Fishing sees new members getting into the sport with regularity. Who knows what attracts a person to fishing. Regardless the reason, a lot ofpeople go out and purchase their first fishing reels and rod in hopes of bringing home a mess of fish filets.

Below is an easy to follow list of basic fishing gear I recommend to begin fishing. You won't need expensive or complicated gear to start fishing. It's no secret that fishing tackle makers produce fishing tackle to catch the Fishermen's eye instead of fish. The gear I used to catch fish all those years ago still catch fish today. Just as good or better than the tackle that they try and sell you nowadays.

Tackle to catch Fish shouldn't be complex or overpriced. Simple set-ups work best for any fish. This point was driven home many years ago when a Buddy and I went Bass fishing on a popular lake. The weather was hot that day, even for June. We knocked off around noon and was cleaning up the boat when this Old Man and 2 kids came back to the boat ramp.

When they were done loading their boat, I walked over to find they had a limit of Black Bass. The biggest one was 6 and a half pounds and none were under 2 pounds. Seeing how my Buddy and I had been using the latest equipment on the market along with the latest lures and presentation, I just had to know this Old Man's secret to catching Bass. The Old Man smiled and showed me his Minnow bucket and said "We're using Bass minnows"! I also couldn't keep from noticing their very simple freshwater fishing rods and reels. Their basic fishing tackle had outfished a couple local Pro's with the latest in Rods, reels and fishing tackle!

The basic fishing equipment you'll want to begin catching Bass or any other fish is a Rod and Reel, line and bait. That's the basics to put fish in the freezer. You also don't need to run to the overpriced specialty store to find this tackle, your local sporting goods store or Wal-Mart has more than enough tackle to get you on your way to catching fish. I'd suggest a Rod and Reel combo like the Zebco 33 and a matching rod. This should set you back about $25 or so.

Level wind reels are not good fishing reels to begin with. They can be difficult for beginners to use and are pricey. Spinning reels can also be difficult to use. They take a little while to get used to and if not spooled properly, can leave a tangled mess of fishing line on the spool.

Up next on your fishing tackle list comes the type of line you'll be using. If you bought a rod and reel combo, chances are it came with line already on it. If not, or you want to change the line, then I'd suggest a 10lb line from either Stren or Trilene. There are other manufacturers out there, but these two have been around a long time and manufacture quality fishing line.

Now we're turn our attention to bait selection for the beginner. Start with live bait and work your way up to artificials. Forget artificial lures when starting out. Live bait will catch more and bigger fish. When you're in the Fishing Dept. of your favorite store, look for Eagle Claw live bait hooks in the 1/0 to 3/0 sizes and get a few packs. Next try and find some weights. You can generally find the ones that come several sizes to a package. Split shot is a great weight for beginners. Next, check out the floats. I like to use the Balsa wood floats. I use the slip floats. These slide up and down the line for easy adjustment. They're held in place at the top by a knot or bobber stop. Now all that's left is checking the regulations, buying a tackle box and stringer and you're set to go!

And that's all you really need to get started Fishing. All total, this should cost less than a hundred bucks. The fishing companies have made it seem like catching a Bass is nearly impossible unless you're using the latest and greatest gear on the Market. Ignore the marketing hype. Catching fish is easy and doesn't take a lot of sophisticated equipment!