“ RIGHT SIZE” YOUR TACKLE
by Jeff Morton
It seems
like everyday you hear about another company that is down sizing
or “right
sizing.” While “right sizing” isn’t a good thing to hear (especially
if it directly affects you) it can be a good thing to do when it
comes to reducing the amount of fishing tackle you take.
While today’s bass boats are basically designed to be fishing piers with
storage that go
really fast, “right sizing” your tackle selection lightens your boat (or
tackle box) and may help you focus on your confidence baits.
If you stop
and think about
what you typically use during a day of fishing, I am sure you can count
the baits you use most often on one hand – your confidence baits. Now think of
all the other baits you bring along that never see your fishing line. Those
are the ones
you should leave in your vehicle or even at home.
For instance, I know that
there are three colors I use consistently – white, black, and
green pumpkin, so that’s what I carry. Within each of those colors I have
specific baits
for each color (i.e. white Gambler Jump n shad, 7” black worm, 4” Gambler
Guido’s
Original in green pumpkin, etc.). Usually one bag of each is sufficient (unless
prefishing shows otherwise).
Each color has its own shoebox-sized plastic
box (with a few holes drilled in the bottom for drainage). Each box
will hold 15
bags of soft plastics, which should be more than
adequate – even if you bring more than one bag of a specific bait. These
boxes come with lids (handy for leaving in the truck) and cost around $1.00
each at
your local discount store. For color variety I carry bottles of plastic dyes
in chartreuse, blue, orange and red, which allow me to customize baits without
bringing a tackle store full of specific combinations.
I have my hard baits
in the 3700 series sized boxes, categorized by type (i.e. shallow
diving cranks,
topwaters, 1/4 ounce spinnerbaits, etc.) I limit myself to no more
than four of these boxes in the boat for the day. Other boxes remain
in my truck, which
I can get if I need.
Its amazing how much more room you have
when you “right size!” With this
approach the rear port-side hatch on my Ranger 518DVX is completely empty
and waiting
for my partner
or co-angler’s gear. I also have room for other necessities, such as raingear,
life vests, first aid kits, etc.
So, if you’re beginning to fight off cabin fever, now is a great time to “right
size” your tackle. It will give you something to do between watching fishing
shows on TV, going to fishing/boating shows in your area or actually getting
to that list of “honey
do’s” your wife has left on the refrigerator...
Jeff
Morton
Any fishing or vehicle questions? Drop me
a line… jeffmorton@gofishmidwest.com.
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