Down sizing tackle storage

[bassin butch]

When I started bass fishing my tackle boxes were huge. I have continued to reduced my tackle storage every year. Currently I use several small soft sided worm wraps for the plastics. For hard baits I now have changed to the new Shimano utility boxes that feature foam to pin the lures in place. My hooks are stored in E-hook it holders and placed neatly in a utility box. With tackle storage I like to maximize space. Have you guys also focused on shrinking takle storage containers? If so can you share some of your tips with the us?
Thanks
Butch

[Eric]

Tackle storage has always been one of my biggest downfalls. I try my hardest to keep everything nice and neat, clearly marked and easily accessable only to find that 2 days of fishing wrecks evey storage box in my Skeeter! I have made some improvements over this past year that I think everyone will find very helpfull. Here are a few examples of how I cleaned up my act;

1. Riveting Plano boxes together that contain the same style baits and putting handles on them. ( saves time and helps keep things in order )
2. Using inexspensive CD wallets to store hooks. ( keeps hooks in order of size and style )
3. Keeping specialty items only used in a few situations out of my main tackle storage compartments. ( this helps keep down on clutter in the high traffic storage areas )
4. Homework! If I know what I will be fishing during a tournament in the means of cover, depth and water clarity I will select the baits I have confidence will produce and keep them at hand, moving unseasonable baits out of the way and into storage where they will not be in the way. ( this obviously cannot be done without pre fishing .)

I try and keep it simple. If in practice I find the baitfish in the area I will concentrate on are small and smaller crankbaits and spinnerbaits have been more productive I will them readily accessable. If I'm catching them good on 1/4 and 3/8oz. baits there 's no reason to have to go through 3/4 and 1oz. spinnerbaits thatv are in the way. I try and keep everything right there that I will be using, this also helps with time managment. You cant be fishing if you are digging through tackle storage right?

I hope some of the tips here will be helpfull to anyone who is a " slob " while fishing.

[MMT]

Butch, great question. I have systematically scaled down my tackle to meet my strengths as far as fishing techniques are concerned. Long ago I had the Double Possum belly 747 jumbo box. That was when the baits I was buying caught me and little else. These days, I've scaled down my gear to a bare minimum. Here is how I do it. I have a small Shimano bag I bought in Walmart for 20.00. It came with 4 shimano boxes that fit inside. This is what I carry in the bag. 1 Tackle Logic Wrap full of Jigs, 1 T. Logic wrap with Spinnerbaits and a few buzzbaits. 1 T. Logic Wrap full of 3.5" thick walled tubes and 1 T. Logic Wrap full of Fat Ikas, Senkos and Yammie craws. I carry two plastic Shimano boxes, one full of hooks, weights and glass beads. The other with a minimal supply of topwaters and crankbaits. That is my go anywhere set up. I also have a tiny duffle bag 6" wide by 12" long filled with handpours and soft plastics. I just put together a Shimano box for drop shotting and a spare T. Logic Wrap for misc. stuff. There are some tubes and jig trailers in the pockets of the tackle bag itself as well. I try to keep everything neat. When I wade or walk, I keep things to a bare minimum. I alsotake certain things out of my arsenal depending on season. I'm not carrying hair jigs in August. My tournament partner is the opposite. He leaves about 3lbs of plastic in my boat after every trip. At our club awards dinner, I bagged up everything he left over a season and gave it away as a doorprize. The winner called me and told me there were over ten bags of senkos that were intact in the package. There had to be ten pounds of baits there. What started off as a gag turned out to be one of the best door prizes.