Co-Anglers!!!!!!! How Do You Pack/organize???

[Megastink]

I tend to overpack for tournaments. I have a HUGE Cabela's tackle bag with everything in it. But lugging that thing around (probably 70lbs) includes 8 tackle boxes, rain gear, reel maintainance supplies, tools (pliers, scissors), pfd, plastics stuffed into whatever space is left..... my point is, I need a better tackle storage/organization solution. 

 

I'd like to have something backpack-ish. I cannot carry all of that on one shoulder. I also am looking for portable plastics storage. I dont have a designated place for them.

 

Organization is a key to success, and I need some help here...

[Bankbeater]

If I'm a co-angler, the first thing I do is find out how the person with the boat is fishing.  If he is booming and zooming with crankbaits, then I don't want to be fishing a plastic slow on the bottom.  I usually take a BPS 370 bag, three bc rigs, and a spinning rig.

[reelnmn]

Megastink, I just finished packing for a tournament.  I bought a medium sized duffel bag at Wal-Mart for about $12 that I use to store my tackle...no need for a $60 bag IMO.

 

This is how I decided to organize.  Left side pocket is cull equipment.  I have 6 cull tags, scale, accu cull board, and please release me for bleeding fish.  Right pocket is spare line and reels.  Line size will depend on the lake.  This tournament has clear water and I will be drop shotting...so 1 10lb spool, 4/6/7 lb fluoro leader spools and some braid.  One spinning/bc spare reel.  The center pocket contains a very small bag of spinnerbaits, pliers, scissors, and dikes.

 

I pack differently for each tournament.  So for this one the majority of my stuff is drop shot plastics.  I do carry one jig 3700, one 3700 for terminal tackle, a jerkbait/topwater box, crankbait 3700, and a 3731 for my drop shot weights and favorite plastics.  Off to the side of the 3700 I pack my plastics according to their use.  Worms go in a gallon ziplock bag, drop shots in another, flukes in another.

 

The biggest key is eliminating plastics.  Go with your most confident colors.  I've never been concerned that my angler was fishing watermelon magic and I only had watermelon black flk so I eliminate my color selection tremendously.  For instance, for shakyhead worms I am only taking two colors.

 

Hope this helps.

[Uncle Leo]

Not that I have much experience with this but I tend to agree with Bankbeater. As you are at the back of the boat and will need to fish the way the boat owner fishes you may want to find out his style of fishing. That will rule out certain tackle and help to trim down. Also if you can gather information on the lake it could rule out certain size and colors of baits. I carry a lot in my boat but normally use maybe 20% of what I carry. If I know the lake and conditions that I will fish in I could easily remove much tackle. I believe the best solution is preparation to help trim back some.

[Felix77]

Last season I upgraded my bag to one which holds 4 3700 series Plano's.  However what I did was filled it with as many 3600, 3601s and smaller boxes as possible.  I was able to get a good sampling of baits I needed for as many conditions which meet the needs that time of year.  That bag also carries my culling equipment, pliers, extra line etc.  It also carries all the essential plastics I need in the large mesh bag in the back.

 

Complimenting this is a small bookbag which holds my lunch, a drink, my PFD, some rain gear (top) and maybe some extra plastics.

 

Once I get on the boat the lunch goes into the cooler, the PFD goes on and the bag can be collapsed either under my sear or in a compartment in the back.

 

On too many occasions something has come up where I had to change boaters at the ramp for some reason or another.  The most extreme case was a situation where I was paired with a boater who was planning to fish gin clear water for smallmouth deep.  I was rigged for this and he ended up not making the trip and they paired me with someone who was going for shallow water largies in stained/murky waters.  Once we got to the spot I needed to rerig but I was prepared.  

 

My setup gives me the flexibility to be ready for everything.

[ww2farmer]

I take just enough so that it's always a P.I.T.A. to find anything, and is constantly in the way, but not enough to keep me from feeling "unprepared"..............so as you can tell, I am QUITE the popular co-angler round these parts.

[papajoe222]

Aside from possibly needing to be a little more organized, you need to shed the mentality that you don't want to be on the water without the 'hot' bait. I'd bet that you keep many of the same baits in different colors in those eight boxes and that likely applies to your plastics also.

Decide what types of presentations your most likely to be using and concentrate your diversity on them. Then pack basic colors of other presentations keeping the numbers down by eliminating multiple brands. You can alter the colors with sharpies if necessary (rubbing alcohol will remove it later) and you can always add or change the color of your plastics with Spike It or whatever and eliminate carrying multiple colors of the same bait.

Also, if you find yourself without a bait that your boater is producing with, don't be afraid to ask if he has another he'd be willing to share.  He has the option of carrying a ton of gear.

[Curtis B.]

I have a question to add to this. This summer I am considering co-angling. For Christmas I was lucky enough to get a Browning backpack that holds 4 Plano 3650 boxes and your lunch, along with an Abu Garcia Veritos tackle bag that holds 4 boxes approximately 13.5" x 8.5" big. Is it too much to bring both with you, or should I stick to one or another?

[dam0007]

Id say make sure you contact your boater ahead of time. I.E: No need to bring 2 boxes of DD cranks and jerkbaits if your flipping weeds. I usually just do 3-4 3700 boxes. 1 for cranks in the colors I fish at said lake, 1 for soft plastics, 1 for jigs, 1 for terminal tackle. As far as rain gear I have a compact set that rolls up into little pouches which I throw in my lunch box or I'm wearing and wouldnt make a difference. Culls go in a pouch on my bag and nail clippers in my pocket. Sunglasses on my face. My problem used to be bringing 7-8 rods now I just keep it at 5 every trip regardless.

 

***EDIT Also depending on how friendly the guy is I'm paired with I ask in advance if I can use cargo space behind passenger seat. Most Skeeters, Rangers etc its more than big enough to house a tackle bag and lunch bag/box.

[Felix77]

FWIW ... here's a pic of my boxes and the bag that they are in ...

 

This provides me the flexibility to have just enough of all my favorite lures in one place.  With 4 3700's I couldn't get this much in there.  Believe me I tried.

 

[webertime]

I use a BPS Pro Qualifier bag it holds 4-5 3600 boxes, Falcon Spinnerbait box, a worm wrap, smaller pockets hold pliers, wacky tool, spike it markers, sharpie, spare spinning spool, drop shot leader roll, Carolina rig roll, scale and leader material(0X fly fishing fluoro).

I usually do a 3601 (skinny one)for the terminal tackle I'll need that day, the binder is drop shot, shaky, and senko/ika baits (bait I'd use on a spinning rod). A 3600 with flipping and t&c-rig baits, a 3600 for jigs and trailers, a 3600 for trebles (jerks, cranks, topwater), and a 3600 for swimbaits. The Falcon box has my spinner, Buzz, and chatter baits. Clipped to the outside are my cull tags.

I find the pre-rigging of leaders saves a ton of time and space. I bring 2 Gatorades and 2 clif bars (those stay in my pocket). Glasses on head life vest on me. If it's summer I'll pack up a light rain jacket and wear shorts that are quick drying. Spring or Fall I'll wear my bibs all day and wear the jacket as needed. I use a Bac Rac if the boat is compatible and will carry up to 8 setups in that.

[Preytorien]

I've got a little satchel type bag that I use. It came free with the Bassmasters subscription my dad's girlfriend got me for my birthday.

 

It's perfect. It fits 3 Plano 3600 Hydro-flo boxes and one smaller box in the front.

 

One box is for topwaters and blade baits

One box for jigs

One box for soft plastics

The smaller two-sided box for terminal tackle.

 

I usually keep my larger BPS Extreme 360 bag in the trunk of the car so I can get back to it and switch out a few things here and there if I really need to, it'll hold 6 - 3600 boxes + several other things.

[SudburyBasser]

A BPS Pro Qualifier 370 bag with about 8 3701 thin tackle boxes. The side pocket on the left is loaded with plastics and all my other equipment goes in the other two pockets. For rods I bring 4 BC setups and 1 spinning setup.

 

I do tend to bring along everything because I know the one time I don't will be the one time that I needed a particular class of lure. It's a heavy as heck bag but I only need to carry it from my Jeep to the boat.

[Naplock]

+1

Only diff is my bag in the trunk is a 3700 instead.

[pbizzle]

I got the Bass Pro Extreme Qualifier 360 Backpack for Christmas. It has more than enough room. It actually holds 10 360 boxes. It's going to be something else trying to fill it up, but I'll manage.

[J Francho]

All this stuff fits in a Flambeau AZ 8 bag.  I also take a couple of speed bags for plastics, and 4-6 rods.  If I can get away with it, I also use a Bac-Rac, but some boats don't accommodate it too well. 

 

[Zach P]

All this stuff fits in a Flambeau AZ 8 bag.  I also take a couple of speed bags for plastics, and 4-6 rods.  If I can get away with it, I also use a Bac-Rac, but some boats don't accommodate it too well. 

 

 

You have any idea where to buy those Falcon FTO Spinnerbait organizers anymore? I can't find them anywhere and love the one my friend has

[J Francho]

I just typed "fto spinnerbait wallet" in a google box and came up with three.

[FishinCop646]

Walmart carries these Plano Tackle Bags that hold 4 3700 boxes for about $30. Thats what I carry when I ride. A box for worms, a box for creatures/craws, a box for tubes/finesse baits, and a box for crankbaits/jerkbaits/spinnerbaits/jigs/top water. I use hook bonnets on my trebles to keep them from tangling. The 2 side compartments get filled with tools, scents, spare spools, etc. 2 3500 filled with terminal tackle fit nicely in the front pocket. Culling tags clip to the D ring. I try to keep to 4 baitcast and a spinning rod. The key is to take only want you need and intend to use for the trip.

[Sam]

Confidence, based on experience and knowledge, will cut down on the baits, rods, reels and techniques you bring and use.

 

If you do your homework; read the blogs on the body of water; speak with others who have fished the waters lately; discuss what the boater will be throwing; and read about the techniques that are successful at that time of the year you can cut your tackle by 90%.

 

You also have to determine if you are going to throw what the boater throws or work as a team with each throwing different baits and presentations to see what works to set the pattern. Once the pattern is set you can hone in on those specific baits and techniques that are working.

 

As for rods and reels, take an extra baitcaster and spinning reel to switch out if you have trouble with the one on the rod. You should suffice with two baitcasters and two spinning rigs although you may want to go higher on either depending on the fishing you want to do. I take three spinning and two baitcasters with me along with extra reels. And yes, I do a lot of changing out during the day.

 

Just remember that if you don't bring it you can't throw it. However you can bring way too much tackle and get yourself confused when you go through the baits as there are too many to consider.

 

So do some homework and try to scale down your equipment. And hope the bass have read and discussed what others tell you so they will know what baits and techniques they are supposed to hit!!!!!!!!

[Fishes in trees]

The red & black BPS tackle backpack is on sale now for $40   The blue BPS tackle back pack is on sale now for $30.   More if you want the boxes.  Either one of these will hold more than enough for a day of co-angling.  Get yourself a rod back to make transporting rods from your vehicle to the boat less of a hassle.  The cheap nylon rod bags help a lot for keeping the rods untangled, especially spinning rigs.  The previously mentioned idea of hook bonnets on all your crank baits is a great idea.

 

Successful co-angling really comes down to planning for current conditions and communicating well with your boater.   You are always varying and adapting your gear.  In the 5 years I was co-angling I don't think I ever took the exact same amount of gear.  Every tournament was different and I tried to be prepared for current conditions.

 

Another important thing I had to learn as a co-angler was to save all receipts.  If you ever win a big co-angler prize, say 1st in a BFL or place in a regional, there will be a tax bit unless you've got plenty of expense receipts to offset.   At the end of the year, doesn't matter if you hit a big win or not, it will scare you how much you spent on fishing.

[Volboy]

I pack a soft sided tackle bag with 4-5 3600 boxes for hard baits, jigs, and terminal tackle. Then I'll throw 10 or so bags of plastics in there. I'll finish it off with pliers, clippers, scent, extra spool of line, and dippin dye. If you know the general patterns and depths you'll be fishing you won't need a ton. Plus most boaters will appreciate you not bringing a huge tackle box that may crowd his boat.

[gripnrip]

You have any idea where to buy those Falcon FTO Spinnerbait organizers anymore? I can't find them anywhere and love the one my friend has

I have 2 and I love mine. I was heartbroken when Falcon sold the rites to Plano.  They had an awesome tackle system that I sunk a lot of money in.  If I am not mistaken, Plano also has a spinnerbait wallet in their color.  I don't know if it is worth a flip tho!  Their  FTO tackle boxes are no where near the quality that Falcon put into them.