Tackle Boxes Time To Change And Rethink What To Carry.

[bigbill]

I have about 5 tackle boxes filled up and were talking the 9606 large split roof boxes. It's beginning to be a chore to bring it all. I'm thinking of cutting back by going to a smaller tackle box with just my hottest lures. But I hate leaving the different stuff at home. I take 3 9606 boxes now. One with every topwater lure known to man, #2 with every crankbait small to medium size, #3 with all my weedless stuff. When I carried the smaller tackle boxes I would use every lure twice on tough days just to learn what pattern worked on that tough day.(My tip for a tough day use firetiger or that one lure you never used yet) I know by leaving stuff home I will miss it by not having it with me. It's just time to travel lighter on some trips.

How do you guys cope with what to bring? Do you travel heavier on certain trips and lighter on others?

If I actually brought everything with me I'd need two boats just one for my tackle. Yet I see some pros take a handful of lures. But I have confidence in most patterns but what if it's a tough days.

The bottom line is I hate to bring my confidence with me and leave my success at home? I fish against my self on every trip trying to do better. I'm after the numbers.

[Fishes in trees]

Everyone has to answer that question for themselves.   Me, I bring all the stuff.  I bring 20 rods, more or less.  I bring "plenty" of hard baits, soft baits & terminal tackle.  Too much stuff is when it don't fit in the tow vehicle or boat anymore.   If on  the rare occasion someone is going fishing with me, I cut down some.

[Primus]

Everyone has to answer that question for themselves.   Me, I bring all the stuff.  I bring 20 rods, more or less.  I bring "plenty" of hard baits, soft baits & terminal tackle.  Too much stuff is when it don't fit in the tow vehicle or boat anymore.   If on  the rare occasion someone is going fishing with me, I cut down some.

 

That's pretty  much how I roll.

[Preytorien]

BigBill....I've already become a fan of your logic......

 

I have a tackle bag system, and has 6 Plano boxes in it. It's a lot of lures, and really not feasible that I can use them all in a given timeframe.

 

One thing a buddy of mine, who seems to have more success than I, suggested to me is to make what he calls a "BOOM-BOX"

 

Just take a small box, like a Plano utility box, Stowaway, or something. Based on the conditions, pick several lures you know you'll need, and a couple that maybe you "won't need". Pack mostly confidence baits and one's you know will produce in the current conditions, then add a couple that might work, might not....you never know. It'll all fit nicely in the pocket of pants/shorts with cargo pockets on them.

 

I've found this is....

 

1. Much easier to carry when bank fishing, which is my predominant scenario

 

2. Limits my selection, which causes me to have to patiently work lures until they work, I tend to switch too often. Also forces me to learn to use lures - often I play with a new lure for a few casts and if I don't catch anything I switch back to a confidence bait since I'm not out to play, I'm out to catch. I probably only consistently use about 20% of my lures.

 

3. Having only a few lures limits me on how many I can hang up in trees and subsequently lose 

 

It's not really an applicable choice to boat fisherman since most guys keep everything in the storage compartments, and boats have enough room to bring everything like "fishes in trees" mentioned....but for us bank fishermen, this has been a great tactic I've used with pretty good success. It's sometimes nice not to tote around the 15lb+ bag.

 

I've had a lot of guys ask what I do about lures that might wear out during fishing, soft plastics and such, but I've never noticed myself really wishing I had my whole back (extras, replacements, etc) with me. Besides, bank fishing limits you to being usually just a walk away from the car, where the bag, and all of your replacement stuff is calmly sitting in the trunk.

 

One thing I usually do carry in my other pocket is my multi-tool since it's a necessity for various uses.

[Sam]

I have a pine chest of draws that I keep my permanent boxes filled with all of my baits, excepting plastics.

 

When I go fishing I take empty Plano boxes and fill them with the baits I plan to throw.

 

On the boat I take too many baits and usually use only two or three during the day. But I have them if I want to use them.

 

When pond fishing, I can put the boxes into a big, plastic storage box and go back to the SUV to change out when necessary.

 

When I hit the pond or on the boat I have one special box with two or each of the lures I think I may need. Such as two KVD's 1.5and two 2.5's in two or three different colors. Then I add two or three Bandits 100's and the like plus two each of my favorite Normans.

 

Hook the baits to the box dividers by their rear treble hook to help avoid getting the hooks tangled together.

 

As for spinnerbaits, Chatterbaits, buzzbaits, jigs and pigs and some others I take just two of each and hope I don't lose both.

 

Just food for thought.

[AK-Jax86]

I have one storage box in my tackle back pack with a variety of things and then a few bags of soft plastics... I'm a bank fishermen so I like to travel light. I have enough tackle to fill a nice ranger or tracker boat that day will hopefully come down the road if the wife lets me

[Cgrinder]

I'm in the bank angler with a backpack group. 3701 Plano boxes are my friend. I don't have a good spinnerbait solution yet though.

[buzzfrog]

Back pack 2-3 3700 And I use the BM mag bag they give you for free with about 20 bags of plastic In it. On small zipper part I keep plastics I know I will use. Mainly shaky head stuff. Rib snske. Robo worms etc...

[Mccallister25]

I'm in the bank angler with a backpack group. 3701 Plano boxes are my friend. I don't have a good spinnerbait solution yet though.

You can buy the spinnerbait organizers.

I also keep all of my tackle in a backpack. I keep all of my plastic in the free bass member bag they give you.

[jhoffman]

I have 9 - 3700 series boxes in my boat plus two big plastic shoe boxes of soft plastic, line spooling station and a spinnerbait organizer. Dont use them all, heck probably use 3-6 in a given day but I never know what I am going to use till I hit the water. Yesterday all my pre planned rods didnt pan out. I ended up with water clarity of 1ft and caught all of my fish throwing a white spinnerbait with 3/4 of a swimbait for a trailer. The swimbait trailer on a spinnerbait I have never done, I dont know if Ive ever even read about it, but it worked.

[bigbill]

I'm fishing mainly from the bank too. It's just starting to be too much. One outing I can remember I had my topwater box, crankbait box, plastiss box, weedless box and spinner bait stuff. It was great fishing. But it's way too much for me now. I won't give up the different rods I carry. I have one of those big very large boat bags, the soft sided tackle bags too. But I use that for the boat outings.

I wish one of those big plastic manufacturers who makes the storage and garbagn bins who make a shore fishernan's box on two wheels with a side rod holder and seat. Plus we can have a drawer or tackle box storage on the bottom.

Shore fishing hasn't advanced for hundreds of years now. The boats are state of the art. Nothing has changed since the metal tackle box was invented but them being plastic and bigger.

This kindle fire hd spell check changes my words sorry for the miss spelling.

[jhoffman]

Canibalize a throw away golf cart bag and make your own

[BassAddict1911]

Everyone has to answer that question for themselves.   Me, I bring all the stuff.  I bring 20 rods, more or less.  I bring "plenty" of hard baits, soft baits & terminal tackle.  Too much stuff is when it don't fit in the tow vehicle or boat anymore.   If on  the rare occasion someone is going fishing with me, I cut down some.

amen to that

[WiregrassRiverRat]

Well A solution for all of you could be to send me the stuff you don't use and make the problem mine.

I would be totally willing to take on that burden for you guys.

[Fishes in trees]

I'm just thinking that one of those cheap rolling luggage carry on bags would solve your storage/mobility issues.   I emphasize cheap because I think that if you are doing any serious bank fishing, hiking back into gnarly stuff, you will tear it up in a season or two.

[bigbill]

You know the minute I leave some stuff at home it's going to bite me.