How much tackle do you take on your boat 2025
Chance_Taker4 reply :
So I have a bad habit of weighing my boat down with all my tackle. The last thing I want is to need a bait that is sitting in my garage. Well doing some organizing and decluttering over the last couple weeks I really want to take less tackle with me. I don't think I really need 100+ crankbaits with me. So I started watching tackle organization videos on youtube and one video said, I believe it was Matt on Tactical Bassin, he only carries 2 of the same bait and color at a time, i.e. 2 1.5 squarebills in sexy shad, 2 packs of green pumpkin senkos, etc. So my question to you all is how many of a specific bait and color do you keep on your boat while fishing?
Jig Man reply :
I leave top water baits at home in the winter and jerk baits home in the summer. For all of the rest, I carry as much as I can stuff in the boat.
J Francho reply :
I only use two colors of senkos, so I might have 30 bags of them. Seriously. When I had my boat, I pretty much carried everything that I was currently using. I'm not one to have all the colors of a specific crank, more like one - MS Am. Shad, lol - so I might have six or more of a specific bait. It comes down to your fishing style and the baits you *sometimes* use, opposed to the baits you *never* use. Otherwise, I can't see you suffering because you are "weighed down by baits."
Scott F reply :
I only carry one of two of my favorite tackle bags in my boat for a day of fishing. One of them carries 5, 3700 size utility boxes, the other carries 5, 3600 size boxes. If it doesn’t fit in one of those, I don’t bring it. I don’t store any lures in compartments on the boat. If, I’m on a long trip, I might leave some terminal tackle, or a small box with some panfish tackle if we happen to find a school of crappies in the boat. I have a pretty good idea before I go out what is going to be useful on the waters I’ll be fishing. If the bite is that tough where nothing I brought is working, I’ll call it a day. In my mind, I know if I’m not getting bit, there probably wasn’t some magic lure or color that would have made the difference. Maybe, it might have, but what might have made the difference was if I’d tried a different location, depth or speed I didn’t get around to using before ran out of time.
Cdn Angler reply :
I'm in a kayak and carry 3 3700 Planos:
1) topwaters and bigger swimbaits
2) other hardbaits: cranks, spybaits, jerkbaits, spinnerbaits etc.
3) things with soft plastics already rigged and terminal tackle: jigs, swimbaits, shakyheads etc.
I also carry about 8 kinds of plastics in a bag: worms, craws, tubes, keitechs etc.
That seems to work, but requires swapping things out in between trips depending on what species, type of water body. I'd say there is like a 5% churn, the rest stays the same.
In total I have the option of about 40 hard baits and 40 plastics.
I rarely miss something that isn't with me, but it happens on occasion; mostly getting bit on a specific soft plastic and then running out of that size or colour. Usually the closest substitute does just as well i.e. a green 2.8 keitech for a 3.3 in blue.
OnthePotomac reply :
All of my non-plastic baits are in 3700 boxes, so I just take what are the "in baits" for the day. Our Potomac river guides email out their weekly reports on lures, colors. etc., which is a really big help since that big old river changes fast because I am only 30 miles up from the ocean. It can drive you nuts from day to day.
moguy1973 reply :
Too much.
I have baits I never used simply because I've never caught fish on them and I have no confidence in using them. Anymore I'm using stick worms, some sort of crank bait, a tube, a top water (toad/walk the dog), and a spinner bait. Those are what catch fish for me. Not sure why I take all the other stuff out on the boat with me anymore.
walt-14 reply :
I dont have a boat but the amount of tackle I bring with me on shore is crazy. It's funny you mentioned not using a majority of the tackle you bring. I'm the same way. I typically bring about 4-5 rods with me and my entire tackle bag whcih i'm guessing isnt anywhere short of 25 lbs. In the end I only end up using maybe 2 of the rods and only a very small portion of the tackle. I always tell myself that I need to only focus on taking 1-2 rods and only a small amount of tackle but there's always that thought in my head that maybe i'll need every rod and everything in my tackle bag. Better to be over prepared than under prepared I guess.
Tizi reply :
I have a massive amounts of 3600 boxes and a few 3700. If I am going on my kayak, I typically take 3 3600 and a bag of plastics. If I am going on a boat, I typically take 5 3600 and a bag of plastics.
Hook2Jaw reply :
I want to say I have 3600 boxes now devoted to finesse terminal, Texas and Carolina terminal, and another terminal box filled with tools, rubberbands, and swimbait jigsheads/weighted EWGs. Then I have squarebills, lipless, two boxes of jerkbaits, topwater, swimbaits, medium cranks, a 3700 full of deep cranks, a 3700 full of jigs, chatters, and swimjigs, another 3700 box full of inshore artificials and sheepshead stuff, and 3 KVD Speed Bags with about 30 packs of plastic each.
I can carry, if I remember correctly, 10 3600s at the bottom of the YakAttack Blackpak with a 3700 atop that and two 3600s on top of that, so...
I have 12 3600s, 1 3700, and 3 KVD Speed Bags on my kayak ready to go.
DitchPanda reply :
I'm a bank guy and as such my style is way different..I use a drawstring bag or backpack with just 2 or 3 tackle trays and whatever plastics I need..front pocket I've got my tools and I usually carry 2 to 5 rods depending
fishballer06 reply :
Matt Allen also doesn't fish waters infested with pike, musky, and walleye. So for that, if I have a bait that I know works well and I use it a lot, I might carry 4 or so with me of it.
OkobojiEagle reply :
Ok, you all win. I boat-carry 4 spinning combos, 2 casting combos and a soft tackle bag that holds 2 3600 boxes (1 with hard plastic baits and 1 box filled with terminal tackle; various styles of jig heads in 1/8, 3/16, 1/4 & 3/8oz sizes; and hair jigs). The bag's pockets contain 4 small freezer bags of soft plastics; several spinnerbaits; and some necessary tools, first-aid supplies, ect. Most fishing days I have too many choices with me.
oe
MN Fisher reply :
This year it'll be 9 rigs - 4 spinning, 5 baitcasting. One 3700-bag with 5 boxes, Terminal, Jerk/Topwater, Crank, Spinner/Chatter/Buzz, and Jigs - and one 3600-bag with 7 boxes of plastics divided up by type and some more packages in the side pockets.
Hook2Jaw reply :
I recommend that new Plano Jig Box if you guys are jigheads like myself.
FishTank reply :
On the boat I have a Plano tackle box that holds 5 3700 boxes and now, a dry bag with 2 large deep boxes (one for senkos and the other for swimbaits) and one worm divider box with about 40-50 bags of everything else soft plastic (jig trailers, creatures, tubes, misc worms, and lizards).
kayaking_kev reply :
I have a box of terminal tackle, one for jigs & bladed jigs, one for topwater, one for cranks & jerks, one for panfish, and a KVD worm bag full of plastics, but a lot of times I will just grab a few things from each and put it in one spare box and just take that. And, if I really want to travel light sometimes when I'm walking the bank, I'll take a bag of Senkos and throw some hooks and worm weights in the Senko bag and that's it. I do need to upgrade my 3700 crank and jerkbait box to a 3700 deep though, I've ran out of room thanks to the sale thread.
Mobasser reply :
I've paired my tackle down but still seem to carry more than I ever use in a days fishing
gimruis reply :
It probably also depends on how much space you have for tackle either 1) in a carry bag/pack if shore fishing 2) in a boat and the storage it has, or 3) in a kayak where space is limited.
I have 17.5 foot bass boat so I don't have a ton of space for tackle. I don't like items sitting out on decks so I just have to make due with what I have. I think having 2 of everything is a good idea though in case one breaks, you lose it, etc and you need a backup. Some of these bigger bass boats have an incredible amount of storage so keeping all of it aboard may not be a problem.
Chance_Taker4 reply :
On 2/28/2020 at 1:32 AM, fishballer06 said:Matt Allen also doesn't fish waters infested with pike, musky, and walleye. So for that, if I have a bait that I know works well and I use it a lot, I might carry 4 or so with me of it.
This was my thought and what prompted me to ask here. Every water I fish has a combination of Pike, Musky, Walleye, Saugeye. When I heard he only carries 2 of everything I thought I would be able to fish an entire day with all the bite offs or even break offs from the dang muscles and shells on the bottom of most of my water.
Cdn Angler reply :
On 2/28/2020 at 3:09 AM, Chance_Taker4 said:This was my thought and what prompted me to ask here. Every water I fish has a combination of Pike, Musky, Walleye, Saugeye. When I heard he only carries 2 of everything I thought I would be able to fish an entire day with all the bite offs or even break offs from the dang muscles and shells on the bottom of most of my water.
I'm in Canada and I probably get bit off maybe .5 per day. Not often. Usually I reel them in without getting bitten off.
A-Jay reply :
How much tackle do you take on your boat ?
You wouldn't believe me if I told you.
A-Jay
MN Fisher reply :
On 2/28/2020 at 3:44 AM, A-Jay said:How much tackle do you take on your boat ?
You wouldn't believe me if I told you.
A-Jay
Considering you probably have boxes stuffed into every nook-and-cranny you can find - I probably would believe it.
A-Jay reply :
On 2/28/2020 at 3:47 AM, MN Fisher said:Considering you probably have boxes stuffed into every nook-and-cranny you can find - I probably would believe it.
Seeing is believing ~
A-Jay
TnRiver46 reply :
Depends on which boat. In a kayak I usually take one small box. In a canoe maybe 3 boxes. In my river boat maybe 3 boxes and a bag o' stuff. In my center console, a bunch of BS!
OCdockskipper reply :
Depends on the size of the boat. A bass boat is really just a mobile casting deck and tackle box, so I load it to the hilt.
Nature abhors a vacuum.
DanielG reply :
I take EV-ERY-THING, I mean everything! Both poles, all seven crankbaits, both packages of swimbaits, my chatterbait, and both pairs of pliers, the small ones and the big ones. Yup, you heard it... two pair even when I can only use one at a time.
I've been collecting stuff for years. Ashamed at how only very little of it actually hits the water. I'm a hoarder I guess. I've been working all winter (can't fish now so gotta do something) to try to thin it out a bit. Having very little luck.
You guys are funny.....
swhit140 reply :
If your boat starts sinking, that's when you know that you have too much tackle in your boat.
Bankbeater reply :
When I'm in a boat I take 4 to 5 rods, and my bag with 5 3700 boxes and as much stuff as I can squeeze into the sides. When I'm fishing off of the bank it's usually 2 or 3 rods, and a small tackle box with a little bit of everything crammed into it.
Logan S reply :
About this much 
At some places or certain times of the year I'll have less. Like right now in the winter it's probably about half this and summer on tidal water is probably about half as well. I don't load stuff that I know I'm not going to need.
I do make an effort not to let my tackle get out of hand...But I live in an are where I fish many different types of water bodies and all 4 seasons, so over the course of a year I need to use just about everything at some point.
Ratherbfishing reply :
I'm kinda like Steve Martin in the jerk when he's been abandoned by everyone and he says, "I don't need you! I don't need anything!!!....(?)... I NEED THIS!!!!"
lo n slo reply :
in the little johnny, it’s two rods and a small worm binder with the clasp rings and pages removed. i have around 10 bags of plastics, hooks, bullets, spike it, megastrike, hook out, needle nose pliers, small rapala scale and nail clippers. and my pocket knife. in the Javelin i’ll carry my tackle bag and more rods but i could honestly get by with much less.
Fishes in trees reply :
When I start tripping over stuff in my boat, that is when it crosses my mind that there is a storage issue. Then you must pile stuff on top of other stuff to create a wider path.
More seriously though, when I'm on a lake that is going to require a serious amount of running ( like Truman Lake ) I cut down to stuff I think I might use that day, primarily so that I avoid that random wave that might catch my sideways and throw stuff out of the boat, and soft plastics are all in bags kept on the floor of the boat and all rods are bungeed to the deck when I'm running.
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