Do we all carry too much tackle for too many techniques 2024
cgolf reply :
Just reread an old article from Mark Hicks 'Are you versatile or plum confused' where G man talks fishing smart and not having baits that serve the same purpose on deck at the same time.
Now that I am going to be adding swimbaits and topwaters to my box, this got me too thinking are we loading up on too much tackle/techniques that it is holding back our fishing.
Take my vacation lake as an example.
confidence baits:
tubes
grubs kalins and Menace
gambler ugly otter
spinnerbaits
swim senkos
lipless baits
square bills
deep divers
Finesse worms on slider head
building confidence:
spy baits
Swim jigs
finesse worms on drop shot
ribbon tail worms
could throw need to build confidence in:
topwaters in general
swim baits
jerkbaits
that list is crazy and I am probably missing some cranks and other stuff. There are years that in a week of 12+ hour days of fishing I don't even try all of my confidence baits much less ones I need to build confidence in. Since a lot of those baits excell in different conditions, I never really feel I get a chance to learn when different baits excell or fall flat.
I got lucky last year figuring out when spy baits are really good, but didn't fish them a lot to find other conditions they work in.
So so would I be a better fisherman if I limited the baits I fished, or am I missing out on fish if I don't become more versatile. It is crazy though how many different ways we can catch fish. Not sure there is a good answer and just realized I forgot to add the Ned rig to the confidence baits lol.
Catt reply :
Do we all carry too much tackle for too many techniques
Uhhh Nope! ????
WRB reply :
I know in my boat is the lure the want to eat and the rod/reel/line to present that lure to the bass. Now all I need to do is figure what that lure and presentation is! If I knew what the bass wanted it would be simple, that all that's needed and what I would use, because it always comes down to a few lures and presentations that work at that time.
Tom
scaleface reply :
One day I forgot my soft plastics at home . I dug through my stuff and found a pack of black Fats Gizits .I Texas rigged them and didnt miss my horde of plastics one bit .
I carry to much . I could cull out half my lures and catch just as many fish if not more .
Team9nine reply :
The more I fish (and learn), the less I need. Have no interest in stocking up with the latest tackle trends or hot baits.
Kyhokie reply :
I bring a lot of tackle, because I enjoy bringing a lot of tackle. I enjoy catching fish on a variety of baits. If i was trying to feed my family, I probably would only fish a Ned rig or a paddle tail.
padon reply :
Yeah I probably bring more than I need but I always have that what if in the back of my mind.also the last couple seasons I've forced myself to try some different lures and techniques just to learn about them.plus I like tackle.lol
IndianaFinesse reply :
Do I carry more stuff than I need? Yes. Does that keep me from bringing it anyways for the "what ifs" that almost never happen? No.
A-Jay reply :
Sometimes I fish the right place, at the right time, with the right bait / presentation.
I know because I catch some bass.
Now if & when one or more of those "rights", end up being wrongs, then I usually don't catch as much.
So it seems to me that being in the right place, at the right time is at least as important as having the right bait.
While I could (and may be coming close) carry half of TW's inventory, but if my location & timing is off, it may not help.
That's my story and I'm sticking to it.
A-Jay
jbmaine reply :
If you are out on the water, look behind you, and see that you are towing a " tackle barge", then maybe you have too much tackle with you LOL. Seriously though I always carry as much as I can for the days " old faithful " doesn't do the trick, and I have to throw everything under the sun to find what the fish want. That being said, I don't have, nor can I afford every size, shape, and color out there, but I always try to carry a few of enough different things so I never have to think " If only I had brought XXXX or XXXX I would have caught fish.
Jim
tcbass reply :
For most lakes I fish it comes down to Whopper Plopper, Homemade Teckel Sprinker Frog, Wacky Rigged Senko, and nose-hooked Zoom Super Fluke. I have a feeling that these lures would work well in a lot of lakes across the country.
I will say that it took a lot of trial and error for me to pair it down to these 4 lures, now these 4 lures are all I really use. Rest of my lures sit in the tacklebox until those 4 don't work well again.
hawgenvy reply :
In any given bass fishing situation there's going to be one bait that will be more effective than the others. And half the time that bait is going to be somewhere amongst the 1200 different baits I have brought along.
bigturtle reply :
Nope, I take 1 plano 3600 box and whatever fits in there is all I ever take.
IndianaFinesse reply :
On 11/22/2017 at 11:15 AM, tcbass said:For most lakes I fish it comes down to Whopper Plopper, Homemade Teckel Sprinker Frog, Wacky Rigged Senko, and nose-hooked Zoom Super Fluke. I have a feeling that these lures would work well in a lot of lakes across the country.
I will say that it took a lot of trial and error for me to pair it down to these 4 lures, now these 4 lures are all I really use. Rest of my lures sit in the tacklebox until those 4 don't work well again.
What do you do in the cold water then? Doesn't seem like those four lures would work so good then IMHO.
Something like 90% of my bass are caught on shaky heads, the ned rig, buzzbaits, jerkbaits, frogs, and shallow cranks-so I really don't branch out as much as I could on a regular basis either. Several techniques are all I use for short, seasonal windows but aren't used much the rest of the year (weightless trick worms in the postspawn, rattle traps for a week or two in the fall and spring, blade baits and hair jigs in winter, etc.). Those are typically my "money" bites so to speak.
cgolf reply :
I guess I am not alone lol. my problem is I am very analytical so I of course want to know why they bit what they did and is it a repeating pattern. At the same time at least with plastics I tend to be that junk fisherman switching shapes and colors till I find what works
My weekness is I don't switch up techniques often, I will get locked into a bait category, say plastics or cranks, and throw what I have at them. Maybe my New Years resolution will need to be instead of fishing another plastic switch to a popper, swimbait, etc. Hopefully with time I will learn these other baits like I do my core presentations.
Maybe I will try to limit my baits in the boat a bit giving me flexibility, but limiting it to a smaller number to choose from. It helps having a narrow beamed 16 ft boat, because I can only carry so much tackle and still move around.
Bass_Fishing_Socal reply :
Or we should go back to where we stop at our backyard digging for worm before each fishing trip. Very simple one bait for all the fish.
Nah never too much on lures or plastics. The thrill of bass fishing is to get them to bite on something especially the one that you never catch fish before.
Bluebasser86 reply :
I bring too much, but I've culled out a lot of tackle this past season. I carry 1 box of cranks, that's it. I've gotten rid of a ton of the baits that are similar colors (no more green pumpkin/red/blue/magic/candy/purple/orange), just sticking to standard colors and 1 or 2 companies. It's cut down a bunch of weight in the boat and opened up a lot of storage space. I've also tried to keep fewer rods on the deck. In the past, I've averaged 8-12 rods on the deck per trip. My target is 4 rods now, but it's usually 5-7. I notice a lot of similar baits being out and tried to cut down on it. I feel like I do better when I simplify things.
The Bassman reply :
I try to determine what tackle will best suit the situation before I start. For me too many choices is a recipe for failure. I tend to change lures too often. When I get into that mode my catch rate tanks. Some of my best outings have been when I walked out the door with my rod and maybe two or three lures in my pocket. @Team9nine stated it well. That said, we're all just big boys who want more toys. Too many goodies out there.
scaleface reply :
I carry a bag that holds 6 plano boxes and stuff the pockets with soft plastics . Heres what each box holds .
1 . terminal tackle
2 spinnerbaits / buzzbaits
3 topwaters
4 square bills /lipless
5 long bill cranks
6 lures that dont fit the above categories like spoons ...
BassWhole! reply :
On 11/22/2017 at 9:29 AM, cgolf said:... this got me too thinking are we loading up on too much tackle/techniques that it is holding back our fishing.
YES.
thinkingredneck reply :
I was talking to a fishing buddy, and we thought it might be fun to try all of our unused lures--the ones we have never gotten wet. That would take a good year.
Sam reply :
Funny you should ask your question.
I carry way too many baits, rods and reels.
This past weekend I had 12 tackle boxes plus plastics on my boat. So what did I throw? The pattern called for a KVD Sexy Shad Red Eyed Shad.
I caught 11 on the Red Eye Shad plus one on a 1.5 Sexy Shad crankbait.
I threw a spinnerbait, too, but no takers. The pattern was a lipless crankbait about 15 to 20 feet from the bank of the Historic James River.
Now to put all of the tackle boxes away this weekend.
cgolf reply :
On 11/22/2017 at 8:12 PM, thinkingredneck said:I was talking to a fishing buddy, and we thought it might be fun to try all of our unused lures--the ones we have never gotten wet. That would take a good year.
I actually printed out all of my TW orders and marked off what I have tried, it was pretty sad. Since that time I have been using the unused lures from that list and had some success. It has really made me think harder about my last couple of orders to ensure that I spend $ on lures I am actually going to use vs. having them sit in a box somewhere.
ohboyitsrobby reply :
No we don't don't carry too much tackle. There's always a time place and setting it all may be needed. Now to the seriousness. Don't talk about men thinking we may have too much tackle because sometimes my wife reads this. And that'll just give her fuel for her fire. ???????? lol
DINK WHISPERER reply :
When it takes me about an hr to load all my stuff up the night before....i would say yeah, just a lil too much.
Oregon Native reply :
I support the industry....could I put on a grub or tube and catch fish in salt and fresh water fish....yes. But so what....love trying new stuff....
Different baits....different fish
Seems to work...
flatcreek reply :
I'd rather carry it and not need it than need it and not have it.If I don't catch'em it's my own fault for sure.
Catt reply :
Do we all carry too much tackle for too many techniques?
I'm absolutely a plastics freak ????
Texas Rig, Wacky Rig, Shaky Head Weightless T-rig, Carolina Rig, Jig-N-Craw, Mojo Rig, Rage Rig, or Drop Shot.
I'm gonna be casting, flipping, pitching, punching, dragging, shaking, dead sticking, or skipping.
I don't care if its grass, brush, timber, rocks, docks, pads, lay downs, shore line or off shore. I don't care if its pre-spawn, spawn, post spawn, summer, dog days, fall, winter, morning, noon, or night.
When I find a worm, craw, lizard, creature, stick bait that the bass love I buy em by the hundreds.
tcal4404 reply :
I definitely carry too much tackle.
Topwater is something that on most trips I always will toss early on, because if they are hitting topwater...you do not want to miss out on that! So much fun! Lowlight conditions are when they are more likely to work, but there are days when the fish are looking up and will crush topwater all day long, before the lure hits the water sometimes. Even if it seems fruitless many times, totally worth it for when it's what they want
J Francho reply :
I take three tall 3700 boxes, a smaller terminal box, spinnerbait wallet and small FTO speedbag of plastics. Typical trip is five to six rods and reels. Sometimes only one or two. What goes in those boxes depends on when and where I'm fishing, and for what.
MassYak85 reply :
The way I see it is this. We buy tackle to try and cover all our bases, to be ready for whatever conditions we might encounter. Could we take a single worm and hook to the lake and catch fish most days, sure. But rarely would that be "the best" way to catch fish that day. The thing is a lot of times we might go to the lake and use 1, 2, 5 lures out of hundreds. It doesn't mean the rest were useless and we shouldn't have brought them, it's just that once we narrowed down what would work. Each lure is a tool and as long as each "tool" serves a legitimate purpose and fits a condition that you might possibly be faced with, I don't think it's wasted space.
cgolf reply :
On 11/22/2017 at 11:12 PM, MassYak85 said:The way I see it is this. We buy tackle to try and cover all our bases, to be ready for whatever conditions we might encounter. Could we take a single worm and hook to the lake and catch fish most days, sure. But rarely would that be "the best" way to catch fish that day. The thing is a lot of times we might go to the lake and use 1, 2, 5 lures out of hundreds. It doesn't mean the rest were useless and we shouldn't have brought them, it's just that once we narrowed down what would work. Each lure is a tool and as long as each "tool" serves a legitimate purpose and fits a condition that you might possibly be faced with, I don't think it's wasted space.
I agree with this and justify my tackle choices this way. I will say though that sometimes I get blocked. Say for post frontal bass, I have 10 different lures/techniques I could catch them on and I spend way too much time figuring out which option to use.
Maybe I just need to figure out where they are holding, up in the water column or bottom, pick the lure/technique based on this, so that does mean I need to try and carry multiple lures/techniques;)
NYWayfarer reply :
Yes.
I downsized what I carry and I still carry to much.
crypt reply :
when I'm fishing out of the airboat I carry 2-3 rods and a small drybox. gotta save the room.load up for whatever the conditions are.Now when I take the bass boat,yeah I take everything I can put in it. bank fishing 1-2 rods, small bag not much else.
OCdockskipper reply :
In addition to wanting to make sure I have on hand what the fish want, I think I carry a bunch of tackle to vary things up and avoid monotony. For example, when I am catching fish mainly on a T-rig plastic worm, I find myself wishing that the fish were more active and would chase down a moving bait. When I am getting bit on a jerkbait, I eventually get tired of continually working the bait and wish the fish would eat something that doesn't require such an active presentation. When the Ned rig is loading the boat, I often wish they would hit something where I could feel the strike. Then when I get some topwater action, I find myself looking forward to the fishing some bait with a better strike/landing ratio.
In other words, all that tackle keeps me happy 
Ratherbfishing reply :
I say no but my pack mule begs to differ.
scaleface reply :
If I'm not getting bit I have a tendency to change lures instead of presentation . Less is sometimes more .
RPreeb reply :
On 11/22/2017 at 10:23 AM, padon said:Yeah I probably bring more than I need but I always have that what if in the back of my mind.also the last couple seasons I've forced myself to try some different lures and techniques just to learn about them.plus I like tackle.lol
This^^ +1
For my photography, I sometimes just want to work on a single lens to practice technique, but I've found that if I head out with only that combo, I'm doomed to stumble across the perfect setup for a lens that's sitting at home. Therefore, I take my camera pack with all of my lenses, even if I only intend to use one of them.
The same thing is true of my fishing tackle. Every time I've left a particular type of bait at home, that seems to be what I ultimately want to use, so I mostly take it all. The good thing is that since I'm just getting a start on bass fishing, I don't have all that much stuff yet.
BassWhole! reply :
I'm seeing a trend where some folks think there is this "magic" lure which is the only lure that will catch fish on a particular day, and not having it would be a catastrophe. The more likely scenario is that once you find fish, there will be several lures that will work. When I go out fishing and don't do well, my thinking is I didn't find them, I didn't figure out what to do, or I zigged, when I should have zagged. I can count in one hand the times I have in all honesty thought that I would have caught them if I had a particular lure. Of course I've been doing this for almost 1/2 a century, so there is that, now I feel old...
cgolf reply :
On 11/23/2017 at 2:27 AM, reason said:I'm seeing a trend where some folks think there is this "magic" lure which is the only lure that will catch fish on a particular day, and not having it would be a catastrophe. The more likely scenario is that once you find fish, there will be several lures that will work. When I go out fishing and don't do well, my thinking is I didn't find them, I didn't figure out what to do, or I zigged, when I should have zagged. I can count in one hand the times I have in all honesty thought that I would have caught them if I had a particular lure. Of course I've been doing this for almost 1/2 a century, so there is that, now I feel old...
That is what is cool about checking the baits that the Elites or FLW guys use. They all thought they had the magic bait and it can be a completely different bait or color from the other top finishers.
J Francho reply :
On 11/23/2017 at 2:27 AM, reason said:I'm seeing a trend where some folks think there is this "magic" lure which is the only lure that will catch fish on a particular day, and not having it would be a catastrophe. The more likely scenario is that once you find fish, there will be several lures that will work. When I go out fishing and don't do well, my thinking is I didn't find them, I didn't figure out what to do, or I zigged, when I should have zagged. I can count in one hand the times I have in all honesty thought that I would have caught them if I had a particular lure. Of course I've been doing this for almost 1/2 a century, so there is that, now I feel old...
Truth! And that magic bullet trend has been around forever. Often times, it's reinforced by anglers trying something new that takes them to a new place - deep cranks, drop shot, or c-rig that takes them off the bank. A frog or weedless spoon that takes them to the slop. A skipping bait that takes them deep under docks or over hanging trees. Success with the new bait means it must have been that special bait, but really it was location.
WRB reply :
How many Elites are fishing using hair jigs with pork rind trailers....? The answer is we don't know because none of those anglers have sponsors for that old forgotten lure that catches most of my big bass. It's usually a type of lure in lieu of a specific brand and I am have in my boat nearly every type known. Just need to remember where it is when I think of trying it, the decision is usually spontaneous.
Tom
J Francho reply :
On 11/23/2017 at 2:39 AM, WRB said:Just need to remember where it is when I think of trying it, the decision is usually spontaneous.
For me, that's the hard part! 
MassYak85 reply :
I wouldn't say there's ever a magic bullet, just that once you find fish (location is definitely going to trump lure choice) subtle differences can increase your success, it could be color change, size change, etc. I'd rather be prepared to make the change is all I'm saying. I can't imagine anyone would disagree that at certain times a pink jerkbait and the same ghost minnow jerkbait would yield different results, obviously that's a little extreme but you get my point.
padon reply :
On 11/23/2017 at 2:27 AM, reason said:I'm seeing a trend where some folks think there is this "magic" lure which is the only lure that will catch fish on a particular day, and not having it would be a catastrophe. The more likely scenario is that once you find fish, there will be several lures that will work. When I go out fishing and don't do well, my thinking is I didn't find them, I didn't figure out what to do, or I zigged, when I should have zagged. I can count in one hand the times I have in all honesty thought that I would have caught them if I had a particular lure. Of course I've been doing this for almost 1/2 a century, so there is that, now I feel old...
I think that is very true.location is everything. then there is type of presentation, meaning something moving fast , slow etc.i want to have a couple types of baits to cover most situations im likely to face.but if im fishing a deep hump I may catch them on jigs trigged worms trigged creatures Carolina rigsetc. they all would probably work the key is fishing the lure where the fish are at the speed they want much more than color profile etc.and like tom said I have favorite baits for certain situation that work for me that other guys probably wouldn't even own. but we all catch about the same numbers at the end of the day.
Turkey sandwich reply :
Fishing out of a kayak and 14' aluminum has taught me to prioritize baits for the conditions. There's rarely a reason I should have a box of hair jigs sitting in my crate in the middle of August, and I'm probably not going to be doing a whole lot of frogging here in PA in January.
Still, I have gear. Lots and lots of gear.
BassWhole! reply :
On 11/23/2017 at 3:00 AM, MassYak85 said:I can't imagine anyone would disagree that at certain times a pink jerkbait and the same ghost minnow jerkbait would yield different results,
Agreed, which is why I carry Sharpies.
Columbia Craw reply :
I organize my baits by type and or technique. If I fish my home lake, I know I won't be fishing deeper than 10 feet so I can eliminate a bunch of baits and several rod/reel combos. I try and apply this to any body of water. I error on the side of caution if I think there is a chance I might need some lures and or a combo.
Can't Catch Bass reply :
You should be ashamed of yourself for asking such a question!
cgolf reply :
On 11/22/2017 at 9:24 PM, Oregon Native said:I support the industry....could I put on a grub or tube and catch fish in salt and fresh water fish....yes. But so what....love trying new stuff....
Different baits....different fish
Seems to work...
I support the industry as well, I will just not carry it all in my boat at once. The rest will be available for the next trip. That said a tube and Kalins grub are my 2 best lures of all time, but I too like to learn new to me techniques. I have yet to fish a soft plastic behind a split shot, one of these years I will give it a toss.
On 11/23/2017 at 11:38 AM, Can't Catch Bass said:You should be ashamed of yourself for asking such a question!
Not at all, because if I can limit my choices and streamline my thought process that will mean more fish in the boat for me.
Can't Catch Bass reply :
On 11/23/2017 at 12:37 PM, cgolf said:Not at all, because if I can limit my choices and streamline my thought process that will mean more fish in the boat for me.
That's just crazy talk... Do you really think multiple fish will hit the same bait more than once? They talk you know.
Maxximus Redneckus reply :
Im a minimalist i fish fresh and salt same day..i can do it all with 6 diff lures in a 3700 size box..spook, rapala,manns purple worm,mepps black fury rat l trap and a curl tail grub..i may have 2 diff size spooks in 2 colors and 3 diff size traps in 3 diff colors same with the grubs.but IMO 30 plus yrs fishing these lures account for numbers and size from panfish to rockfish to blackdrum its all i need and just 2 rods
Can't Catch Bass reply :
On 11/23/2017 at 1:21 PM, Maxximus Redneckus said:On 11/23/2017 at 1:21 PM, Maxximus Redneckus said:....
....
tcbass reply :
On 11/22/2017 at 12:26 PM, IndianaFinesse said:What do you do in the cold water then? Doesn't seem like those four lures would work so good then IMHO.
Something like 90% of my bass are caught on shaky heads, the ned rig, buzzbaits, jerkbaits, frogs, and shallow cranks-so I really don't branch out as much as I could on a regular basis either. Several techniques are all I use for short, seasonal windows but aren't used much the rest of the year (weightless trick worms in the postspawn, rattle traps for a week or two in the fall and spring, blade baits and hair jigs in winter, etc.). Those are typically my "money" bites so to speak.
I don't fish when it gets cold because of a physical condition where I can't.
Different lures work well at different lakes and areas. I'd say Senkos are probably one of the best bass catching lures of all time.
Wurming67 reply :
I was gonna post this question but searched first for it I figured there was a thread.Its fun buying tackle and rod and reel and it's also fun catching fishing on different lures and proving to yourself you can catch fish on that lure or bait.Butttt I think it hurts me more than it helps me having so much tackle and rods and reels because instead of just focusing on a few baits and really giving them a chance to work im picking up different rods and tying on different baits so this weekend I'm just bringing 3 rods for fishing the water column at top,middle and bottom.I honestly believe where I mainly fish I could bring one rod and one bait "Senko" and catch fish consistently all day I might try that instead ????
Mobasser reply :
I have to agree with Team9nine. The more I learn and study bass fishing , the less I really need. I've narrowed it to around 5 or 6 bait types for the whole season. I used to sweat all this, but not now. Keeping it simple
DogBone_384 reply :
I can't speak for the rest of the membership, but YES, I usually carry too much tackle. I have a bad habit of thinking up a game plan the night before I go fishing and by the time I'm out the door I've 'what if'd' myself into taking much more tackle than I end up using....
Riazuli reply :
For me, having a good selection of tackle and being able to use different presentations is part of what makes fishing enjoyable for me. I'd be bored if I was slinging the same drop shot all day just because it's a good way to catch fish. I like to visualize and feel a lipless running through the water, imagine and feel the wobble of a squarebill, feel the chatterbait vibrate and roll against the bottom, imagine a jig N craw crawling through the mud...I spend more time doing those things than catching fish so I might as well have fun while I'm doing it! Also, as the saying goes, better to have too much and not need it than not enough when you need it.
cgolf reply :
On 3/17/2018 at 12:49 AM, Riazuli said:For me, having a good selection of tackle and being able to use different presentations is part of what makes fishing enjoyable for me. I'd be bored if I was slinging the same drop shot all day just because it's a good way to catch fish. I like to visualize and feel a lipless running through the water, imagine and feel the wobble of a squarebill, feel the chatterbait vibrate and roll against the bottom, imagine a jig N craw crawling through the mud...I spend more time doing those things than catching fish so I might as well have fun while I'm doing it! Also, as the saying goes, better to have too much and not need it than not enough when you need it.
For me it isn't limiting it to 1 or 2 presentations, but maybe 10 to 15 options instead of 30 to 40 to cover the changing conditions.
J Francho reply :
On 3/17/2018 at 3:01 AM, cgolf said:For me it isn't limiting it to 1 or 2 presentations, but maybe 10 to 15 options instead of 30 to 40 to cover the changing conditions.
That's a good way to look at it. I'll go a little further. Those 10-15 options can really be lumped into what I can throw on 4-5 rods. That translates to 4-5 boxes, since I setup my boxes per what rod I use for the baits.
desmobob reply :
For me, half the fun of the sport is buying and trying new tackle. I'd guess I could get by handily with about 10% of what I carry.
Everyone is different. For some, it's fun to be minimalist. For me, it's fun to look in my tackle boxes and find stuff I didn't even remember I had...
Tight lines,
Bob
FishDewd reply :
I probably carry a little too much.. I use a bag that holds 4 medium sized plano boxes with moveable dividers that they sell in the fishing department of basically any store. I have one box full of plastics, some float, others are for texas rigging, dragging, etc. Another box that is a mix between weights and trailers for jigs and bladed baits. This is my accessory box. Another box that contains all hooks, jigheads, and some just in case specialty stuff. The main box I use contains all hard baits of some sort. Square and round crankbaits, a few buzzbaits, a chatterbait, rage blade, jigs, spoons, bladebait, spinners, etc... plus I have some plastics for ned rigging stuffed in a few pockets of the bag. I also have some extra line and some tools in there, like pliers and cutters. How much of it do I use of a given day? Not a whole lot really. I generally have a plan for what I'd like to try that day before I go out, but if all that fails I may decide to try something a little different. I like the option for trying something new and/or creative if the situation arises. Here lately I haven't been having much luck so I've trying to figure out what works or doesn't work. So far it seems like more stuff is in the "doesn't work" category. Plus with this additional tackle I can help out someone else if needed. There's always that guy who runs out of something or forgot something. I don't have any issue handing over a few hooks or weights if it means that person can have a more fun day.
cgolf reply :
Was just thinking about getting setup for the opener in May and what I want to fish with and it dawned on me why I am trying to limit myself a bit. I fish out of a 16 ft boat with a custom extended deck so I can lay out 3-4 rods on it. Here is the thing you bass boat guys can store more in one compartment than I can carry. I can get a 3600 bag, 3700 bag, terminal bag, and pedestal box from Lakewood if I max it out. Realistically that is too much and I can’t move around. Out of necessity I need to pack smart because I really have limited space. This isn’t a complaint, just reality.
Obi_Wan reply :
Yes. I've always owned less tackle than my dad, therefore, I've always taken less tackle to the lake than him. All things being equal, we end up fishing the same thing and 3/4 of his tackle never sees the water. I have a larger selection of soft baits than I do hard baits. I basically have one 3700 with crank baits, two boxes with jerkbiats (one shallow, one deep), 5-6 spinner baits, a few jigs, and soft baits. I can get it all in one bag if I want and usually do.
Wurming67 reply :
I think some of us are doing it totally wrong.Just use a few different search baits to first find the fish,instead of throwing all your tackle to an area that isn't holding fish.Once you find some fish than break out all the tackle and see what the big girls want.
NorthernBasser reply :
I carry so much tackle that it is probably close to putting me at max weight capacity for my boat.
Is it necessary? No. Would I still catch as many fish without all of it? Probably.
Yet here I am checking the "latest sale" thread every day. I need help. 
NorthernBasser reply :
On 3/17/2018 at 3:09 AM, desmobob said:For me, half the fun of the sport is buying and trying new tackle.
This is a big part of it.
I'm a grown man. But when I get a new TW shipment in the mail I'm like a kid on Christmas morning. And I have to open up each lure right away and hold it and admire it.
burrows reply :
On 11/22/2017 at 10:10 AM, Team9nine said:The more I fish (and learn), the less I need. Have no interest in stocking up with the latest tackle trends or hot baits.
I agree but I feel it’s the marketing that gets me personally the nice looking paint jobs the shiny new baits! this makes it difficult to stop collecting lures and tackle. It really is an addiction. A bad habit. You don’t need every color baby minus or every color s crank or every new shiny fancy Japanese topwater but something tells you get it!!! Add it to the collection because after a wile it no longer becomes tackle it truly becomes a collection because tackle is used like a tool for different situations but collecting just sits there looking pretty As your own personal novelty item, But I digress.
Since I seemed to have gotten completely gotten of course let me adress the topic. Personally I only take a few day boxes with me or if I’m going to the pond a pack of hooks and two bags of soft plastics in my back pocket.
NYWayfarer reply :
This Saturday was a prime example of packing too much. I caught 11 fish in 3 hours using a Whopper Plopper and then a Ned Rig once the top water bite dried up.
What I used: 2 rods and reel combos, 1 Whopper Plopper, 2 Shroomz Head jigs and 2 TRD's (2 because I lost a rig on a bad snag.)
What I carried: A bag full of top waters (Lane Changer, Torpedo, PopMax)
Crankbaits (Squarebull, KVD squarebill, Rebel Bluegill, Red Eye Shad)
Soft Plastics (Flukes, Senkos, TRD Tubez)
Hooks, weights and bears oh my!
Pickle_Power reply :
Do I carry too much? Usually. Do I own too much? No way! I try to pack what I think I'll use, based on the time of year and body of water. If I catch most of my fish on the first thing I tied on, then I brought too much. If I have tried most of my options that I packed, then I didn't bring too much. It's a question you'd have to ask after each day out and maybe tailor the choices based on that.
Gundog reply :
Derek1 reply :
This is a great thread. This is my first year taking fishing serious, I started out this spring with a 5’6” spinning rod. I used to walk around the pond with that a pair of pliers and Scale in one back pocket. Knife clipped in my front pocket, a Plano 4”x9” with 3ot and4ot hooks some bullet weights and about 20 worms in 4 colors and shapes and that fit in my other back pocket. I would spend three hours walking around the pond and catch 20 fish from dinks -3#’ers. Now I have a 50# backpack and three rods. I certainly don’t catch more fish. But I would be lying if I said I didn’t have almost as much Fun at the store as I do the pond, ( bait monkey has me bad) I miss the good old days of June lol.
the reel ess reply :
Well, I carry 6 or 7 combos every time I go fishing. I usually catch most or all my fish on one or two of them. I'm going to do what I want to do at some point during the trip. Then, if fish aren't really into that, I'll try other lures. I won't try every topwater or every lipless crank in my box before I conclude they aren't going to bite one. It's more like, OK, they don't want a couple of different hardbait topwaters, I'll switch to a lipless crank or regular crank for a while. They don't want that, I'll put that rod down and go in a different direction.
On another rod, I might start with a buzzbait and switch over to a spinnerbait after a while with no action. Sure, I have more baits than I actually catch fish on, but try not to let colors and options paralyze me.
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