How do you choose what to get rid of.

[lookin4lunkers]

OK guys here is my delima, everytime I walk through a bait store or fishing isle at wal-mart I see something that looks good to me so I buy one ( mainly plastics ). So now my tackle bag weights between 50 and 75 pounds. Its hard to fish when your back has been thrown out from carrying this bag. I know I need to get rid of some things but how do I choose without feeling like if I had only had one of those worms I threw away. My wife makes fun of me when I have to switch hands before I get to the truck with it.  Thank for any Ideas Lookin for Lunkers.

[dodgeguy]

don't feel bad!!!i have a cabelas denny brauer super magnum that weighs 80 lbs.!!!seriously though,i sometimes have to cull my plastics also.i just get rid of the stuff i never ever use and don't have any confidence in.the only problem is the bag still weighs the same because i replace it with something else!!!

[bigbill]

I have had the same problem too but i handle it a different way I rotate my baits often.  I take out the older stuff and put it in a box marked "USED" so i can go back to it when i want to use them again or give some out to my sons to use too.  I also do it with older crankbaits too, maily because the old stuff still works so why sideline them?  Of course I have taken up some room now with everything but we can never have too much fishing stuff can we?                                 BigBill

I'm very Frugal and i can't pass up a sale on fishing stuff.

[Rattlinrogue]

I have a bag for baits that I have no confidence in.The baits that I have had success with go in my tacklebox.Trouble is,it's still like a suitcase.

[Rebbasser]

The bass fisherman's dilemma. I finally had to buy a boat to hold all my tackle, and it still isn't big enough ;D.

When I get to that point, usually with soft plastics, I determine what I will or will not use and remove those I Will not use. I put them in a plastic box on the shelf in the garage and occasionally end up rotating baits when I go through the boat again.

[mullman]

I've started to give my 5-year old the baits that I never use.  He's got his own tackle box now and everytime I buy a new bait he gets one more of my old ones.  It's a lot of fun to watch his eyes light up with a new bait that he can use with his Scooby Doo rod.

[scbassin]

The very best way to choose is, if is broken & can't be repaired & there is nothing that can be used. Then put it in a save in case bag. When you have so much tackle it don't all fit in the boat, get a bigger boat. I called Ranger Boats & asked them when they were going to build a forty foot bass boat so I could store my tackle. They are getting right on it.

[abelfisher]

You could always do what i DID.   In my garage I have a wall of pegboard where I hang my tools.  I got to the point also where I was starting to collect a lot of fishing stuff, so I hung 2 more sheet of pegboard so I can see all the extra stuff I have; in case I decide to go back to it.  If it is out of sight of me, I forget what I have.  Anyway, it looks cool in my garage and makes people think I know what the hell I am doing when it comes to fishin'   ;D ;D ;D  Boy can I fool 'em! ;D

[Rebbasser]

Good idea Abelfisher.  Thanks!

[Marty]

As I have aged, my tackle-buying is way down. However, I still take too much stuff out with me, but I just can't bring myself to pare down. It's a real problem when shore fishing, as I'm walking around with two shoulder bags. Maybe one of these days.  :-[

[roadwarrior]

I like the pegboard idea, but for the most part I give away most of the stuff that doesn't work for me. I keep everything in Plano and Shimano plastic boxes and only pack what I'm planning to use on a given day.

Here's a suggestion for Marty and other bank fishermen. I carry a Plano plastic box that is about 8X12. Cabelas has a Safari Vest with pockets for everything and a pouch in the back. The box fits perfectly in the pouch so I don't carry anything but my rod. Works for me.

[Phishn_Phool]

That's a great idea Abel, but my shed only has 4 walls. and I have 9 tackle boxes.  I wish I knew something about ebay, I was looking at some of the stuff I moved down here and know I will never use it.  I have like 10 wooden Hellbenders still in the boxes.  Are lures from the 1960 to 1975 worth anything.  I still had a pack of Mann's (Grape) Jelly Worms unopened  LOL ;D

[Nick_Barr]

I would start an auction for all those baits, i did and it went pretty well.

[Shad_Master]

My local club has a "Sportsman's Flea Market" every year as a way to raise money for the club.  We sell tables to vendors and have several tables for the club.  People bring their takle and equipment and put it on the table for sale and the club collects gate money from the public for comming in to browze around.  Some of our regular vendors are small mom & pop bait shops and some are specialty vendors (one guy ties bucktails for Northerns) but a lot of them are either other clubs or just guys who have a ton of stuff they want to get rid of.

[bassin4life]

I would open my own tackle shop after awhile ....lol ;D

[Guest the_mud_man]

I was starting to get out of hand myself,and just had a major purge of stuff I dont use so therfore I dont need. Im not sying what Im left with is the expert opinion what everyone needs but I decided since I love to fish and fishing is a pastime to relax I decided to KEEP IT SIMPLE.

 Im down to 2 6'6" med action rods (Spinning) one for plastics one for hard baits. My plastics consist of worm from 2 to 10 inches. My hard baits are all wood(my favorites) and go from top water to divers.Sticks,cranks and topwaters to be exact. I also have a UL setup for panfish.  Its a lot easier carrying what I have confidence and use,and now my tackle bag weighs less than my trolling motor battery.

[bassackwards]

I carry a Plano plastic box that is about 8X12. Cabelas has a Safari Vest with pockets for everything and a pouch in the back. The box fits perfectly in the pouch so I don't carry anything but my rod. Works for me.

good piece of info for bank fisherman like myself.

my box has gotten quite heavy, and this is a great topic. I have started to carry an extra tube/worm in my pocket and walk around, but I've been thinkin about puttin everything in a plastic box and loadin' it all into a bookbag.

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btw, why don't u all just mail me the bait u don't use?  I'm poor and need money...   :-/

[Danarchy]

Maybe you should try what I did. Last summer, I too was noticing that I wasn't the only one putting on a little weight. My plano pal was getting a bit hefty as well. I ended up having more sacks of plastic that I never used than baits that I had confidence in. What I did was grabbed an assortment of never opened, wierd looking baits (like bubble-gum pink floating trick worms and some strange zipper like worms from a garage sale) and headed for the river. I hit my favorite spot, a place where I knew the fish were, and started fishing these new baits. It took a little adjusting, but eventually I caught fish on just about all of the baits I brought with. One of which has now become a favorite of mine for chasing river smallmouth, that being a plain black power worm. In order for this to work though, you have to leave those "silver bullets" at home and grab a round of "blanks" and make 'em fire!

Oh, yeah... If you have action tailed worms or grubs that you've never got around to using, (ribbon tailed, twister tailed, forked, paddle, etc.) try sticking them on jigs or spinnerbaits as trailers. They especially seem effective if the color doesn't match the skirt. With grubs or shadtailed swim baits or even worms, you can easily snip off the front half of the bait to fit the hook perfectly, and then to further the use of these otherwise unused baits, you can keep the parts you cut off and use them for finesse situations or even for panfish. I remember a time when I as on a school of crappies. I was cutting off two inch pieces of old used power worms and threading them on a plain aberdeen hook. This kept me busy for over an hour!

[Marty]

Thanks for the suggestion RW, but I don't know. I have a box of hard baits--cranks and topwaters. Another for soft jerkbaits, with one compartment reserved for a triple-wing buzzbait. Also a box for Senkos and other worms and another box for tubes and jigs.

I use all of these lures and am at a loss figuring out how to carry less.

[roadwarrior]

Marty, It won't work for you. Like a lot of guys I have a lot of equipment and I try to use it in kind of a rotation. For example, Sunday I wanted to use my Calais set up which I use basically for Rat-L Traps, Spinnerbaits and medium topwater lures. So, for this particular morning outing, all I took was a Sammy and a spinner, no box.

Right now my box is packed with Senkos, Fat Ika, Kut-Tails and Slug-Gos, plus one half section for hooks and the other half section with weights (which I only use with the Kut-Tails). On another day I might carry Gitzits and lizards, but I always have a plan and stick with it. This way I get to use different equipment and force myself to use different lures or soft plastics. Otherwise I might be one of those guys that drives earthworm77 crazy: I might use Senkos and Fat Ika only!

[dhaynes]

That question is easy. Don't throw nothin away. Take fishing the bait type you want to use. If thats all you have then thats all you can use it will force you to give a bait  a fare shake before canning it. The next time you go try something else. Most all plastic will catch fish at one time or another. But never throw it a way. Put it in a box or somthing if you do not want to cary it. Try to limit the color selection you buy. Stick with a few dark, med and light colors and maybe a couple real bright colors for those days you are one some muddy water.

[Phishn_Phool]

Bassin4life....good suggestio9n...but if I opened my tackle shop. how could I fish everyda??  LOL

[bassin4life]

Well you could retire early and go all the time.....lol ;D

[abelfisher]

Are lures from the 1960 to 1975 worth anything. I still had a pack of Mann's (Grape) Jelly Worms unopened LOL ;D

Phisn Phool, I would not get rid of those old lures.  I am sure they ARE worth something.  I ahve  always been intrigued by old lures.  I wish I would have kept some of my old lures. Frankly, I don't know where to go to find the value of old lures.  If nothing else, display them! ;D

[abelfisher]

If nothing else, display them! ;D

OR send them tome and I'll display them! ;D ;D