Keitech Swing Impact Fat storage?

[RRocket]

A bit of a weird topic for sure.

 

As an enthusiastic minimalist, I try to refine and/or size down when possible. This year, I've switched to a spectacular tiny sling instead of my small backpack.

 

As a result, the original clamshell packaging of the Keitechs are too bulky now. Mind you, I'd only take 3 clamshells total.

 

So now I think I want to put the Keitechs in a small box pictured below. I keep 4 chatterbaits plus any swimbait I remove.

 

Does anyone else store these outside of the clamshell? Do the colors bleed, if say, you have darks mixed with whites/pearls? No damage to the tails? Any negatives? 

 

And how do you sort? By color? By size? 

 

I currently use the 3.8, 3.3 and 2.8...though the 3.3 is probably the least used and I don't think I'll replenish my small stock.

[softwateronly]

Color does bleed a bit over time and with heat, so I usually sort by that.  Sometimes, you can get real interesting mixes though if you keep them together.  

 

scott

[F14A-B]

The main concern for me would be the baits taking memory which will affect action. 

[RRocket]

2 hours ago, softwateronly said:

Color does bleed a bit over time and with heat, so I usually sort by that.  Sometimes, you can get real interesting mixes though if you keep them together.  

 

scott

Any problems with storage deformation (out of the clamshell) causing swimming issues? 

[Jig Man]

I keep mine in 3700 size boxes sorted by size and color to avoid bleeding.  I’ve never seen any distortion in the shape of them.

[RRocket]

3 minutes ago, Jig Man said:

  I’ve never seen any distortion in the shape of them.

 

Excellent! 

 

You have noticed bleeding though? 

 

 

[Jig Man]

I haven’t on these because I have never let them mix.  However I have seen a lot of it on other soft baits.  That’s why I keep all of my soft baits sorted by color.

[RRocket]

Just now, Jig Man said:

I haven’t on these because I have never let them mix.  However I have seen a lot of it on other soft baits.  That’s why I keep all of my soft baits sorted by color.

Thanks for that! 

 

I'd be most concerned about my French Pearl (white) ones. And less concerned about my darks co-mingling.

 

Out of curiosity, which one is your favorite size and color? 

[MickD]

One problem with storing with hooks inside them is that the salty lure will in time rust the hooks.  Just last week I lost a nice smallie to a broken/corroded hook.  From now on I'm going with the rigging technique that uses a screw head jig with the hook cut off + a small treble "stinger" attached with mono to the eye of the jig and imbedded in the back of the lure.  Might not work for the smaller ones, but for the 3.8 it works fine and gets more reliable hookups. And in storage, if there is any damage it's to the imbedded hook of the treble leaving two more solid for hookups. 

[Jig Man]

I don’t have a favorite size.  I go by what is working.  Right now it is the 2.8 on a 1/8 to 1/4 head depending on how deep they are.  After the spawn hopefully they will be on the larger ones.  However yesterday we couldn’t get a bite on the swim bait.  It was Ned or Shaky or go home.

[GReb]

The problem you’ll run into is if those baits sit in the box for a couple days the tails will get bent and they won’t swim the same after. I keep them in the clam shell since they are not cheap and I can’t afford to toss out bent tails.
 

If you have to fish out of a tackle box Id only take a few with me each outing and if any are left over stick them back in clam shell when you get home.

[F14A-B]

2 hours ago, Jig Man said:

I keep mine in 3700 size boxes sorted by size and color to avoid bleeding.  I’ve never seen any distortion in the shape of them.

Good to know they don’t distort, I don’t use them much, but have had issues with Yamamoto grubs and plastisol baits changing their shape. I keep my fat swings in their clam pack myself.. 

[Jig Man]

I tried keeping them in the clam shells but I have 3 sizes of 8 colors and sorting for what I wanted was driving me nuts.  I fish two different arms of Table Rock and the water color is vastly different and Beaver Lake in Northern Arkansas where sometimes visibility is 15 feet or more.  Colors that are good in one of those locations rarely get bit in the others.

[Dye99]

I purchased some airtight sandwich Tupperware containers for my soft baits.

Tubes, Keitechs, spark shad and senkos are kept in them.

I have not noticed much color bleed ( and if I did I would not care, probably get some cool colors ) 

But the main thing is I have not noticed any deformation that would effect their action.

[softwateronly]

9 hours ago, RRocket said:

Any problems with storage deformation (out of the clamshell) causing swimming issues? 

Yeah it can happen, but it's usually infrequent.  Wagging the bait in a pot of water on a low boil can reset the tails in seconds, but can't be done on the boat.  Clamshell is best, but bulky and inconvenient.  Sorting by color is second best to me.  The salt content can do a number on your hooks too, something to watch out for.

 

scott

[A-Jay]

A-Jay

[TLHSS]

I'm a minimalist as well.  I store all my tackle in Meiho boxes.  One for soft plastics ... one for hard lures ... one for terminal tackle.  

 

 

[MediumMouthBass]

I buy the pre made Strike King Rage Plastics and Rage Swimmer 42 piece kits.

(Keitechs will work the same if proper steps are taken)

Both come right off the shelf in 3600 sized tackle trays, i bought around 7-10 of them last year on sale and a few have been used but most remain in storage. So far none have melted, none have lost their shape (including the paddle tails i have mixed in with other stuff).

I take the trays, and ill put a few Rage Swimmers, Ocho, Rage Bug, Rage Craw, Caffeine Shad, (all the same color of course) and even a few cut up/in half Rage soft plastics i pre cut for jig trailers, and put them in 1 slot. They are all same maker, color, and coffee scent. Saves alot of space and i dont have to bring 30 soft plastic bags with me on the kayak.

But these trays dont have slots that are customizable for size, they are closed off from section to section. A normal tray with the slots in it on a hot day and the colors can mix. Just a tip.

And dont over stuff the tray, or you may have some losing their shape.

[GetFishorDieTryin]

Theyre a real salty bait , a decent jighead wont be affected too much, but it can corrode other baits you have that in the same section of the box.  

Bleeding is an issue, depending on the colors.  Lighter colors, Elec shad, ghost rainbow, sexy shad are more susceptible to it.  As long as you store with them with like colors and opacity, within reason you won't see too much distortion. 

The suppleness of the plastic makes them resistant to kinks and bends, but not invulnerable.  When you carry a bag all day it makes it easier for that bait to settle in the bottom or top of a section.  IME the only part that really is affected is the paddle tail itself, it may take a little crease, but I dont think its a big loss.  

If you're really worried about keeping the bait straight, you can cut the clamshell up so that the baits are singles and still protected, kind of like kraft singles.  Although they still will take up more space than an unprotected bait, the amount of dead space is vastly reduced.