Soft plastics storage on boat

[TNReb]

I know this has been discussed before. I searched, and have seen it discussed recently.

 

How so you store your soft plastics on your boat?

 

I was using Plano boxes, but its taking up too much space.  Each box doesn't hold many.  

 

Im thinking the best thing may be to start keeping the plastics in their original bags, but I'm looking for ideas of how to store those bags.  I fish plastics a lot... lizards, worms, senkos, jig trailers, swimbaits, creature baits.... it's a lot to keep organized but readily accessible.

[Russ E]

I keep them in the original bags. 

Lately I have used the small $10.00 Wal-Mart soft sided coolers. I remove the hard plastic insert. They hold quite a few bags of soft plastics. 

I have one  for each style of bait.  Each cooler is a different color.

They all fit nicely below the deck.

You can buy tackle bags about the same size, but they cost more and don`t come in as many colors. Plus the coolers are waterproof.

[Columbia Craw]

One Gallon Zip Lok freezer bags.  I just place the original packages in the larger sealed bag. You can label them for bait types with a sharpie, they are see through, ride nicely and are durable. 

[RyneB]

Baits that never leave my boat are put in plano boxes. The rest I take in and out depending on the body of water I'm fishing, try to limit those plastics to 1 gallon freezer bags. I try to limit it to 2 bags. I have been fishing the same bodies of water for many years, so I dont have to bring a whole lot. On several day trips or vacations I'll fill up freezer bags and leave them in the back seat of my truck in case I need something. I have found the less clutter in my boat, the better.

[deadadrift89]

I use a clear plastic storage tote that is just tall enough that I can keep plastics in original bags and stand them up and no wider than necessary. Its also as long as possible that will let me pull it out of  main tackle storage compartment on front deck without trouble. Baits I use the most of are put in 1 gal freezer bags and kept separate so I have fast, easy access to them. I fish a lot of different lakes so I switch out plastics based on that.  

[Goldstar225]

9 hours ago, Columbia Craw said:

One Gallon Zip Lok freezer bags.  I just place the original packages in the larger sealed bag. You can label them for bait types with a sharpie, they are see through, ride nicely and are durable. 

I do the same thing.

[FishinKansan81]

1 hour ago, Goldstar225 said:

I do the same thing.

Ditto 

[ItsHardwick]

I bought these storage containers from Walmart for like $2-$3 a piece that are just the perfect size to store plastics in their original bags. I have way too many in my little boat but it’s an easy way to keep them organized. I just write on the top in sharpee what’s inside. Look in the container aisle that’s by the cookwares and house stuff. 

[junyer357]

I keep them in the origional bags inside ziploc bags as well, labeled by type, 7"worms, 10"+ worms, lizards, etc.. in a duffle bag in back of boat. In the front locker i keep 4 gallon bags, zman, senkos, flipping/jig chunks, and 'go to', which are my favorite and most confident worms and lizards. Those 4 are the ones i use consistently. The others are ba kstock of those as well as others i keep for a color change or specific use. 

[Troy85]

I went from original bags stored in 1 gallon ziplocks to large plano boxes a few months back.  So far I am happy with the choice.  The only baits I keep in the original bags are scented creature baits.  I just couldn't track it well enough in the bags, I'd buy a bag of baits I thought I was out of, only to find 2 bags a few days later.  Now I keep them by type in plano boxes.  I agree with you, the biggest downside is storage space.  I'm thinking I'm going to build a little storage rack under my front deck for the plano boxes.  My current system just has them strewn about under the deck, I mean I try to stack them neatly, but that never lasts. 

[TNReb]

2 hours ago, Troy85 said:

I went from original bags stored in 1 gallon ziplocks to large plano boxes a few months back.  So far I am happy with the choice.  The only baits I keep in the original bags are scented creature baits.  I just couldn't track it well enough in the bags, I'd buy a bag of baits I thought I was out of, only to find 2 bags a few days later.  Now I keep them by type in plano boxes.  I agree with you, the biggest downside is storage space.  I'm thinking I'm going to build a little storage rack under my front deck for the plano boxes.  My current system just has them strewn about under the deck, I mean I try to stack them neatly, but that never lasts. 

Sounds like we're in the same situation.  I feel like I constantly run out of space in my boxes.  One for senkos, lizards, worms, longer worms, light-colored trailers, dark-colored trailers, creatures, small swimbaits, large swimbaits... it's just too many boxes with too little space in each box.

[Spankey]

For the most part my plastics I keep in the factory package but I store my plastics in Rubbermaid containers labeled as to type of fishing. Ex. Ned Rig, Neko Rig, Swim Baits, Creatures, Lizards, 4” Power Worms, 7” Power Worms ......... easy to find. For the most part any significant hardware I keep right in the box. If I were to pull out my Ned Rig box, Everything would be there. But as organized as I am I have some stuff that is not quite organized or at my finger tips for any moment. My hard baits I organize more by brand. 

[Munkin]

On ‎1‎/‎14‎/‎2019 at 11:21 AM, Columbia Craw said:

One Gallon Zip Lok freezer bags.  I just place the original packages in the larger sealed bag. You can label them for bait types with a sharpie, they are see through, ride nicely and are durable. 

Same way I have been doing it for years.

 

Allen

[FishTank]

The best way I have seen (and I wish I had a picture) is a guy who drilled a couple of holes on the underside of his rod box and placed/tied a piece of heavy gauge wire from one end to the other then he would hang each bag with a pocket name tag clip (see pic).  He must have had about 200 bags sorted by color and style.

 

 

[Log Catcher]

I keep mine in their original packaging and put them in soft sided tackle bags from BPS made for holding soft plastics. I do have a few in other plastic boxes that I will use up and not get anymore of those.

[NorthernBasser]

3 hours ago, Log Catcher said:

I keep mine in their original packaging and put them in soft sided tackle bags from BPS made for holding soft plastics.

Same here. I'm honestly surprised more people don't use these. Don't take up much room at all, and if you get the large double binder version ($35) you can fit at least 40-50 original bags in them. I keep most of my plastics in their original bags and then put 2 to 3 of those bags in each binder sleeve. 

 

https://www.basspro.com/shop/en/Bass-Pro-Shops-Extreme-LargeDouble-Worm-Binder-or-Replacement-Pages

[Way north bass guy]

^^

Ditto. 

[Rpratt]

What works for me in my boat really well is I have 3 plastic bread containers from Wally World. I can stack about 15-20 bags of worms, craws swimbaits or whatever  in each one

and easily find everything when I need it. 

[slonezp]

Ziplock bags inside 60qt Ziplock Weathershield storage bins

[MN Fisher]

Lack of storage space on the canoe makes it more difficult for me to find places. I could fit a large container under the seat, but prefer to have things more compact.

 

Longer worms get de-bagged from original packaging and placed in snack-size ziplocs. Two of those fit in each slot of a Plano 3606. Shorter plastics (grubs, craws, tubes) are kept in their original packages and placed in a 3607. I've ordered a second tackle bag which will fit 4-3600 size boxes. That's going to be my 'plastics bag'. Outside pockets of that will hold any overflow.