Ditching the tackle box
The past few years has seen me pick up a few new methods of fishing (jigging, sp's, etc.) and I've found the old tackle box just isn't coping with the amount of gear I have now. So I was thinking about going back to the drawing board and starting with a new setup. I already have a jig wallet, large sp's bag, a small sp's bag, roll for stickbaits and a roll for minnows which just hang around my tackle box and there has been a couple of times where I've forgotten something. My thoughts at the moment is to have a small-mid sized storage container to combine what I already have and getting half a dozen tacke trays to hold;
- bream/small lures
- assists/split rings/solid rings - jigging related
- jig heads (inshore and offhsore - the smaller jig heads can stay in the small sp's bag)
- small terminal tackle
- large terminal tackle
- wire leader gear (crimps, large swivels etc)
- casting metals and jigs
- sinkers (maybe split into big & small or just keep the small sinkers with the small terminal tackle)
This way everything stays in the one box at home (or in the car when I go away) and I can open it up to pick and choose what I need for whatever fishing i'm doing (up river, in the boat, on the beach, etc.). I'll keep all my pliers/knives/leader in the box too and have something like a small tackle bag or backpack to transfer what gear I'm taking for that trip into. I figure this will keep all my tackle together so nothing is ever missed before a fish but will also split my gear up into specific containers so I'm only taking what I need for each fishing trip.
What are other people doing to organise their fishing gear? Appreciated any comments/thoughts on the above concept
Cheers
aka Nick
ranmar850
Posts: 2702
Date Joined: 12/08/12
It does get hard when you diversify.
You end up with increasingly large tackle boxes that end up looking like the bargain bins at BCF. Bream are easy--just the old cane creel and whatever it contains
I try to keep majority of sinkers in separate containers, you don't want many of those in the tackle box, maybe some small ball sinkers for runners. Do you have your own boat? That can make it easier, if you have space, you can fit one of those tackle drawer inserts into a seat pedestal, keep basics in there. Hard bodies lures in oblong plastic containers with the hooks rubber banded together ( or scattered all over the dash--Guilty, your honour)--I got a Plano soft bag on special at BCF last year before I went up to Exmouth for the comp on someone elses boat. Zip up bag with 5 large Plano trays in it, configured the dividers to fit in what I needed. Only cost less than $30, IIRC. I can keep a lot of stuff separate that way.
So the Plano 757 4 drawer is the all rounder. I use a Plano leader container , a 1085 XL, from memory for leader spools, that lives in the boat. majority of sinkers in plastic screw tops. Commonly used bulk circles also in screw tops. Bluewater game gear lives in the Plano zip-up, and also two lure pouches--thanks, Oceanside. Rods in the stretchy socks, and good reels in neoprene covers. ordinary reels get wrapped in an old pillowcase. Rigging gear has it's own Plano 3740(?) Guide series waterproof snap lock case--this keeps all your bulk rigging gear--swivels, crimps, snaps, heatshrink, rings, hotmelt, jig assist cord, solid rings and hooks, etc, etc, separate from your fishing gear, and never goes on the boat. Keeps all that gear in good shape, purely used for rigging shoreside .
Paj man
Posts: 360
Date Joined: 16/09/12
Spot on
Sounds spot on mate - I think I’m wanting to do a similar setup but just use a box at home for everything with a smaller bag for specific trips.
The boat’s an open center console so I already have a ‘boat stuff’ based box which goes in the console each trip and I’ll keep all the boat only fishing gear in that too. Then the duffel bag can sit on top and I’m sorted.
Minnow’s stay in the roll and that gets laid across the dash when trolling and then wrapped up and put in the box when we’re done
aka Nick
nebbian1
Posts: 166
Date Joined: 31/08/17
Here's my setup
Here's my setup:
The big tacklebox fits inside the backpack thing, and contains all my sinkers, hooks, bigger lures, and swivels.
The small bum bag has a couple of small cases that contain my smaller lures (one case for home made lures, the other one for bought lures).
I find that it works well, I can be completely mobile. When taking bigger rods I leave the bum bag at home, when targeting herring / whiting I leave the big box at home. Occasionally I'll bring both.
Maybe this gives you some ideas.
Broady
Posts: 130
Date Joined: 16/01/13
I tend to use the Plano clear
I tend to use the Plano clear plastic boxes and load them up with common lures based on target species - easy to see what you have quickly. For example, I have a popper box, barra box, micro lure box, stickbait, shallow runners, deep divers etc. If I'm heading out I then just load up the selected trays into a bag - currently using a HPA hard side carry box but I remember seeing Shout ones and, and I also used to use a soft sided Shimano bag. You then end up with some specialist boxes like the Meiho ones for terminal tackle, squid jig boxes etc. that will also fit.
For Jigs I've found the sleeves work best, and I have two HPA soft bags that these fit into perfectly. Easily get 100 jigs into a bag but they end up being too heavy.
I find that'ss the best way to keep my tackle organised.
Travis p
Posts: 727
Date Joined: 28/07/16
Hpa
Duffle bag check out elite tackle i own a hpa duffle bag 50l then inside that i have 3 hpa soft cases with lures plastics leader etc sinkers i keep in a bucket on the boatwww.elitetackle.com.au/hpa-duffle-bag-50-litre-zip/
wont catch em sitting at home!
Paj man
Posts: 360
Date Joined: 16/09/12
Hpa
I’m liking their gear hey - the soft cases seem the go for keeping my leader sorted!
aka Nick
Travis p
Posts: 727
Date Joined: 28/07/16
They are the ducks nuts mate
Never rip jam rust or anything
wont catch em sitting at home!