Your Tackle Storage

[BigSkyBasser]

I'm asking this from the perspective of a coangler looking for the best way to efficiently and professionally transport tackle to a boat before launch. Right now I have two bass pro shops tackle bags with Plano boxes to separate my terminal tackle as well as my hard baits and use bait binders for spinner baits. I also use a top compartment for storage of my packs of soft plastics. Usually this combined with a bag of lunch, rain gear, life jacket, and 3-5 rods makes for more than 1 trip which can be obnoxious from the boaters point of view and looks very nooby for me. Any tips from experienced boaters and coanglers?

[Bluebasser86]

I used 1 mid sized Cabela's tackle bag that held 6 3700 boxes then had storage pockets on the front and side for soft plastics along with up to 6 rods. I could easily carry all that in one trip and just set my rain gear on top of the bag so the straps held it in place when I picked it up. 

[lecisnith]

Speaking as an exclusive co-angler, I have a large Okeechobee Fats tackle bag which holds 4 large trays plus up to 4 medium trays in the main compartment, it's got two pockets on the main closure flap, a pocket on the back, and two pockets on either side. I have all ny plastics in those, fairly well organized. Then the front pocket has all my tool storage I need, plus a holder for my sunglasses. I have a backpack for extra clothing (rain gear for some times, cold gear for others in Northern Michigan) and I can also put some extra plastics or packaged lures in the pack. Bring 4-6 rods, all set. I've been thinking really hard about getting the rod bag from Tackle Warehouse, just to make it a little less cumbersome carrying that many rods and for extra tackle storage, it looks legit. Two tackle bags feels a little excessive to me. Researching lakes and gameplanning what sort of fishing you're planning on seems like it should be able to streamline your needs to where one bag should suffice. Plus, the planning phase is half of the fun, sometimes.

[BigSkyBasser]

Yeah I've got the research down to a point where I can usually key in on patterns which allows me to predict which tackle to bring. I usually have rods for the following techniques; topwater (shimano curado e w/berkely lightning MH,) drop shot/shakey head (pflueger president w/fenwick hmx m,) crankbait/spinner bait (Abu Garcia Revo s w/ okuma reflexions mh,) worming/jigging (pflueger patriarch w/kistler pro series M,) and my misc extra set up which I usually take for SC Rigs and other setups (quantum kinetic pti w/ pinnacle perfecta DHC5 MH.) Luckily my inefficiency at local tournaments doesn't bother me because the boaters are all really laid back. My worry is when I start fishing as a coangler on the larger tournament trails where serious money is on the line and boaters can be a little less tolerant of coanglers. The nice thing is that we have established a certain etiquette that I follow to the tee and eventually I'm sure I'll get the hang of, just with more experience. 

[lecisnith]

Every time I go out to breakfast I look at the menu and end up getting some omelette or skillet scramble of some sort. Then when I leave I always think, "Man, I should have gotten pancakes." It's all about making decisions and knowing what is going on in a certain body of water and which restaurant makes a worthy Denver omelette. Neither of which have I been able to figure out.

[Dogmatic]

Flambeau AZ8, holds EVERYTHING I would EVER need, and 4-6 rods (pre-rigged of course) in an inexpensive rod bag that I picked up off of eBay that has a pocket for miscellaneous stuff. Although, I don't fish in tourneys, I fish out of small crafts, where space is at a premium, so I have to be compact and efficient.

[Mike L]

I've gone through 3 different bags over the years and finally settled on the Flambeau AZ8 also.

IMHO it's perfect for a tournament co angler as it has all the right compartments, in all the right sizes, in all the right places to be able to get right to what you want quick.

It's not as wide or as long as most others just a little taller, but fits nicely between your legs or in a storage compartment if your boater gives you one to use.

I allways bring 6 rods and sometimes 7 depending on what my boaters plan is for the day, which is allways discussed at the pairing meeting.

I keep them wrapped together to conserve space. A small lunch bag, as I don't eat much while on the boat anyway and a vest.

What I do to transport my stuff if meeting my boater at the ramp (which I try not to do) is I'll put the vest on, sling the bag over my shoulder, hold the wrapper rods together with one hand and the lunch bag with the other.

If I can meet up with my boater before launching or the night before 100% of the time he'll let me lock the lunch bag and vest in the boat then.

The tackle bag and rods allways stays with me.

I hope this helps,

Good Luck to you

Mike