best co angler tackle bag

[xxroosterxx]

what would you all suggest

[Shad_Master]

I don't know if anyone will suggest a specific brand or model - but I can give you a few tips that I have learned that may help you choose one.

One of the biggest mistakes co-anglers make is taking too much stuff - spend some time thinking about what you are going to throw and try to narrow it down to no more than 6 set ups (rods and reels).

I use a double layer hard tackle box - the upper layer is divided and I have sections set up for hooks, weights, other terminal tackle, crank baits, jigs, shakey heads, top waters, etc.  In the lower section, there is a place to hold spinner baits and buzz baits.  There is also a section for extra line spools, scents, sun screen, snacks, etc.

Then I carry a small soft-sided bag to carry soft plastics (actually the one I use is the one BASS gave me when I renewed my membership).

I used to carry a "big bertha" soft bag with 7 370 boxes and 4 360's - it was heavy and most of the stuff I had there was not anything I would actually use.  It was always getting in the way and made boaters frustrated.

Now I spend more time planning what I am going to do and as a result my fishing has improved.

[xxroosterxx]

thanks for the input man

[Crestliner2008]

Right on Shad_Master; keep it simple! Get yourself a "360" (or 3600) size, soft-sided bag, with pockets around it. They will usually hold about 5 of these medium sized plastic boxes. That's even more than you really need. But you don't want to loose confidence during a tournament, in saying to yourself, "I should have brought this or that with me today!"

The 360 size is considerably smaller than the 370 series bags and will give you more than enough "selections" to choose from. I don't fish tournaments, so this is just a regular "fisherman's" opinion.

[TourPT]

I mostly fish buddy tournaments in which the boat is loaded to the gills, but every once in a while I will fish as a Co-Angler and really the only tackle box I use for such is a Plano 4600 Two Tier Stowaway. I basically have six of them, each marked and loaded for different lakes that I may fish. The only time I would add an extra box is if I am fishing somewhere where I need some extra deep diving crankbaits of which I have a similar stowaway box for. So two of these boxes per Pro/AM tourney tops, but usually just one.

So if I am fishing say Lake Geneva Wis, I grab that box that I loaded with the tackle I use there and the rods and reels (4 to 5 tops unless the rules state less) I need for the lures and techniques, my rain gear just in case, my life jacket, my shades, sunscreen, and few Gatorade's or Dews, maybe some Poptarts or something to snack on, and I am on my way.

The only drawback is if you have never fished the lake before, you may not know what to pack that 4600 with. The one thing they all have in common though is, jig & craws, some crankbaits, some plastic's, spinnerbaits, always at least a couple of frogs, some topwaters, hooks, sinkers and Megastrike. The rest is all based and any info I have on that body of water and I do research as much as I can before hand.

Once you learn and fish the lake you will know what to pack that 4600 with next time.

Hope that helps some. Everyone has there own system and this is just what works for me.

Edit: I just noticed Plano has a little larger size 4700. might want to check that one out also.

[curls00]

As a guy without a boat who still fishes 10-12 tourneys a year (with 2-4 different boaters), I have found this setup works for me:

BPS Extreme boat bag, 24"x12"x12".  This will hold all of the following (except the plastics binder, but it does carry that too on occasion - see my 2nd last paragraph). http://www.basspro.com/webapp/wcs/stores/servlet/Product_10151_-1_10001_10205325_999043012_100000000_999043012_100-22-0

4-5 Plano 3700-size trays (they sit vertically and have labels ("Cranks", "Spinnerbaits", "Jigs", "Trailers", "Topwater"). I often leave the Cranks one at home on some of the shallowest lakes as I rarely throw 'em from a boat. My rain gear, lunch, pliers, knife, scent, and a spool or two of leader material all fit here as well.

2 small organizers (about 5x6", from the dollar store) - one for hooks, one for weights. My Fin-Tech jigs and tube jig heads also go in these.

Worm/plastics bag. http://www.basspro.com/webapp/wcs/stores/servlet/Product_10151_-1_10001_10200096_999043012_100000000_999043012_100-22-0

I use this as follows: One side contains senko-style baits and typical worms. The other side contains creatures/flippin'/pitchin' baits like Kreatures, Brush Hogs, skirted grubs, etc. I try to only take one style in each colour (so in senko-tyle baits, I'll only take 8-10 of black w/ blue flake, not 3 packs of different brands in the same colour style). I replenish from the original packages every week or two, to compensate for what has been lost to fish/tearing.

Now, I am travelling by air to fish a 2-day tournament with my brother up in NW Ontario this week. I have pared everything down to fit inside the BPS Extreme boat bag. I removed a lot of the flippin' plastics to save weight (won't be flippin' there), I combined the topwater and jigs into one 3700 tray as I won't be froggin' but will throw spooks and jitterbugs and poppers, and won't be throwing big 3/4oz largemouth jigs for the smallmouth bass up there. I kept the topwaters and smaller jigs I wanted, and am leaving the rest here at home.  Really, it's all about PREPARATION and THINKING AHEAD about the lake/area you're fishing. If you need something, take it, but think twice about taking stuff that you won't throw.  That extra space can often be put to better use (extra frozen bottles of water that thaw throughout the day and are refreshingly cold even at 2 or 3pm on a sweltering tournament day!).

FWIW, I typically use 5 combos during a tournament but am only bringing 4 with me 'up north' as I don't need my froggin' rig. Also, my travel rod case (hard shell) holds 4 combos, not 5, and I'll be fishing in a smaller 16' Lund tiller instead of a true bass boat -- we need the room without snapping tips!

[b.Lee]

http://www.bassresource.com/bass_fishing_forums/YaBB.pl?num=1266338417/new

This thread should cover what you need

[Senkoman12]

i fish tournements and only have a bag that holds 4 3700  boxes and to me i think 4 is good once in a while 5 is nice but 4 works and i have 1 3600 box for deep diving cranks which i use seldomly but i still have room to spare, i have 1 box for terminal tackle (hooks sinkers etc.), 1 for cranks and topwaters, one for misc. tackle (spinnerbaits, frogs, swimbaits, etc.) and 1 for plastics that i dont have bags for, i use the outside pockets for tools and plastics, and also have a little worm bag that i clip on to my main bag for more plastics, this isnt all my tackle and i do very well in tournements, i fish with guys who have bags that will hold anywhere form 6-12 3700 size boxes and and they have stuff that they dont even touch

i usually have 5 rods sometimes less