Author
Mo McCarran
Runs and researches TackleChoice
Mo McCarran runs TackleChoice. A beginner angler, Mo builds the guides from research rather than years on the water, recording every source with the date it was checked.
How the recommendations are built and corrected: About · Methodology.
Guides by Mo McCarran
24 guides
Reference guide
Fishing Hook Size Chart
Selected common sizes from #28 to 12/0 with typical uses, and why the same number differs between brands.
Hook size guide
What size hook for surf fishing
What size hook for surf fishing, by species and bait: sand fleas, shrimp, crab, cut bait and eels. Circle hook sizes for redfish and striped bass.
Species guide
Bass Fishing: Gear and Setups
The most widely targeted freshwater gamefish in the United States, and the species most tackle is designed around.
Species guide
Bluegill Fishing: Gear and Setups
The most widely accessible gamefish in the country, and the one most anglers learn on. Small mouths mean the hook, not the rod, decides whether you catch them.
Species guide
Catfish Fishing: Gear and Setups
Bottom-feeding fish that reach sizes nothing else in most US freshwater does. Tackle is chosen for holding power and for hooks that set themselves.
Species guide
Crappie Fishing: Gear and Setups
A schooling panfish with a thin, fragile mouth. Light line, small hooks and a soft hookset are the whole game.
Reference guide
Fishing Reel Size Chart
Spinning, baitcasting, conventional and fly reel classes with typical line capacity and what each size is for.
Species guide
Northern Pike Fishing: Gear and Setups
A toothy ambush predator. Every recommendation here is shaped by one thing: pike teeth go through ordinary line and leader, so bite protection is part of the setup rather than an accessory.
Species guide
Redfish Fishing: Gear and Setups
The signature inshore fish of the Gulf and South Atlantic. Shallow water, oyster and grass mean the leader does more work here than the line does.
Species guide
Salmon Fishing: Gear and Setups
Powerful fish of the Great Lakes, Pacific Northwest and Alaska, caught in both salt and fresh water. Larger Chinook and coho make long runs, and fish size, water and presentation change the useful setup substantially.
Species guide
Striped Bass Fishing: Gear and Setups
The main inshore and surf gamefish of the US Atlantic coast, and a serious reservoir fish inland. Everything about striper tackle is built around current and around fish that can run.
Species guide
Trout Fishing: Gear and Setups
Cold-water fish with soft mouths and sharp eyesight, which makes line size and hook size matter more than for almost anything else in freshwater.
Species guide
Walleye Fishing: Gear and Setups
A light-biting, low-light feeder of the northern US. Most walleye tackle is chosen around feeling a bite that you would otherwise miss.
Hook size guide
What size hook for bass
What size hook for bass by bait: soft plastics, live bait, jigs and hard baits. Size and style for each, plus why gap matters more than the number.
Hook size guide
What size hook for crappie
What size hook for crappie: minnow hooks, jig hooks and light wire, with sizes by bait and why a papermouth needs a light hookset, not a bigger hook.
Hook size guide
What size hook for trout
What size hook for trout by bait and technique: worms, salmon eggs, dough bait, spinners and flies, and why smaller hooks catch more in clear water.
Fishing kayak guide
Budget Fishing Kayaks: What Each Price Level Buys
What changes at each price level, the costs beyond the hull, and when waiting is the safer choice.
Fishing kayak guide
Fishing Kayaks Compared: Published Specs by Use Case
Fifteen kayaks compared on their manufacturers' published specifications, by use case, with the trade-offs spelled out.
Fishing kayak guide
Fishing Kayaks for Beginners: What a First Kayak Needs
Stability, weight, transport and the first-purchase mistakes that cost the most.
Fishing kayak guide
Fishing Kayaks for Lakes vs Rivers
Tracking against maneuverability, wind against current, and whether one hull can do both.
Reference guide
Fishing Line Size Chart
Pound test against typical diameter for mono, fluorocarbon and braid, and how to compare them fairly.
Fishing kayak guide
Pedal Fishing Kayaks: When the Drive Is Worth It
When a pedal drive earns its cost and weight, fins versus propellers, and where a paddle is still the better tool.
Reference guide
Fishing Rod Size Guide
What length, power and action each control, and how to read the specs printed on a blank.
Reference guide
Split Shot and Sinker Size Chart
UK split shot sizes in grams, the separate US size names, and published weights for common sinker shapes.