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. Usually
one bag of each is sufficient (unless pre-fishing 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, ¼ 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...