Most tackle boxes are eighty per cent dead weight. This is the list that covers estuary, beach and inshore reef fishing around Australia without carrying a trolley.
Hooks
Circle hooks 1/0 to 6/0 for bait. They hook better in the jaw and release cleanly.
Suicide/octopus 1/0 to 4/0 for smaller estuary baits and berley work.
Ganged hooks 4/0 for pilchards on the beach and in the wash.
Worm and wide-gape hooks 2/0 to 4/0 for weedless plastics around timber and weed.
Sinkers and swivels
Ball sinkers 00 to 4 cover the majority of estuary and bay bait fishing.
Bean and bullet sinkers for running rigs where you want a smoother slide through the guides.
Star and grapnel 3–6 oz for the beach; snapper leads 4–16 oz for offshore.
Quality rolling swivels in two sizes only — cheap swivels are a common and avoidable failure point.
Leader and line
Fluorocarbon in 10, 20 and 40 lb covers nearly all inshore work.
Mono 60–100 lb for beach shock leaders and heavy traces.
A short length of single-strand wire for mackerel country up north.
The rest
Split rings, a decent pair of split ring pliers and a hook file. Sharp hooks convert bites you are currently missing.
A measuring brag mat and a set of scales — you cannot obey size limits by eye.
Long-nose pliers and side cutters for safe unhooking and cutting wire.
A small dry bag for the phone, your licence details and a printed set of local size and bag limits.
Key takeaways
- ▸Circle hooks in 1/0 to 6/0 will cover most Australian bait fishing.
- ▸Buy good swivels; they fail more often than knots do.
- ▸Three leader ratings cover almost every inshore situation.
- ▸Carry a brag mat — size limits are legal obligations, not estimates.
This guide is general information only. Fishing regulations differ by state and change regularly — confirm current rules with your fisheries authority before you fish.