Tackle Bags

[walleye.50megs.com]

i fish out of 1800 Lund Fisherman and i feel that my tackle bags and accesories take up a ton of space and really cause me to lose room in my boat, anyone have any suggestions for space improvement, such as certain tackle bags ect.? any advice would be appreciated.

[perchjerker]

I was thinking about installing some of those tackle drawers in handy locations.

[walleye.50megs.com]

ive thought of that but i have no place to put them

[Atomic Eye]

I'd look first what I'm taking out that I didn't need for that days' fishing. Maybe it's garage sale time to reduce some of the tackle? Maybe getting some of those vertical rod tube holders that will hold 8+ rods vertically plus a trolling rod holder in it? If you can't go sideways or down, there's only one direction left - up.

I just got 2 inexpensive (OK, cheap) box holders (made by Keter) at WalMart with 4 lure boxes in each for <$10, and they look like they'll take up the least amount of space possible because there's no "sloppy," wasted space. The lure boxes have adjustable dividers so you can arrange a lot of different size tackle, e.g., crankbaits, in them. I think they can be stacked too in a somewhat firm way if you place a 1/4" dowel through some holes on the top to lock them together. They'll also fasten to to a screw on the side of the interior of the boat.

Another option is a bigger boat. Good luck.

Atomic Eye -- "Gone Fission!"

[walleye.50megs.com]

Thanks, The new boat is coming next year lund prov limited 2025

[JBL]

I have the same boat, my solution this year was to buy two tackle bags that hold the 3700 plastic boxes. Depending on what we are fishing for that day, (yes, there are fish other than Walleye, ha!) I select 14 and leave the rest at home. Cabelas has a Gary Roach Magnum bag on sale for 44.95. it comes with 6 large, and 1 smaller plastic box that fits in the front pouch. You can easily pack a 7th large box on top, plus large open pouches on each side. The boxes alone would cost you $30 and the bag is water repellant and the bottom waterproof. This also makes it easy to unload all your tackle if you can't leave it on the boat.

link to the tackle bag:

http://www.cabelas.com/cabelas/en/templates/product/horizontal-item.jhtml?id=0002168014416a&navAction=jump&navCount=2&indexId=cat20327&podId=0002168&catalogCode=IC&parentId=cat20327&parentType=index&_DARGS=%2Fcabelas%2Fen%2Fcommon%2Fcatalog%2Fitem-link.jhtml.2_A&_DAV=0002168014416a

[REW]

The solution is to do some serious soul searching.

Actually take out a piece of paper and pencil, and physically write down on a piece of paper - every single item, that you used in your last 5 fishing trips.

Include on this list - every rod, reel, line, hook, sinker, blade, lure, keeper, swivel, and jig.

I am fearful that the results might suprise you.

++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++ ++++++
I was in the same situation a couple of years ago - and did exactly what I just suggested to you.

The results were - that for each of the planned days outing of fishing - I know fish with the contents of a single 3700 syle plano box.

This is slightly different - if I am fishing on water, that I haven't fished before, and I haven't patterend the fish.

I have also cut down considerably on the number of rods. If I am going out for a 1/2 day of fishing, I normally limit myself to only three rods. If I am out for a full day, I might go to 4 or 6 rods.

Again, after serious soul searching - I found that about 99% of everyting that I carried in my tackle was sitting unused at the end of the trip.

I realize - that you don't always know that you are going to be fishing for, you don't necessarily know how deep you are going to be fishing, you don't necessarily know - what the exact pattern will be for the day. But if you use reasonable judgement - and a serious wish - to not "bring" I suspect that you can eliminate at least 50-70% of your tackle.

Make the decison on what to fish for, where to fish, and how to fish - BEFORE you hit the water - and use that decison to pack your boat.

The end result, will make you a more effective user of the tackle that you do use and you generally will have greater success, because you will be keeping a bait in the water, rather than always switching.

I have seen so many folks over the years - who bring bags and bags of tackle - that do poorly fishing - simply because - they don't commit to a "in the water with the bait" theory. i.e. they spend 50% of their productive fishing time, and on the water time - fixing and fussing with tackle, and rods, when they could be much more productive, if they simply kepy "any" bait in the water.

As the wise one said many many years ago -
Keep It Simple

Take care

REW

[TBO/MN]

I agree with Roger, plan, plan, and when you are finished planning, reevaluate what you need. I fish out of a 1660 Pro V. Not much room for stuff on the floor. I use a file crate (like a milk crate) and put the 3700 Plano boxes in that I take out of the big Tackle Logic bag that I use for all of my tackle. That way I can take only the boxes that I know I will use on the water. I also have some small boxes that I leave in the boat, stuff for making rigs, and one small box with just jigs. If you really think about it, jigs and rigs pretty much cover about 75% if the gear for walleye fishing. My wife tells me that if I put anything more in the boat, we will have to pull a trailer.;)

I tell her, I need a bigger boat.... :7

Good Fishin'
TBO/MN

[Grey Wolf]

Hey JBL, is that bag much different than the Cabelas bag? Does it have a plastic bottom or is it the material bottom?

[JBL]

I would describe it as a molded, hard plastic bottom.

After reading some other good postings- I admit to hauling around an excessive amount of tackle. Fishing Erie all the time, I have accumulated a lot of crankbaits, 3 boxes just of Reefrunners, 2 boxes of hotntots, 2 boxes of spoons, etc. It seems like everytime we leave something at home, we wish we had it. When the situation calls for say, jointed Rapelas, they aren't doing me any good in my garage. The plastic boxes and soft bags are the best solution for me to consolidate tackle into a smaller, better organized, easily accessible space.

[Goose]

A show I watch once said, "if you have to much in your tackel box bring a piece of card board next time you go fishing. Every time you use a lure place/hook it on the piece of card board. At the end of the day throw everything left in your tackle away. The lures you kept are the ones that have before produced for you, and/or you have confidence in them. You don't have confidence in the ones you through away and would probably never use them in the future. As anglers we buy a lot of stuff that looked good at the time or sounded good but out on the lake they could not produce. SO get ride of the suff you are not confident in to produce."

Sounded a little drastic but if you think about it................



Goose

[RANGER]

I totally agree with the posts stating conservancy and I have done that to the best of my ability. However, we switch around quite a lot if Ol' Marbleyes is off the bite and, especially when we are in Canada. I'm saying - Smallies to Musky to Pan fish to Cats to...........??!! So, I have a few things that I do:

I use the Plano clear boxes and the bags for them. The difference I do is I velcro the boxes together that are all similar type lures. Bottom to bottom and/or top to bottom up to four boxes stacked. I buy the velcro male/female self adhesive tape at a fabric store like Minnesota Fabrics and cut and place as needed. Looks like a stacker arrangement and I write on the outside what is contained inside for quick reference. All the Reef Runners are together, all the Rapala's, all the Stinger Spoons, all the rubber tails and jig heads, etc., etc. Helps, too, when you loose equipment - A quick look at your stack and you can see what's missing. A cautionary note though - I drill a 3/16 ths hole in EACH compartment on both sides so condensation won't build up.

As for the harnesses, they are wrapped on to the big (2 1/2" dia.) "Tackle Buddies" two to a divider for 18 per tube. All the blades are kept inside the tubes and all the tubes (9 of them) are contained in a small duffel bag about the size of, but smaller than, a bowling ball bag.

Rods go in verticle rod holders mounted to the boat - up and off the floor and out of the way, most times! ;-)

Misc. stuff go into those plastic webbed baskets you can get at dollar stores for organizing kitchens or closets. Then they go into the dash or holds.

There is more but you get an idea!

This helps me and I hope it will help you.

[Hawgeye]

The methods suggested sound like a good idea since I too have a bit of the "accumulation" problem. However, when things are slow, I hate being there without that one presentation that I just KNOW would work so here is what I did.

I now have two tackle bags that fit under the floor of the deck. One tackle bag is smaller and has all of the snaps, stops for bobbers, bobbers, jigs, slip sinkers, finger fishing stuff and spinners. The other bag has the cranks, cranks and cranks with some snaps, mostly the bulky crankin type stuff. I only have 2 cranks of the most common best producers which I have picked my favorite color and size of each model. Rapala, Storm (old thundersticks) and reef runners. I leave a different tackle box of my duplicates in the truck box that I keep in the back of the Tahoe.

When cranking, that bag comes out and when finger fishing and jigging, that bag comes out. It seems to work just fine for me leaving much less stuff to stumble across in the boat.

[trinket]

sounds like a good idea but i would need a bunch of cardboard ;-)