As early as the Paleolithic Age, humans used natural primitive fishing gear such as thorns, antlers, pig teeth and stones to prey on fish and shellfish in rivers and lakes. More than 6,000 years ago, bone harpoons, hooks, harpoon heads and fish darts appeared in fishing gear shops in China. Copper hooks appeared more than 3000 years ago. The hieroglyphics of fishing with rods and nets in ancient Oracle Bone Inscriptions: It is recorded under the connection of Yijing that "the tether is useless, so rent it to fish". In Tang Dynasty, Lu Guimeng described and distinguished fishing gear and fishing method in detail in Preface to Fishing Gear Poetry. Fishing method, a popular fishing gear, appeared and developed in recent two or three hundred years, such as long gill net and purse seine, bag trawl and fixed net, and various forms of fishing gear. They all developed from small and simple to large and complex, extending from coastal operations to deep-sea ocean operations. Fishing gear materials have also been replaced by synthetic fibers and plastics. Since 1950s, the world fishing gear has been gradually modernized.

Fishing gear can be divided into four types according to its structural characteristics and working principle.

① net gear

Aquatic products caught with nets account for more than 80% of the total catch in the world. The net consists of net, rope, float and sinker. According to the different fishing objects and working methods, fishing gear can be divided into nine categories: gill net, purse seine, trawl, open net, large net, laying net, copying net, cover net and trap.

② Fishing gear

It usually consists of hooks, baits and fishing lines. Some are equipped with floats, sinkers, fishing rods or other accessories. A fishhook is a part that is tied to a fishing line and plays the role of a hook. There are two kinds of inverted tooth structure and non-inverted tooth structure. The choice of bait is often the key to the success or failure of fishing, which can be divided into real bait and simulated bait. True bait can be divided into animal bait and plant bait according to different sources. Marine fishing generally uses animal bait such as fish, cephalopods and crustaceans; Earthworms and insects are mainly used for freshwater. Plant bait is used to trap freshwater fish, mainly rice, wheat, sweet potato and other products. The bait is made of feathers, cloth, rubber, wood, metal and plastic. Disguised as the favorite animal bait of the fishing object, or made into other bait enough to stimulate the predation reaction of the fish.

(3) rake and thorns

Fishing gear with rake, thorn and other properties. The former rakes up with sharp claws and catches potential catches at the bottom of sediments; The latter includes fish darts, gun saws, long-handled hooks, empty hooks and other projectors. When working, they aim at the captured object and shoot it into the body to capture it, or capture it with the spikes of empty hooks.

④ Cages and kettles

Taking advantage of the habit that some fishing objects like to dig holes, cages, cans and conch shells with small holes are set up in the waters where they often inhabit and stay to lure them to sneak in and catch them. Such as eel cages, shrimp cages and conch cages.