How to Organize Your Tackle Box: Secrets to a Successful and Stress-Free Fishing Experience
For any fisherman, a tackle box is as important as a rod and a reel since it is simply something that they can't do without. After all, the number of lures, weights, hooks and other pieces of equipment can be as many as a hundred, so where are you going to store it all without a decent tackle box?
A good fisherman knows that while a tackle box is essential, a well-organized tackle box is even better.
Being able to access any piece of equipment you need quickly and knowing it will be in good condition are two of the secrets to a successful fishing trip.
Thus, this article is designed to give you all the helpful tips for you to know how to organize your tackle box properly.
How to Organize Your Tackle Box: The Essential Tips
Compartmentalize
The most important aspect of a well-organized tackle box is without a question using its compartments efficiently. A well-designed tackle box will have numerous little compartments and internal boxes that are securely closed to prevent any form of movement of the contents during transit.
Nevertheless, even if it is well supplied with compartments, don’t hesitate to pick up additional small boxes that you can add to the collection.
Once you have enough space, the next task is to start using it effectively, and that begins by separating your supplies. This means you need to have a designated area for the bait, one for the lures, another for the hooks, and so on.
Breakdown by Fish Type
If you have enough room in the tackle box, consider further breaking down the storage of lures and hooks into the different fish types. So, if you know you’re fishing for catfish and perch on the same trip, each type of fish will require a different rig and other equipment. Keep them separated, and you’ll be able to switch between set-ups out in the field quickly.
Label it Clearly
When you are organizing your tackle box, you are likely to be doing it at home. Perhaps with the radio playing in the background and a cold beer on hand as an assistant, it can seem nice and easy under those circumstances!
Always bear in mind though that you won't probably use the tackle box in quite the same circumstances. So while you can remember exactly where you put that specific lure when you’re cleaning out your kit at home, there would be time wherein when you’re searching through the box at the side of a river, you would forget where everything has been placed.
Avoid a panicked rummaging session by employing a labeling system that works. This could be handwritten notes, or it could be a color coordinated system. Choose whatever works best for you!
Keep it Up
One of the big secrets of a well-organized fishing tackle box is knowing that this is not a one-time effort. Instead, if you want to have a box that is neat and tidy, an ongoing effort is required.
So, yes, spend a leisurely Sunday laying out your kit and carefully putting it away into its individual and well-labeled compartments. But if you want to keep it that way, spend a little time during each fishing trip, especially at the end of the day, going through the gear and making sure it’s all put back where it should be.
Also, and we can all be guilty of this, just remember that you don’t have to keep an odd bit of kit or line in the tackle box. We’ve all opened our box to look for a lure only to find a tangle of an old line we’ve tucked away “just in case.”
Get out of that habit, and perform triage on your kit at the end of each trip. Discard damaged lures, throw away rusty or bent hooks, and don’t keep those random lengths of line.
Keep it Clean
Finally, this may not be an organizing tip in the strictest sense, but it’s one you should consider if you want a tackle box that’s easy to use. Just take a little time to clean everything up before you put it away.
For example, when you’re done with a hook, just take a little time to dry it off before you put it away. That will help keep rust at bay both on that hook and also amongst other stored equipment.
Also, take the time to wipe any fish blood or grime from any lures or weights that are going back into the box. That will help keep all your kit clean, and stop the tackle box from starting to smell.
FINAL THOUGHTS
That is basically it! All nice and simple.
Each person will surely have a slightly different way of keeping their tackle boxes organized, and the methods they employ are generally developed over a period of time. Just use these tips as a basis while you establish your own styles and techniques.
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