Terminal tackle
Everything tied on at the business end of the line: hooks, weights, swivels, snaps, floats and leaders.
The word terminal means it lives at the end of the line, past the lure or instead of it. It is the small, cheap, unglamorous hardware that actually presents your bait, and it is the part of a tackle box that empties fastest because most of it ends up in snags.
A first-year freshwater kit is short: a few hook sizes, split shot in two or three weights, a couple of bobbers, some barrel swivels, and a spool of leader material. That covers live bait, bobber fishing and basic rigs, which is most of what a beginner does.
Because it is consumable and universal, it is also the safest thing to buy an angler as a gift. Nobody has too many hooks.
Keep terminal tackle in one small tray rather than spread through the box. It is what you reach for most and it is the easiest to lose.
Related terms
Where this comes up
The guides that use terminal tackle and show it on real gear.
Terminal tackle is one of 206 terms in the glossary.
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