Outfitting A Tackle Backpack...

[UKCats55]

I recently posted a topic on what type of bag I should use for shore fishing. The overwhelming response was a backpack. Now I am curious as to what everyone keeps in their shore fishing arsenal. I always like to hear what others have in their bag and compare it with mine. All input is appreciated. Thanks!!

[BuffaloBass716]

Well I don't have much, right now I have 2 3600 series plano boxes, one for terminal tackle, one for hard baits. Next I have a plano elite series worm bag that fits 20+ soft plastic bags, then a index card box with a few bottles of JJ's magic.  I put my hand towel around that to keep it safe while transporting. In the small front pocket I have extra spools of line, forceps, pliers, snacks, and any other small necessities.  

 

Ohh, and I forgot to mention that I use the water bottle holders on the sides to carry my rods. I have 2-piece rods because I use my bike to travel and fish. I just tie them up tight and use a rubber band around the tip to hold them steady.  This keeps my hands free while bike riding and it's incredibly easy to have all your fishing gear on your back and have the ability to walk through tall grass and brush and going up and down steep inclines.

 

My system could be better but as of right now, I still have what I need to go out and catch some fish when I can.  

[ThatZX14Fella]

I have a box for hard baits, a box for spinners and buzzbaits, a box for frogs and soft plastics, and a box for terminal tackle. I have the main compartment for boxes, the secondary compartment for spools of line and I'm fixing to start putting soft plastics in it to save storage. The smaller compartment has pliers, clippers a, and a tool that I bring along in case of a backlash. The side compartments I plan to use for a scale and bug spray.

[Slab-O-Matic]

If it hasn't been suggested already...

Go out and find a backpack made for travel! They are in most ways identical to your everyday backpack with three huge exceptions: 1. Many of them are made out of a water and rip proof/resistant material. 2. They contain a telescoping handle that actually zips flush into the top of the bag, out of sight and mind. Now, the best part...3. They have a set of roller blade quality wheels on the bottom, allowing you to pull the bag instead of having to carry all that weight while still retaining the option of carrying it around via the two adjustable, padded shoulder straps. Mine was even designed to contain the shoulder straps while they are not in use, preventing either strap from getting hung up on anything while in tow. Just another way to look at an already great idea.

Slab-O-Matic

[AK-Jax86]

I keep mine really simply, not sure the exact box sizes but, in the lower front compartment I have a double sided frog box. Then I have another of the same box but I have a few cranks, pop'r, KVD red eye shad, chatterbait, jig, spinnerbait. I have a hook box, and another small box with a hudd weedless shad, spook jr, and few other baits. I carry pliers, tape measure, scale, and my head lamp (for night fishing) in the two side pockets. Then the top front zipper I keep some more hooks, small box for weights, and my gopro camera batteries and sum cards. Back big zipper is where I keep my bags of soft plastics. On the front it has a glasses case so I keep mine in there.

I have the spiderwire tackle backpack it's worth the price tag. Also has two rod holders which is very convenient

I usually take boxes and bag of soft plastics out at spots where they won't/ can't be used to make the backpack lighter

[DTack]

Typically when I go in the back of a buddy's boat or just plain not in my own boat, I don't take much tackle at all...  Generally I have an idea of what I will be throwing or what situations I may run into...  I carry a backpack whenever I go on a buddy's boat.  There are slight exceptions maybe 1/10 of the time where I will carry a "tackle bag" with 4-6 plano boxes. 

I generally only carry 1-2 3700 size boxes in the backpack which have my mixture of hardbaits...  I will then take a gallon ziplock bag and put all the plastics I might use for that day in it... 
This works for me because of how I have things set up at the house to go in the boat...  I have everything divided up into techniques in each plano box for hardbaits, then each "plastics category" in ziplock gallon bags...  All I do is start with an empty 3700 box and an empty ziplock gallon, from there I will just pick and choose what I need from my technique boxes...  I just keep going until I have everything I need.  If I fill the first box, I will just start in on another.  It's worked really well for me so far!

[gulfcaptain]

I stock my bag with what I'm gonna fish or technique I'm going to be using.  If I'm fishing swimbaits, it's stocked with those.  Punching grass, well have a small box of hooks and weights, then a soft wallet style binder with punch jigs and creatures.  If I'm junk fishing, I think about where I want to go and stock accordingly....Kinda use the trunk of my car as my tackle locker when I'm headed out.  This way I can swap on the fly.  There's always 4-6 rods and various tackle ready to go.  Also carry pliers, sissors, a scale and the attractant I choose. Don't bring it all becaue you're not gonna use it.  Stock with what you're planning to use or what you use most often  If it's a new technique, don't bring anything else so you can't fall back on something else.

[FishTank]

This is what I use......

 

Two Plano 4700's.  One is for crankbaits and the other is for topwater.

 

 

 

One Plano Spinnerbait box

 

 

 

Two Plano 3750 boxes.  One for terminal tackle (hooks, sinkers, leaders, etc) and one for inline spinnerbaits (mepps and roster tails).

 

 

 

One falcon fto jerkbait box. . I don't think they make these anymore....  

 

 

 

The lures get swapped out with other tackle boxes but this is the primary tackle items I carry.  I also have a worm bag that I will carry from time to time but I also stuff 10 bags or so of soft plastic in the front pocket of my backpack.  There is also a big top zippered pocket that I keep jigs and trailers in.  The side pockets of the backpack contain pliers, a scale and braid cutters.

 

I have been using this set up for about 8 years.  It weigh a ton but I'm use to it.

[F14A-B]

Pretty much what gulfcaptain said.... I like a go fast bag.. Shore fishing for me is a easy thing, it's my joy, in simplicity. You can carry as much, or, as little as you're conditions dictate.

[UKCats55]

Thanks everyone, a ton of good info on your posts. Gives me a lot of ideas on how to outfit my bag.

[Fishes in trees]

Hard baits - soft baits - terminal tackle appropriate to season.  If I'm using spinning gear, probably a spare spool or two of line.  Tools - when I was a bank fisherman needle nosed vice grips was about all I needed.  Pack your stuff in plano boxes adds a little weight but protects your stuff better.   Pack your stuff in zip lock plastic bags - less weight but doesn't protect your stuff as well and doesn't last as long.  When I was a bank fisherman I used a combination of both.  I was a smoker then, so a couple of extra lighters were necessary, as was a waterproof cigarette case.  I was an occasional hard liquor drinker then, so I carried a steel half pint flask.  Sometimes when the fishing vexed me, herbal remedies were in order,  I had a waterproof kit to keep my herbal remedies available.

 

If you are going cat fishing or other kind of still fishing, some kind of rod holders are a must or bring a machete and create a rod holder out of materials on hand.

 

I was a meat fisherman then, and an optimist so I generally carried a couple of stringers.  If you're a meat fisherman, have some extra garbage bags in your car or an extra ratty old cooler to transport fish home.  At the time, there was a hippie vegetarian restaurant a few blocks from my house, so I threw all my fish guts and cleaning remains into their compost pile.