THE SMALL STUFF
Small bass fishing accessories worth keeping in the boat
Cheap little stuff. Big bad mornings without it.
Photo: anglers at Lacassine National Wildlife Refuge, Louisiana. Steve Hillebrand, USFWS, public domain, via Wikimedia Commons.
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Starter kit: Pliers · EWG hooks · Fluorocarbon
Picks from published specs, not hands-on tests yet. No printed prices.
Line
Two spools, two jobs. Pick your fight: timber or grass.
Fluorocarbon: Seaguar Red Label
Why it’s in the boat: Sinks and is hard to see underwater, so it earns its spot for worms and jigs around timber.
100% fluorocarbon main line, sold in 4 to 20 lb test. Seaguar pitches it as an everyday freshwater line for baitcasters. Fluoro sinks and is hard to see underwater, which is why folks like it for worms and jigs around timber.
Who should skip this: anybody whose reels are already spooled with fresh line. Line is not a collectible. Fish what you’ve got.
Braid: Sufix 832 Advanced Superline
Why it’s in the boat: Almost no stretch, so it helps in grass and on a long hookset.
Braided superline from Sufix. This listing is the 8 lb Hi-Vis Yellow; other tests and colors are on the same page. Braid has almost no stretch, so it helps in grass and on a long hookset.
Who should skip this: anybody who never fishes grass and never needs a long hookset. Your fluoro can keep the seat warm.
Hooks & Terminal
Hooks, weights and swivels. The stuff the brush pile eats for breakfast.
EWG worm hooks: Gamakatsu Offset Shank EWG, 2/0, 25 pack
Why it’s in the boat: The Senko, Texas rig and Carolina rig hook, in a pack big enough to feed the brush pile.
Extra wide gap, offset shank. Gamakatsu says it’s built for Senkos, Texas rigs and Carolina rigs. Size 2/0 in a 25 pack, so you can lose a few in the brush and not cry about it.
Who should skip this: anybody fishing with a guide who furnishes tackle. Ask first. Your hook box may stay home.
Drop shot hooks: Gamakatsu Split Shot/Drop Shot
Why it’s in the boat: Light wire for nose-hooking finesse plastics when the bite gets picky.
Light-wire hook for nose-hooking finesse plastics. Heads up: this listing is the chartreuse color in size 1. If you want black or another size, look at the other options on the page.
Who should skip this: anybody who never fishes finesse plastics. If you don’t drop shot, these just ride around in the box.
Tungsten bullet weights: Strike King Tour Grade, 1/4 oz, 3 pack, green pumpkin sapphire
Why it’s in the boat: Smaller weight for the same ounce, with no insert to fray your line.
Insert-free tungsten bullet weights with a durable paint coating, per the listing. Tungsten is denser than lead, so you get a smaller weight for the same ounce. This listing is 1/4 oz in green pumpkin sapphire, 3 to a pack.
Who should skip this: anybody who only throws a weightless Senko. You don’t need a weight or a swivel. You need patience.
Swivels: SPRO Power Swivel, size 8, 10 pack
Why it’s in the boat: Cuts down line twist on a Carolina rig or anything that spins.
Small black barrel swivels made to cut down line twist. Handy on a Carolina rig or anything that spins.
Who should skip this: anybody who doesn’t Carolina rig or throw anything that spins. No spin, no twist, no swivel.
Tools
Pliers, a cutter and a grip. Keep your fingers and your teeth out of it.
Pliers: KastKing Cutthroat 7 inch, split ring nose
Why it’s in the boat: Reaches the hook so your fingers don’t have to, and opens split rings when you swap trebles.
420 stainless steel with a Teflon coating, tungsten carbide cutters for mono, fluoro and braid, crimping slots for split shot, and spring-loaded jaws. Comes with a molded sheath and a coiled lanyard so it stays in the boat. This listing is the orange split ring nose.
Who should skip this: anybody who already keeps a good long pair of pliers in the boat. Two pairs just means two things to drop overboard.
Line cutter: Boomerang Tool Company Original SNIP
Why it’s in the boat: Hangs on your shirt, so it’s there when your teeth shouldn’t be.
Clip-on line cutter on a retractable tether with stainless blades. The maker says it cuts braid, mono and fluoro clean. It hangs on your shirt, so it’s there when your teeth shouldn’t be.
Who should skip this: folks who already have a pair of pliers that cut braid clean. One good cutter is plenty.
Fish grip: Rapala Floating Fish Gripper, 9 inch
Why it’s in the boat: Floats, works one-handed, and holds on when the bass is flopping and your hands are wet.
Plastic lip gripper that floats, works one-handed and comes with a wrist lanyard. Good for when a bass is flopping and your hands are wet.
Who should skip this: anybody who lip-lands every bass bare-handed and likes it that way. Carry on.
Storage
Somewhere dry for all of the above.
Tackle box: Plano Waterproof StowAway 3700
Why it’s in the boat: O-ring seal and an IPX7 waterproof rating, in a size that fits most tackle bags.
A 3700-size utility box with an O-ring seal, IPX7 waterproof rating, a one-hand latch and adjustable dividers. Plano lists it at about 14 by 7.25 by 1.75 inches, so it fits most tackle bags.
Who should skip this: anybody with a drawer full of empty 3700s. You know who you are.
Rather skip the shopping?
A guide trip is the fastest way to learn what works on your lake. Several guides on our list say on their own sites that they furnish rods, reels or tackle. Start with our East Texas guide list, or pick a lake: Lake Fork, Sam Rayburn or Toledo Bend.
Sources
Product listings checked on Amazon October 9-11, 2026. Specs come from those listings and from Gamakatsu, Seaguar and Plano. Availability and prices change. We have not hand-tested these items yet. KastKing Cutthroat specs from KastKing; Strike King weight details from the Amazon listing and Strike King. Product photos come from each maker’s own product page.