.

This is the time of day to have a nice top water lure in reach. I’m a big fan of lures in the form of classic Hula type poppers but I’ve recently grown to like several of the newer light weight top water frog style lures. Color and size will probably vary by location so I can’t really pinpoint the exact item for you to grab during your three minute dash through the fishing department.

What I can say is that all of the styles I’ve used with success have a light colored, or white, belly. So if I have a couple of seconds, after I grab my portable fish finder during my 3 minute dash, then I’m going for some frog style top water bass lures.

No. 3 – Some Decent Fishing Sunglasses

sunglasses

I hate to admit it but I’m getting older and my eyes are not what they used to be. On the other hand I will freely admit that when it comes to buying sunglasses that I’m a penny pincher. I just realized a few years ago that buying cheap sunglasses was a bad thing when it came to simple things on the boat. One thing that first popped up was reading the screen on my fish finder!

Sure, I may be in need of some reading glasses from time to time but what was happening was that my budget polarized fishing glasses were not doing the job. After a while my eyes were tired, watering, and felt as if I had stared into blinding snow for a couple of hours.

The third thing on my list is to pick up a quality pair of polarized fishing sunglasses to replace the cheap ones I bought at the flea-market. What good is my brand new fish finder if I can’t read the screen because my eyes are fatigued?
Final Thoughts

Those are three things that I would suggest to anyone in the market for a fish finder, additional lure, and eyewear. I’m sure I could come up with about twenty more things to add to the list but this way I’ll be able to pass on some more suggestions and articles in the future.

Kent Whitaker is a sports writer; out-door writer, and culinary author. He’s an avid, but admits ably amateur, angler with a passion for sharing ideas and playing with neat gadgets such as fish finders.