Must Have Fishing Gear for 2023: 13 Things Your Tackle Box Needs

Looking for the must-have fishing gear for 2023? You’re in the right place. In this post, you’ll find all the gear you need to beef up your tackle box for this season.

New Year = New Gear

Are you looking to improve your fishing game in 2023? If you’ve realized that your tackle box is looking a little sparse, don’t worry. In this post, you’ll learn about the best fishing gear for this year.

If you are seriously ready to up your fishing game, look no further for the must-have fishing gear of 2023!

More reading: How to use a compass (without a map)

The 13 Must-Have Fishing Gear for 2023

Here are our choices for must-have fishing gear. Did I miss one? Let me know in the comments below.

Here are our picks for 13 must-have fishing gear items for this year:

1. Livetarget Hollow Body Frog
2. Fishing Line (Sunline Super FC Sniper)
3. Aluminum Fishing Pliers (Piscifun)
4. Fish’n Fillet Knife (Rapala)
5. Insect Repellent Lotion (3M Ultrathon)
6. Stay-Put Sunscreen Lotion (Sawyer Products)
7. Basic First Aid Kit
8. Portable Fish Lip Grabber and Scale (Piscifun)
9. Super Bright LED Headlamp
10. SF Hook File
11. Fishing Gloves (Berkley)
12. Rose Kuli Multi Jointed Fishing Lure
13. Yamamoto Senko Bait

See detail on each item below.

---

1. Livetarget Hollow Body Frog

I am a firm believer every tackle box needs a Livetarget Hollow Body Frog. In fact, the Hollow Body Frog was named “Best of Show” at ICAST!

Check the current price on Amazon or Bama Frogs.

If you ever go fishing anywhere with weeds or lily pads, this frog solves the much-encountered problem of getting your line stuck. These amphibians also come in 3 different colors to meet your prey’s preference.

No lake fish will be able to resist this tasty morsel! However, if frogs aren’t for you, Livetarget is a well-known, reputable manufacturer of many types of baits that will not get stuck in water flora.

2. Sunline Super FC Sniper

Fishing line is one of the most important must-have items to throw in your box. Without fishing line, you literally cannot go fishing.

However, not all fishing line is created equal. Enter the Sunline Super FC Sniper. One thing that makes this line so great is the rip resistance provided by the material fluorocarbon.

Check the current price on Amazon.

Although the Super FC Sniper is extremely strong, you anglers don’t have to worry about your hands due to the triple resin coating. This coating was specially designed to soften the harshness of the fluorocarbon when you are casting.

In addition to being strong and soft, this Sunline is light for easy casting. If you need a new line for up to 12-pound fish, look no further!

3. Piscifun Aluminum Fishing Pliers

Anyone that goes fishing will tell you needle nose pliers are an absolute necessity. That is why I recommend Piscifun Aluminum Fishing Pliers.

Without a high-quality set of needle-nose pliers, it is much more difficult to remove the hook from the lip of your fish. Actually, there are many uses an angler might have for this product.

Check the current price on Amazon or Piscifun.

You might need the pliers to help you pull a hook out of somewhere it doesn’t belong (like yourself), or help you put together your bait. These Piscifun pliers do not disappoint.

This product features tungsten carbide cutters that will pretty much cut through anything you could need them to, including a seat belt. Not only that, but they are made from aluminum that boasts long-term, anti-corrosion properties.

Piscifun pliers come with a sheath, as well as a lanyard and carabiner for easy attachment to your belt loops. Needle nose pliers don’t get much better than this!

4. Rapala Fish’n Fillet Knife

If you are a fisher-person worth their salt, a fillet knife is considered must-have gear. Having said that, I would not trust just any knife to do the job. However, I would trust the Rapala Fish’n Fillet Knife with included genuine leather sheath.

Check the current price on Amazon or Bass Pro Shops.

First of all, you can’t deny the sheath and knife are classy. Aside from being aesthetically pleasing, Rapala’s fillet knife comes with a single-stage sharpener. This quality sharpener will save you the headache of dealing with a dull blade on the water.

The handle is made of varnished, reinforced birch, and the blade is Swiss stainless steel. You will never have to clean fish, open cans, or cut bait with a subpar fillet knife again!

5. 3M Ultrathon Insect Repellent Lotion

If you are reading this, you probably already know insects will absolutely ruin a fun day of fishing.

That is why insect repellant is one item I never leave behind.

Check the current price on Amazon.

You might be wondering what makes 3M’s Ultrathon better than other repellents on the market.

• First, this product contains 34.34% DEET for protection against mosquitoes, chiggers, fleas, and flies. If you are hiking in tall grass or through woods, you will definitely want to apply this lotion for protection from ticks that carry Rocky Mountain Fever or Lime Disease.
• Additionally, Ultrathon lasts for up to 12 hours with a time-release formula. That means one application and done…unless you fall into the water!

6. Sawyer Products Stay-Put Sunscreen Lotion

Whether you are fishing in the sun or in the shade of clouds, you are susceptible to cancer-causing UVA and UVB rays.

So, in order to protect yourself from sunburn, wrinkles, and cancer, sunscreen is a must-have for your tackle box.

Check the current price on Amazon or Camping World.

If you are looking for a quality sunscreen that won’t melt into your eyes for your summer season, look no further than Sawyer Products Stay-Put Sunscreen Lotion.

The secret to this sunscreen’s success is in the name: one application is guaranteed to stay put through splashes and sweat!

In addition, this formula was created to bond to thinner skin such as your nose for thorough protection other sunscreens don’t offer. 

7. M2 Basics First Aid Kit

If you want to be prepared, the M2 Basics First Aid Kit is a must-have for your tackle box. In terms of content, this first aid kit features a whopping 300 pieces of potentially vital items such as a CPR face mask, a tourniquet, and medical tape.

Check the current price on Amazon or M2 Basics.

Of the 300, there are 40 unique pieces of medical gear. With such a wide selection for such a wide variety of mishaps, you will have nothing to fear from your trip!

M2 will have you ready to face anything from a hook cut to a broken arm. Not only does this product prepare you for the worst medically, it also includes a compass, whistle, and emergency blanket for survival situations.

Are you concerned about the extra weight? Don’t worry! This kit weighs 1.6 pounds. Don’t have a first aid kit for your car or home? The M2 Basics can do double duty!

8. Piscifun Portable Fish Lip Grabber and Scale

I know the last thing on most anglers’ minds as they bag a beautiful trout is the legality of the catch. However, it is important to follow the rules and restrictions so the area can be sustainably enjoyed by others.

Check the current price on Amazon or Piscifun.

The Piscifun Portable Fish Lip Grabber and Scale allows you to both weigh and measure your catch of the day with ease, so you know you stand on the right side of the law.

In terms of quality, Piscifun created their grabber out of stainless steel. That means you can use your tool in hot or cold, saltwater or fresh without fear of rust or ruin.

Additionally, a rubber grip is included to give you the most control over your prize. If you care about following regulations for the greater good, you will want to have this product in your box.

9. GRDE Super Bright LED Headlamp

There is nothing like watching the sun slip below the water after a long, relaxing day of fishing. Back in 2017, you might have pulled out a flashlight to guide your way back to the car. 

Check the current price on Amazon.

Introducing the GRDE Super Bright LED Headlamp! One benefit of using a headlamp is the hands-free experience. You will no longer have to sacrifice a hand to your light source!

It has 3 modes: high, low, and strobe. And this headlamp comes with rechargeable batteries, a wall charger, and a car charger. If you want it all in a light source, this is must-have fishing gear.

10. SF Hook File

One tool that makes my list of must-have fishing gear is the hook file. Not just any hook file, but the SF Hook Hone.

Check the current price on Amazon.

What, you may ask, makes this file more worthy of your 021 tackle box than any other?

1. First, the SF features two different size diamond grit files, medium and fine.
2. In addition, both files are double-sided for not only the points but the flat areas of your hooks as well. For your comfort, SF covered the handle with rubber to improve and cushion your grip.

If you are throwing your hooks out the first time they go dull, you are wasting good hooks and good money. Instead, sharpen your hooks and use them for twice as long.

Follow the motto: all fishers need to sharpen their hooks at least every once in a while!

11. Berkley Fishing Gloves

I am a big fan of bringing a pair of protective fishing gloves with me on my trips. If I don’t, I have a difficult time keeping a good grip on slippery fish.

Check the current price on Amazon.

If you, like me, don’t enjoy trying to hang on to a bar of soap, check out Berkley Fishing Gloves. These protective gloves are coated to form a textured grip that makes handling fish a breeze for even the squirmiest of anglers.

Berkley gloves are thick enough to protect you from getting finned, yet flexible enough to make going about your necessary tasks easy. You don’t have to worry about getting love nibbles from the fish either!

I know some people prefer to use their hands to grip the fish, but it is best to avoid injury that in these conditions could lead to infection. Although by now you should have a first aid kit (hint, hint)!

12. Rose Kuli Multi Jointed Fishing Lure

One type of bait is hard bait, and you can purchase hard bait for different water depths.

If there was one piece of hard bait I would include in my tackle box this year, it would be the Rose Kuli Multi Jointed Fishing Lure.

Check the current price on Amazon.

This bait’s body is made of multiple pieces, so the movements resemble those of a real fish on top of the water.

Not only that, but this lure includes a gravity ball to increase throw distance and make a bit of noise to stir your prey. The hooks are high-quality treble hooks, rustproof and sharp (when they lose their zing go ahead and sharpen them with your new hook file).

If you are an angler looking to catch predatory fish in either fresh or saltwater, look no further for your new lure!

13. Yamamoto Senko Bait

The Yamamoto Senko Bait is by far one of the coolest pieces of must-have fishing gear on my list.

This lure belongs to a class of bait known as soft plastics and is most often thought of as bass food. Not so, especially with the extremely versatile Senko! You can use it on a variety of rigs: wacky-style, flipping jig, Texas or Carolina style, and even weightless.

Check the current price on Amazon.

In fact, when used weightless your Senko will slowly fall horizontally, shimmying deliciously from side to side. Additionally, these little worms are extremely salty, another reason this Yamamoto lure boasts so many catches.

If you want a bait that will revolutionize your finesse game, the Yamamoto Senko lure will have you on point!

Planning a fly fishing trip? Here are 13 must-haves for your fly fishing gear bag.

---

What Do You Have in Your Tackle Box?

What do you currently have in your tackle box that isn’t working for you? What can you replace with some of this must-have gear?