Soft plastic woes

[huntinfool]

I have been very fortunate that I have picked up several bags of soft plastics over the years. The problem is I have no way to keep them all and keep the organized. How do you keep your soft plastics? I have a large worm bag that has these zip top bags in it with a binder rings in it. It is overflowing and some days I can barely close the zipper. I just have too many and don't want to have to split them into several different bags. (I have too much tackle as it is and always bring too much to fish with, but I always have what I need) I have tried to go through it and slim it down a bit, but I just can't seem to get it down enough. There are days when I may have three of us in my boat and if we are all throwing the same bait then we go through them pretty fast sometimes. So some baits I may have 2-3 bags of them and still might run out. (did I mention that I have a lot of tackle?) Lets see what you have and how you store it.
Not only do I have a bunch of soft plastics I have a bunch of other baits too. When I worked at Bass Pro I struck a deal with the manager that all the opened baits that they lost the packages to I would buy for $1 each. But I had to buy everything in the box. I gave away more baits that I care to admit and I have way more baits than most. I might have 75 rattletraps, probably over 100 crankbaits, and who knows what else.

HELP!!!

 

[dyeguy1212]

a binder seems to be the way to go.. I just need to find a bigger one. I thought about buying 5 or 6 smaller ones and dividing them by the type, considering I have 100's of craws that never get used, 100's or horny toads, 100's of power worms, etc.


I have some of them in a regular plastic 370 box. My senko kit and flippin kit both came in them, and the baits have yet to dry out or anything. Part of me wants to put all my soft plastics in 370 boxes, but I'm worried they will dry over the years. Plus the salt chunks that YUM puts in there makes it a pain. They need to make tackle boxes with a rubber seal around the edges (edit: Plano has waterproof boxes that would probably get the job done).

So I find myself going back to the binders. I try to keep everything in the original packaging too, so when I run out I know exactly what to reorder.

 

[jkbirocz]

I will tell you how I keep my tackle, but you won't wanna do it my way :twisted: I have the same problem as you, I never want to leave anything at home. I have a big backpack that I keep 2-4 plano boxes and 2 or 3 gallon sized zip-locs. I use the plano boxes for my hardbaits then fill the zip-locs with bags of soft plastics. I cram them full, there can be anywhere from 10-40 bags of baits. I like to keep the soft baits in the original bags to keep the colors from bleeding and to keep the scent on the baits. It's not the most practical or organized, but I typically have everything I may want to try on a given day. With that being said my bag rarely weighs less than 30lbs. I have tried the worm binders, they just don't hold enough stuff for me. With the zip-locs you can keep baits together for different lakes/rivers and just grab different bags when you are fishing different places, or just throw them all in :lol:

 

[huntinfool]

My worm binder alone weighs about 12-15lbs and my big tackle bag probably weighs 30-40lbs. (maybe more as it is usually a struggle to lift it one handed into the boat) This is the third big tackle bag I have owned, as the weight eventually breaks the stitching or the straps on the bag and then it is ruined.

I'm at the point now that I have to take a Walmart bag with soft baits in it because of the overflow. I have always been leery of putting soft plastics in plastic box's as I have had then melt the plastic in the past. But I think that problem is a thing of the past. Maybe I should just buy another big bag with plastic boxes and put all the plastics in there. I really only have two main soft plastic baits that I catch the majority of my fish on, but sometimes I have to go to something else and that is why I always want to have it all with me.

 

[angry Bob]

I have a bunch of the smaller worm binders that I have labled with their contents, and I keep them in a cooler in the boat to keep them dry if it rains. The over flow stuff I have stays in a large storage bin back at the crib.

 

[huntinfool]

Angry Bob, I like the idea of what your doing, but with space at a premium I might just have to ditch the cooler.

 

[Jim]

I have the same problem as you, I never want to leave anything at home.

Why do we all do this? :LOL2:

Im going to score some binders to "consolidate" hundreds of open bags.

 

[rusty.hook]

As I am in the process of building my boat, yall gave my an idea I might have to use. Just add a rod box on the left side if you have room, for all your lures, etc. You could put all the lures, worms, frogs, etc. in the plastic boxes with the hinged lids on them with contents marked on the edge and stand them up so you could see the contents. No need for tackle boxes taking up space in the boat unless you wanted to go with someone else, if then, just remove what you need. It would also add some sitting space if needed, and also a place to add a couple of rod holders on top also if wanted, all sorts of possibilities, see drawing below.

 

[BaitCaster]

I keep my "go to" plastics in my main tackle box along with terminal tackle and other "go to" baits. I have two Plano bins that I keep the rest of my plstics in, in the bags they came in.

 

[rsmit13]

I got tired of having to carry several binders of worms ,so i started taking 5 to 10 worms out of every pak and putting them in a ziplock bag, i add a little veg oil to keep them from sticking together. It works great, You can easily see which one you want and its all in one bag that you can roll up and stick in your tackle box.

 

[Brine]

I just bought a bigger boat :mrgreen:

 

[redbug]

I have way more baits than most. I might have 75 rattletraps, probably over 100 crankbaits, and who knows what else.

HELP!!!

thats it???? i have 35 crank baits in one color and have over 100 colors and stlyles...
I would also go with the smaller binders

 

[freetofish]

For what its worth here is my simple solution to the "to much tackle " and how to store it.
Once every Jan. I go through all my stuff, sharpen some hooks and make a large pile of the excess items espically the plastics. I then find a boy scout troup, neighborhood kid or friend that I know would like to have some stuff and I give it to them... Also some smaller Bass clubs will take your extra's and give them to those in need of lures and can't afford them...like a childrens home or city park and recreation Dept. that offers kids "learn to fish" days. My amount of "stuff" in the boat is more easly handled and I know I have made somebody happy. And you know, I never seem to run out of things I need while I am on the water fishing...It works for me.
peace
ron

 

[rusty.hook]

I downsized all my plastic and hard baits down to about 10 of these plastic containers, size: 2" high X 14" wide X 9" deep. I built a special compartment in my boat for these baits and they are out of the sun all the time. That's all I need, since most of the time I only use 10 to 12 different lures and colors in one day fishing. Before I leave the house, I put these 10 or 12 lures and a couple of gold and silver spoons on the front deck out of the way on one side for instant changing.

 

[wasilvers]

I use a bag like angrybob's, I just take a bag or two of each and leave the rest at home (or in the car). The boxes really take up tooo much room. I just organize my bag like this
Dark to light colors startin with Stickbaits, then worms. The back of the bag is the stuff that doesn't really work, but looks like it shoud. It all fits tightly in there and I can find a color pretty quick.

This year though, I'm trying out the GetFive worms!

 

[Majorpede]

Wow!!!! You guys have a lot of stuff. Just for S&G's. I keep all my Plastic's in there original package's, and keep all those in plastic 1 gallon Country Charm ice cream thingy s. They have handles, and the lids make them stack able. I have one full of worms and lizards. One with Flukes, and jig trailers. All my hard baits are in BPS 360 box's. My middle son just had his 7th birthday yesterday, cake and Ice cream for everyone yeah!!! LOL

 

[FishingBuds]

I fish lot of the same spots and know the colors that work well per season that comes, so this is what helps me to keep it small and organized.

Now throw me at a new area and I'd may not be as prepared