ACCESSORIES
Sunglasses, lifejackets, lure bags, fish-grips, pliers, rod racks etc.
savage gear Washable lure boxes
A complete no-brainer if you ask me. Your lures won’t end up in a tangled mess and you can simply dunk the box (with lures in it) in a sink of freshwater if you are so inclined - I am! - to rinse your lures down. I can fit two of these washable lure boxes in my HPA bag, and if that isn’t enough hard and soft lures for a bass fishing session then I should be giving myself a thrashing. I carry one “long” box (as per the photo, horizontal slots for soft plastics and hard lures longer than 140mm), and one “short” box (vertical slots, for lures under 140mm long). BOTH THE SHORT AND LONG BOXES SHARE THE SAME EXTERNAL DIMENSIONS.
Affiliate links (my sincere thanks if you choose to buy via these):
2 sided lure box, long slots: Veals Mail Order or Lurefishingforbass.co.uk or Glasgow Angling Centre
2 sided lure box, short slots: Veals Mail Order or Lurefishingforbass.co.uk or Glasgow Angling Centre
2 sided lure box, large: Veals Mail Order or Glasgow Angling Centre
Spinlock Deckvest Lite lifejacket
The first lifejacket I have ever used and indeed reviewed for my shore based lure fishing, this Spinlock Deckvest Lite lifejacket is such an easy thing to wear. It doesn’t get in the way when I am fishing, it is nice and light, and it could well save my life if I was to end up in the water. Check out my full review here.
You can buy this lifejacket here, and please note that these are not affiliate links: Veals Mail Order, Lure Heaven
Crewsaver Crewfit 165N Sport lifejacket
Another very easy to wear and not at all expensive lifejacket that is so comfortable and lightweight that yet again it begs the question why not wear one? This Crewsaver Crewfit 165N Sport lifejacket is rather brilliant! See my review here.
Fortis Vista polarised sunglasses
For £75 I think these Fortis Vistas polarised sunglasses are outstanding value for money. The frames fit my head, I love the different lens colours, and I can’t really see how much more polarised sunglasses we can get for our money. Review here.
Affiliate links (my sincere thanks if you choose to buy via these): Veals Mail Order
Savage Gear Waterproof Rollup Rucksack 40L
I have used this rather good 40L size Savage Gear Waterproof Rollup Rucksack for long enough now to know that it works really well. Comfortable to carry, it easily fits everything in that I need, it’s waterproof, and it’s not too expensive. I also like that this rucksack has a reflective strip on the front of it so I can easily find my bag when I am night fishing! Review here.
Affiliate links (my sincere thanks if you choose to buy via these): Veals Mail Order, Lurefishingforbass.co.uk
Savage Gear Pro Finezze Rubber Mesh Net Floating
Very lightweight and simple to use, this Savage Gear Pro Finezze Rubber Mesh Net Floating in the medium size has become my go-to landing net whenever I feel that I need one for my lure fishing. I always carry a net when I am wading in estuaries for starters, it’s just so much easier to land fish like this. I use the Savage Gear Bottle and Net Clip to secure this landing net to my lure bag and unlike other methods I have tried, it annoys me the least to carry a net in this way. Check here for how I do this.
Affiliate links (my sincere thanks if you choose to buy via these): Glasgow Angling Centre
Savage Gear Bottle and Net Clip
The easiest, most efficient way to carry a landing net that I have come across yet, this simple little Savage Gear Bottle and Net Clip doesn’t drive me mad like those useless magnetic clips and so on which just don’t work if you carry a net like I do at my side. Check here for how I do this.
Affiliate links (my sincere thanks if you choose to buy via these): Glasgow Angling Centre
Savage Gear Fix-It Soft Lure Resin
I’ve given up trying to find Mend-It here in the UK, but this cheaper and far more easy to find Savage Gear Fix-It Soft Lure Resin works just as well for mending your soft plastics and getting more life out of them. Give it a little more time to set than Mend-It.
Nitecore NU25 rechargeable headlamp
Can a headlamp for my night based lure fishing get any better? This tiny Nitecore NU25 is the most perfect rechargeable headlamp I have ever used and it doesn’t ever leave my fishing rucksack these days. Full review after 2.5 years of use here.
Affiliate links (my sincere thanks if you choose to buy via these): Veals Mail Order, Amazon.co.uk
Brand new Nitecore NU25 2022 version, review to come: Amazon.co.uk
HPA Chest Pack
By miles the best lure bag I have ever used for carrying my bass fishing lures around my waist and being able to get at them so easily. Check here for a report on seven years of using the HPA Chest Pack for my lure fishing.
Affiliate links (my sincere thanks if you choose to buy via these): Lurefishingforbass.co.uk
a simple fish grip
I don’t actually use a fish grip that much for bass fishing, but I always have one with me because there are times when they are incredibly useful - and you can’t go wrong with this simple, cheap as chips, and very lightweight Savage Gear Floating Fish Grip. It just works.
Affiliate links (my sincere thanks if you choose to buy via these): Veals Mail Order
Penn Precision Fishing Oil and Grease
If these two Penn products are good enough to be used in reels like their awesome Slammers then they are good enough for me. When it comes to oiling and greasing my spinning reels, all I am using these days is the Penn Precision Fishing Grease and the Penn Precision Fishing Oil. Details on how I look after my reels here.
Affiliate links (my sincere thanks if you choose to buy via these): Veals Mail Order - Penn Precision Fishing Grease and Penn Precision Fishing Oil
Patagonia Stormfront Sling 20L bag
Not remotely cheap, but I have moved away from a rucksack for my surf fishing because it’s a pain to have to leave it somewhere as the tide moves in and out. This Patagonia Stormfront Sling 20L bag holds stuff like my camera, wallet car keys, and if you keep properly lubricating the waterproof zip then this thing is submersible if needs be. More details here.
Affiliate links (my sincere thanks if you choose to buy via these): Ebay
Best-Grip wading studs
Not remotely expensive, but they might just be the best all round wading studs that I ever used. The photo here is of the model 1100 Best-Grip studs in the bottom of my Dunlop safety boots after six months of hard use, and aside from a bit of discolouration I can’t find any sign of wear on these amazing studs. Great things can come in little packages it seems. See my review of these studs here.
Orvis PosiGrip Screw-In Studs
Outstanding wading studs. Not cheap, but to me they are worth every penny. See my review here.
Vac-Rac fishing rod holders for the car
When I go to Ireland I have one of their “Professional Locking Racks” that holds four lure rods and reels easily and securely at any kind of speed you might drive. When I am at home I have a Vac-Rac “Combi Rack” that is magnetic and I simply put it on and take it off my car as and when it’s needed. See my review here.
Available here (Ebay link).
Van Staal titanium pliers
Yes, it’s no joke how expensive these things are, and yes, I accept completely that spending this much on a pair of fishing pliers is alien to most anglers - but there is no getting away from how good these Van Staal titanium pliers are, as in they just don’t rust. The cutters cut all kinds of braid and fluoro for me as well.