Eliminate Rusty Hooks

[papajoe222]

For years, I struggled with keeping my spinnerbait and jig hooks from rusting. I'm always touching up those hooks with a couple of passes of my hook sharpener and in doing so, I'm removing the factory chemical rust inhibitor on their surface.  I regularly trashed baits because of rusty hooks I'd find in the spring when organizing gear.

Now, rather than tossing out baits, I toss out last season's silica gel packets.  I get them from my local BestBuy electronics store, but many products are packaged with these to keep moisture out of the  packaging. Best part of this (aside from keeping moisture from ruining hooks) is the retailers will trash these packets when unpacking their displays, or setting up their products for customers.  All it takes is a request from you to one of their associates.

Smaller packets can be found in shoe boxes, but I prefer 2-4oz ones for my spinnerbait boxes.  I know there are products sold comercially to absorb the moisture in your tackle/tool boxes and you can even purchase cans of the silica gel from retailers that sell gun safes, but these 'freebies' work just as good.

[BassAssassin726]

I use them in my guitar cases to keep moisture out. Never dawned on me to use them in my tackle boxes.

[fishingman88]

Thanks for the great idea!  I actually had to use the silica gel packets one time inside my headlight housings to reduce the condensation that kept forming Now another use for them!

[jhoffman]

I get mine from the pharmacy. They come in round hard plastic cylinders in bulk prescription bottles. Just ask them to save them. I also grab any I see in a product, I put them inside trailcams to keep moisture out of them also.