A Fishing Glossary

Plain-English definitions for the gear and technique terms you'll meet across our guides. No jargon left unexplained.

Abrasion resistance

A line's ability to withstand scraping against rocks, wood, and fish teeth without weakening or breaking.

Backing

Thin line spooled onto a reel beneath the main line to fill the arbor and provide reserve capacity on long runs.

Braid

A line woven from multiple synthetic fibers, prized for near-zero stretch, thin diameter, and high strength.

Bullet weight

A cone-shaped sliding sinker used to rig soft plastics so they slip through cover cleanly.

Chum

Bait scattered in the water to attract fish to an area; regulated or prohibited in some places.

Drag

The reel mechanism that lets line slip under tension so a running fish doesn't snap the line.

Drop-shot

A finesse rig with the weight below the hook, suspending a bait just off the bottom.

FG knot

A slim, strong knot for joining braided line to a fluorocarbon or mono leader; passes easily through rod guides.

Fluorocarbon

A dense line material with a refractive index close to water, making it hard for fish to see; it also sinks and resists abrasion.

Jighead

A weighted hook, often paired with a soft plastic, used for bottom-contact and finesse presentations.

Leader

A length of line tied between the main line and the lure to add stealth, abrasion resistance, or shock strength.

Line memory

A line's tendency to hold the coiled shape of the spool, causing tangles; worst in stiff or cold line.

Monofilament

A single-strand nylon line that stretches and floats; forgiving, inexpensive, and easy to tie.

Ned rig

A finesse technique using a small soft-plastic stick bait on a light mushroom jighead.

Polarization

A lens filter that blocks horizontally reflected light, cutting surface glare so you can see into the water.

Pound test

The rated breaking strength of a line, expressed in pounds; higher test means thicker, stronger line.

Rotomolded

A one-piece molding process used for premium coolers, producing thick, seamless, highly insulated walls.

Shock strength

A line's ability to absorb sudden force, such as a hard strike or a headshake, without breaking.

Spinnerbait

A lure with spinning metal blades that flash and vibrate to draw reaction strikes while covering water.

Split shot

A small round sinker pinched onto the line for quick, adjustable weight changes.

Swivel

A small connector that rotates freely to prevent line twist, often used with spinning lures or leaders.

Terminal tackle

The hardware at the business end of your line — hooks, weights, swivels, snaps, and beads.

Topwater

Lures fished on the surface, producing visual strikes; best in low light and calm conditions.

UPF

Ultraviolet Protection Factor — how much UV a fabric blocks. UPF 50+ blocks roughly 98 percent of UV.