Sun tackle damage

[10,000 lakes Bassin]

When I’m fishing in my kayak there’s not really a good way to keep my Plano boxes out of the sun. Will my tackle get damaged from being in the sun during a long day on the water?

[MN Fisher]

Most of it is just gonna get warm to the touch...I'd put your plastics at the bottom of the pile, or someplace that can get some shade through. Line (other than braid) should also stay out of the sun if you bring some for leaders or on-the-water re-spools.

[ironbjorn]

A lot of this is like the myth the beer that goes cold to warm "skunks." It's not true, and if it was true then your beer would always be useless before it was sold to you. Your lures can get warm from a day on the water. Plastics can be more finicky. They're more likely to take a shape than be ruined. Be smart. The most important thing is to not store things in the heat or the sun for long periods. Normal use won't do a thing. If you have lures bring ruined on the water because you're just...on the water...don't buy them again because they're useless garbage.

[Pat Brown]

I like to take darker color frogs and leave them on my dashboard for custom colors (not in the summer!) 🌞 🌞 🌞  

 

In general a day of fishing - you're moving around and if you target shade some throughout the day, probably not gonna hurt your baits much.

[Reel]

I've had some bad experience with crankbaits from a particular company.  They imploded when left out in the sun in the boat.  The sides caved in.  Put a towel or something else over bait box when it's hot.

[BayouSlide]

1 hour ago, Reel said:

I've had some bad experience with crankbaits from a particular company.  They imploded when left out in the sun in the boat.  The sides caved in.  Put a towel or something else over bait box when it's hot.

 

I have had similar experiences with flat sided crankbaits from a company with the initials S_ K_.

[Bird]

It's as simple as this.

A Plano box laying flat on a boat deck in direct sunlight can deform soft plastics and other baits.

 

Storing them vertically in a tackle bag, no problem.

 

[MediumMouthBass]

Ill leave my plano boxes under my kayak seat, or in a bag if im on the boat.

But theres really no need unless fishing 100 degree days all the time. From summer through winter even ill leave bags of soft plastics and Planos full of lures in the car. That stuff gets hotter than any day in the sun could get it, and then frozen like its in a freezer in the colder months. No soft plastics melted and no hardbaits deformed.

Even the 6th sense stuff i left in the car during the summer is still good. And that itself is just wild.

 

Theres more of a concern for line being damaged while in the heat/sun than lures.

And the kayak warping slightly. But they are designed to handle that.

 

[GetFishorDieTryin]

Temp can be a problem with soft plastics when a plastic warms up and cools, setting in a kinked position.  Really the damage from the sun is UV.  Thats what melts elaztech and 10x tough formulas and causes discoloration.  If you fish a yak often and leave the boxes in the open than upgrading to slightly heavier duty boxes that resist UV deformation to boxes and baits inside may be worth the upgrade.  They arent clear which is a drawback but that's by design to keep some of the UV out. 

[txchaser]

Covering the boxes with just about anything will make a huge difference as well as storing on end helps some too.  

Crankbaits probably more sensitive to it that soft plastics unless they are elaztech.

[FishTank]

I would put them in a dry bag. You can find them cheap on Amazon. They are great for a ton of stuff.

[gim]

Zman elaztech is notorious for melting into a pile of goo if they are exposed to direct sunlight or heat for too long.

[Bankc]

Get something to shade them.  I keep mine in a tackle bag on my kayak, and leave the cover flap over them. 

 

The sun's UV rays are powerful and will break down just about anything given enough time.  And some plastics don't react well to heat.  Whether or not you actually experience any problems will depend.  For the most part, I wouldn't worry too much about it.  But figuring out some kind of shade, even if it's just a towel, shouldn't be too hard, if only for peace of mind. 

 

Or don't worry about until you actually run into a problem.  Then you'll know.  Either way, it's not like you run the risk of the sun destroying all of your lures in a day. 

[Phishtank]

Take my advice and keep your Plano Edge boxes out of the sun.  The sun bloated about 20 lipless cranks of mine. 

[10,000 lakes Bassin]

On 5/23/2024 at 7:56 PM, Phishtank said:

Take my advice and keep your Plano Edge boxes out of the sun.  The sun bloated about 20 lipless cranks of mine. 

How long were they in the sun?

[Phishtank]

probably 4-5 hours.   

[10,000 lakes Bassin]

9 hours ago, Phishtank said:

probably 4-5 hours.   

Thanks for the warning 

[TOXIC]

I never have my boxes in the direct sun no matter if I’m on my boat or someone else’s.  I have had crankbaits paint “crackle” due to heat while in my lockers.  If you want to be picky enough, I have seen them replaced free by the makers.  I haven’t seen a difference in the catch rates. If they split open, that’s a whole different issue.  

[FishTax]

I keep my boxes in a tackle bag. Things get hot, but I think more likely to be damaged leaving them in hot truck than on my kayak while fishing. Moving around, in and out of shade, etc.. I've had a few things melt but usually only when exposed for an extended amount of time. 

[pdxfisher]

On 6/1/2024 at 10:05 AM, FishTax said:

I keep my boxes in a tackle bag. Things get hot, but I think more likely to be damaged leaving them in hot truck than on my kayak while fishing. Moving around, in and out of shade, etc.. I've had a few things melt but usually only when exposed for an extended amount of time. 

Same here. I have a tackle bag that holds all my boxes of lures. Never had an issue.