BEING ORGANIZED ON THE WATER
Having organized fishing equipment is often not high on an angler’s priority list, and for some, it comes second to finding and locating fish. After years of tackle mismanagement, I can tell you a clean tackle system will help your focus and efficiency on the water, and can save you some big bucks in the long run. After travelling all over North America the last couple of years and fishing both bass and walleye tournaments in North America, I’ve really felt the need to simplify my tackle and organize it in a clean and efficient manner. I’ll share a couple of things I’ve learned over the years that may be able to help you out whether you’re fishing competitive events or from the bank.
RUST IS A VERY BAD THING!
Rust is the #1 threat to hard baits and jigs, and can wreak havoc on your tackle collection. Rust prevention and water sealed tackle boxes can prolong lure-life a little but are far from perfect systems. The best solution I have come across uses three different methods to keep rust out of your life and maintain your lure finishes while being as organized as possible.
- Foam filled boxes. These are growing in popularity the last few years, and it’s for good reason. The foam boxes (I use Rapala RapStack) allow you to organize your jigs and hooks and keep them from being settled in the bottom of a tackle tray, keeping them high and dry from condensation. Even when inevitable moisture enters the trays, the foam will absorb it before it can affect steel hooks. I will usually make boxes out of jigs and hooks in sizes and styles I know I’ll be reaching for throughout the season. You save time by not having to root through bags and boxes, and when you grab your go-to selection you don’t have to worry about paint chips or other wear from banging around in a traditional tackle tray.
CONTROLLING YOUR SOFT PLASTIC
One element that is often overlooked in any tackle tray is the salt content of soft plastics. So many times, anglers will cut off a jig and plastic and fire it right back into the tackle tray. The salty plastic acts like a moisture absorbing sponge and will affect its host hook and any other hooks in the vicinity. If you’re trying to save some money by saving a soft plastic either keep it out in the open or ask yourself if it’s worth rusting you’re jig and the rest of the tackle box for.
- Rubber-band your hard baits. I saw this tip probably 12 years ago from tournament legend Alex Keszler, and it still holds true as one of the most effective means of storing and organizing your hard baits. You simply wrap a rubber band around your treble hooks and lure bill, if applicable, and throw it in a tackle box. You can easily pull your selected lure out without playing the crank bait maraca that we have all done in the past.
TACKLE TRAYS
I like the deep RapStack trays for my banded hard baits; I can really load them in there, and with the band system I don’t have to worry about a cranksplosion. The more hard baits you can fit in a box, the better off your paint and finish will be. If you only put a few hard baits in a tackle box, you’re giving them the ability to move around and gain momentum to smash into each other. Keep the space to a minimum and they’ll be looking pretty for years.
I put Silica beads in all my hard bait boxes. I’ve never actually purchased any, I just make it a point to collect them from clothing purchases or other shipping packages. These absorb any moisture that enters the tray and take the bullet, so your hooks don’t have to.
- For jigs, hooks, and other terminal tackle that I need to haul around, but probably won’t be reaching for daily, I’ll use a bag and box system. I empty everything in to thick (4 mil) plastic baggies, label them with a sharpie, and organize them in the RapStack 3650 deep tray. This has been a proven system for me, and I’ve hauled around tackle for years and years that has maintained it’s finish and integrity; even though some of these items I’m never likely to use again.
Now I realize maintaining and organizing fishing tackle isn’t the most riveting topic, but if you can take something away from this, you should save some money, and more importantly, enjoy your time a little more on the water.