The Salt Strong Inshore Fishing Tackle Index (Best Value & Performance Gear)
- By: Joseph Simonds
- on
It’s here!
We have secretly been creating a tackle index (similar to the Dow Jones 500 Index) revealing all of the best value fishing tackle for inshore saltwater fishing.
We’ll cover everything from:
- The best value inshore fishing reel
- The best value inshore fishing rod
- The best value inshore swimbaits
- The best value inshore braided line
- The best value inshore leader line
- The best value inshore topwater lure
- The best value inshore hooks
- And a WHOLE lot more.
Join us on one of our most in-depth tackle podcasts yet!
You can watch the video version of this podcast below (which I highly recommend), listen to the audio version by clicking the play button underneath it, or listen to it on iTunes, Stitcher, or Spotify.
P.S. Don’t forget to subscribe on iTunes, Stitcher, or Spotify and leave us a review!
Salt Strong Inshore Fishing Tackle Index [VIDEO]
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Salt Strong Inshore Fishing Tackle Index [PODCAST]
Note: Don’t forget to subscribe to the Salt Strong podcast on iTunes, Stitcher, or Spotify and leave us a review!
Click here to join the Insider Club
Related Podcasts:
- SALTWATER FISHING TACKLE MISTAKES: A GUIDE FOR NEWBIES
- WHY MANY OF THE MOST REALISTIC SALTWATER LURES DON’T WORK…
Here’s a timestamped table of contents:
- 1:02 – The Salt Strong Fishing Gear Index
- 2:19 – The first edition because this will be ever-changing
- 2:27 – KISS (Keep it simple, specialist)
- 3:50 – Do you want an index for ALL types of saltwater fishing?
- 4:18 – The best value inshore fishing rod (Yes, the balcony snook rod)
- 6:37 – The best value spinning reel
- 11:36 – The best value braided line
- 12:13 – The best value leader line
- 13:20 – Mono vs Fluoro
- 17:01 – The best value paddletail
- 20:27 – The best value jerk bait
- 22:25 – The best value shrimp bait
- 24:10 – The story of Brazil and why you should never buy pre-rigged baits
- 26:37 – The best value topwater
- 28:31 – The best value suspending twitch bait
- 30:32 – The best value weighted hook
- 33:35 – The best value jig head
- 35:09 – The best value weedless jig head
- 38:14 – The best value spoon
- 39:38 – The best value bucktail
- 41:06 – The best value circle hook
- 42:23 – The best value big circle hook
- 43:12 – The best value sunglasses
- 46:21 – The best value pliers
- 48:23 – The best value scissors
- 49:37 – The best value tackle box
- 51:48 – The best value popping corks
- 56:02 – The BEST fishing club in America (Join the Salt Strong Insider Club here!)
Here’s the full Salt Strong Inshore Fishing Tackle Index:
- TFOTFG Professional Spinning Rods, 7’6″ Medium – best-value inshore spinning rod
- Daiwa Fuego LT, 2500D-XH – best-value inshore spinning reel
- PowerPro Braid, 10# – best braided line
- Ande Premium Monofilament Leader, 20# – best monofilament leader
- Berkley Vanish® Leader Material, 20# – best fluorocarbon leader
- Slam Shady Paddletails 2.0 – best paddletial lure
- Alabama Leprechaun Jerk Bait – best jerk bait
- Power Prawn ‘Brazilian Shrimp’ – best shrimp lure
- Heddon Super Spook Jr., Bone – best topwater lure
- MirrOdine Suspending Twitchbait, 17MR-18 – best twitchbait
- Owner Weighted TwistLock Hooks, 3/0 – 1/8 oz – best weighted hook
- Z-Man Trout Eye Jighead, 1/4 oz Glow – best jig head
- Z-Man Texas Eye Jighead, 3/16 oz Pearl – best weedless jig head
- Johnson Silver Minnow, 1/4 oz Gold – best weedless spoon
- SPRO Bucktail Jigs, 1/4 oz White – best bucktail jig
- Owner Mutu Light Circle Hooks, Small Live Bait, 2/0 – best circle hook for small live bait
- Mutu Light – Owner Hooks, Large Live Bait or Cut Bait – best circle hook for large live or cut bait
- Smith Optics Guide’s Choice Polarized Sunglasses, Chromapop Bronze – best sunglasses for inshore fishing
- Danco Sports (dancopliers.com) – best pliers for fishing
- Braid Cutting ‘Split Ring’ Scissors – best scissors and split ring pliers for fishing
- Plano Waterproof StowAway Utility Box – best tackle tray
- Live Bait Removable Float – best removable float
- Bomber Saltwater Grade Paradise Popper X-Treme – best wire popper
- Blackout Chum Powder – best chum powder
- Battle Rattles – best lure rattles
- Dr. Juice Saltwater Slam Scent – best inshore saltwater scent
Conclusion
This list is going to change over time, especially as we continue to design our own tackle.
But for now, this is the most comprehensive inshore fishing tackle index for the best value gear on the market.
We’ve tested it.
We’re not sponsored by any of these companies.
And so far, it’s the best of the best (for the value-based angler).
Is your tackle on this list?
Have any questions about these tackle items?
Let me know down in the comments!
And if you know someone who wants the best chance to get tight lines, please TAG or SHARE this with them!
P.S. Want access to our best fishing spots and tips, plus discounts to our online tackle store? Click here to join us in the Insider Club!
Related articles:
- HOW TO PROPERLY PAIR YOUR INSHORE SPINNING ROD & REEL
- SLAM SHADY VS. ALABAMA LEPRECHAUN: BEST TIMES TO USE EACH LURE
- HOW TO CHOOSE THE BEST POPPING CORK (AND LURE) FOR EVERY CONDITION
Disclaimer: When you buy through links on our site, we sometimes earn affiliate commissions from places like Amazon, Bass Pro, Tackle Warehouse, etc. It’s one more way we can help you quickly find the best deals on the web while making sure we’re still around to serve you for years to come (and you do want us to be around to help you catch fish for many more years, right)?
Related categories:
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- Weekly fishing reports and TRENDS revealing exactly where you should fish every trip
- Weekly “spot dissection” videos that walk you through all the best spots in your area
- Exclusive fishing tips from the PROS you can’t find anywhere else
- Everything you need to start catching fish more consistently (regardless if you fish out of a boat, kayak, or land).
Excellent podcast and reference index! Having the consensus of the Salt Strong coaches concerning tackle is fantastic. I am in the market for an additional rod and reel over the next few months and added the recommendations to my list. I will check the index for updates just before making the purchases.
Hey guys, I know you mentioned this being a “living thing”, meaning you would keep it updated. Any thoughts on making it a spreadsheet style file we can access at any time? With maybe the “updated on” date? Just a thought. I know I really value your knowledge/wisdom to help me make informed decisions on my tackle/gear. I personally don’t have the extra income to make mistakes on stuff lol.
Also, maybe an index of the “money isn’t an issue” index. The things you would personally buy and trust if money wasn’t an issue.
Keep up the amazing work!
Awesome podcast Salt Strong! I would love to see an expansion on the index into other areas – perhaps “bargain or best value, mid-tier, and high-end” price points for the appropriate categories and reef fishing options.
This stuff is really good content and the explanations of “why” are always super insightful.
Thanks!
Great segment guys, really nice to have it all in one place.
A couple of comments – one more big plus to me for the Z-Man jig head is that the short hook shank allows significantly more lure action. The long shanks common on most other jig heads greatly restrict the ability of a plastic bait to wiggle.
I have the TFO Pro 7.5′ M action, and while the rod is a beast to cast (in a good way), it’s also quite heavy and the grip isn’t as comfortable as some others. )Though grip comfort seems to be a low priority with many rod makers these days.) I often fish 8 hours plus at a time, and after a couple of days of throwing the TFO Pro my forearm / elbow is worn out! I have stopped using it as much as I’d like to otherwise in favor of lighter rods.
I understand that Daiwa is the preferred vendor for Salt Strong reels. I would like to see some tests on the Magseal reels to see if they actually do hold up over time.
The only reason Daiwa is our preferred vendor is because their reels have been proving to last longer than the others. It’s tough to do a perfect experiment on exactly how much of a benefit Magseal actually provides, but I’ve noticed that my Fuego that got dunked (accidentally) over 6 months ago is still working like new even though I didn’t do anything special to it to clean out the salt.
Also, my Daiwa reels have required zero upkeep other than a basic fresh water rinse to the exterior of the reel after each trip unlike all of my Shimanos (even the $200+ models) that seem to always have a squeaky roller bearing after about 6 months of use.
Please share any ideas you have for doing a more exact test of Magseal… all I could think of was to simply fish them hard to see how they hold up.
My first Fuego purchase was almost 2 years ago, and I’m shocked that it’s still working great after going through a lot of abuse, so I for one am totally sold on Daiwa’s ability to make reels that hold up to saltwater exposure while keeping their price points shockingly low.
Shimano core protect, daiwa amg seal, pen or vans rubber seals systems all are cated for people who do service their reel. All of them fail with neglect.
Eachsystem adds more service issues to encourage sending the reels in for service to generate more money. Yet to have issue with reels that are over 20yrs old reels. Current reels from alot off companies are just a hassle to deal with
I was waiting to hear about the best fish finder for a kayak.
Hey Rick!
That’s a tough one because some kayaks are set up for some of the more advanced machines with side imaging, and others you’ll have to get creative with mounting transducers.
I would recommend something with side imaging if possible. I use a Simrad GO5 unit with total scan. My Hobie Outback is made for side scan units as they have a large transducer (Hobie comes with a plate underneath to mount it to).
What color power pro braid?
That doesn’t seem to matter as long as you’re using a mono/fluoro leader. We often go with bright yellow so that the line is easier for us to see.
#1 Great video!
#2 Are you getting any feedback from manufacturers on WHEN the rods & reels will be in stock? I read your remark that some people have been waiting for over 4 months. I certainly appreciate the discount my membership brings but would be nice to know how much longer we have to wait!! Even if they say “another 4 months”, at least we’d have an idea.
Hey Richard! Appreciate the comment, thank you sir! Truthfully, these manufacturers would love nothing more than to send us A TON of product right now. We have Thousands of each of these products like Rods & Reels on order at the moment, but when we finally receive a shipment of Daiwa Fuegos or TFO Rods, its only a small fraction of what we actually ask for. In other words, the demand for these awesome products continues to exceed the actual supply by these manufacturers.
We are hoping to see more TFO Rods available within the next 4 Weeks (mid July timeframe). Unfortunately, Daiwa isn’t able to provide an updated ETA for Fuego reels yet. They have stated that we are 1st in Line to receive more! But unsure of when that time will be.
Appreciate the response Justin. What is another Rod you’d recommend then between $100 & $150? Also noticed the Daiwa BG is actually slightly more than the Fuego. Is it worth it?
By late July we will have more of our Custom Bull Bay Rods available again! I’ve fished a number of different brands over the years (Star Rods, St. Croix, Shimano and several different models of Bull Bay Rods), and I think for $150 with the Insider Discount, these Custom Rods offer an incredible value.
Technically, comparing the BG to the Fuego isn’t really apples-to-apples. The BG incorporates an Aluminum Body/Frame and Carbon Fiber Drag Washers. The Fuego is a Carbon Composite Body/Frame and uses Felt Drag Washers. Both are incredibly smooth, and both work exceptionally well for Inshore Fishing. The difference I would say is between Strength vs. Sealing, and both are marginal in the big scheme of things. The Fuego offers MagSeal, which is a great sealing feature. But the BG offers Aluminum Body, which is significantly stronger than a Carbon Composite (Plastic) body. I’d say it’s truly a matter of preference at that point 🙂 I think you’d be incredibly happy with either option.
Liked the topic,more of it please for surf,pier,offshore fishing and also different regions that maybe John Skinner and possibly other salt strong members in the community having input.UNITY THROUGH FISHING!!!!!!
What’s the best rod, reel line size for sheephead around bridges or deep docks?