Soft Plastic Storage 2025
BuckMaxx reply :
I was digging thru my boat looking for a paticular plastic that I was needing. It was a mess! I need a better system. I currently run clear labeled boxes but those are crammed full. Do any of you run smaller more precisely organized boxes? What do you do when you have too much tackle?
flechero reply :
You have to thin out what you carry. With the excess baits and plano boxes I keep 2 large rubbermaid bins in my boat storage unit and put all my doubles/triples and unneeded boxes in them.
The only good suggestion I have for you is that I started seperating sizes in my soft plastic bags... so I can grab specific tackle bags when I hook up the boat, based on where I'm going or time of year. All my magnum sized baits- lizards, flukes and double wide beavers are a seperate bag. I also keep a seperate finess bag with all small stuff... it only goes to certain lakes as well. On occasion you'll miss somethiogn but 99% of the time you just don't need it all with you. Same with plano boxes... try to leave a few in the boat storage stall, based on where I'm going. Again, same with rods... I leave the big stuff home if fishing belton and leave the finess rods home if fishing stillhouse.
Tackle organization is something you need to work hard at to be any good at... I'm still working on it. ...lol
BuckMaxx reply :
Thanks fpr the reply. I currently try to leave out of the boat like only hauling my lizard box in the spring. Often we will be fishing largemouth on a weekend then smallmouth on a tues or thurs night. I have often thought of a similar idea and creating boxes for specific lakes. Complete down to the correct jighead size. I am primarily a soft bait fisherman so I got a ton of baits in many different colors.
slonezp reply :
I store baits by brand/type in Ziploc bags
martintheduck reply :
I've had a single big bag filled with like 50 bags of plastics, but today I actually dealt with it.... Said "to hell with it" and finally did a LITTLE organizing.
1 gallon ziplocks. Shoved all my worms in one, all swims in one, all creatures & trailers in one. I've been against this idea for awhile and finally conceded today - glad I did. My boat feels "cleaner."
Amarley reply :
Gallon ziploc bags by bait type work for me.
martintheduck reply :
Just checking back in - been using the gallon bags for about a week and it has made life so much easier. I thought it might be cumbersome to find baits, but it isn't. Glad I finally did it.
Nice_Bass reply :
100 count Berkeley power bait bags help!
NathanW reply :
I have tried a few methods for softs but have never been satisfied. The binders rust and are not big enough. Plano dividers wont keep your baits straight. I currently store extras and less likely baits in original package in a large ProLatch without dividers while keeping the stuff I know ill use in front deck dry box so I can quickly grab it and slip into my pocket. Pretty sure Ill keep doing this for a little while
Through all this...I have learned two things that work best for me. 1) keeping baits original package. 2) have 100% of baits I fish on-board. (I know this is not possible for everyone, but I keep color choice simple. Rememember it doesnt matter what color worm you chose, as long as its purple 
)
BuckMaxx reply :
Yes I agree about the original packages. I found a system I thought would work by taking ducttape and a sandwich bag. Then I could clip them to a strip oraganizer under the lids in my boat... it didn't work. The duct tape glue melts when it gets hot and falls off, leaving sticky stuff on everything you touch.Now I am taking them all out and putting them in similar bags to originals. I think I need to buy some mid size boxes as well.So I can match the amount above bags to the appropriate size box. I have a few that there is some air space in that I could uttilize by going with a smaller box.
jiggz125 reply :
On 8/30/2013 at 1:40 PM, martintheduck said:Just checking back in - been using the gallon bags for about a week and it has made life so much easier. I thought it might be cumbersome to find baits, but it isn't. Glad I finally did it.
Did you dump the baits out of their original packaging into these gallon bags? I have to fish from shore for lack of a boat, so I would like an easier way to story my soft plastics. I have about 25-30 bags of plastics; swimbaits, creatures, senkos that all need to be organized differently. Not enough room to compete with my hardbaits/spinners.
Does it matter; mixing brands, scents, sizes etc?
For example are you pairing Senko style baits with regular plastic worms (berkley powerbait) all in the same ZipLock?
slonezp reply :
On 10/28/2013 at 10:38 PM, jiggz125 said:Did you dump the baits out of their original packaging into these gallon bags? I have to fish from shore for lack of a boat, so I would like an easier way to story my soft plastics. I have about 25-30 bags of plastics; swimbaits, creatures, senkos that all need to be organized differently. Not enough room to compete with my hardbaits/spinners.
Does it matter; mixing brands, scents, sizes etc?
For example are you pairing Senko style baits with regular plastic worms (berkley powerbait) all in the same ZipLock?
Keep them in the original packaging and store them in the gal ziplocs. Some plastics don't mix well with others. A chemical reaction occurs and everything melts together.
PotomacBassin reply :
I use plastic shoe boxes from Walleyworld. The bags stand up straight in these so you can sift through them quickly and find what you need.
joefish reply :
On 10/29/2013 at 12:41 AM, PotomacBassin said:I use plastic shoe boxes from Walleyworld. The bags stand up straight in these so you can sift through them quickly and find what you need.
That is what I do, but still have to go through them occasionally and I tend to cram too many in the box.
martintheduck reply :
On 10/28/2013 at 10:38 PM, jiggz125 said:Did you dump the baits out of their original packaging into these gallon bags? I have to fish from shore for lack of a boat, so I would like an easier way to story my soft plastics. I have about 25-30 bags of plastics; swimbaits, creatures, senkos that all need to be organized differently. Not enough room to compete with my hardbaits/spinners.
Does it matter; mixing brands, scents, sizes etc?
For example are you pairing Senko style baits with regular plastic worms (berkley powerbait) all in the same ZipLock?
Keep em' all in original package. Get gallon size ziplocs and "storage size sandwhich ziplocs" (don't know the exact size, but they are big enough to fit baits in vertically).
Shove all my regular zoom/gene worms in a gallon ziploc. Put all my expensive worms (robos/senkos) in a smaller ziploc - put smaller one into gallon bag with zooms. Gallon bag full of swimbaits. Gallon bag full of creatures. Small bag full of trailers. Small bag of expensive trailers/creatures (rage).
Just Shove all those bags into a backpack or smaller "duffle bag" type bag - My life has gotten SO much simpler after finally doing this. Can find baits without having to dig.
jiggz125 reply :
On 10/29/2013 at 11:30 AM, martintheduck said:Keep em' all in original package. Get gallon size ziplocs and "storage size sandwhich ziplocs" (don't know the exact size, but they are big enough to fit baits in vertically).
Shove all my regular zoom/gene worms in a gallon ziploc. Put all my expensive worms (robos/senkos) in a smaller ziploc - put smaller one into gallon bag with zooms. Gallon bag full of swimbaits. Gallon bag full of creatures. Small bag full of trailers. Small bag of expensive trailers/creatures (rage).
Just Shove all those bags into a backpack or smaller "duffle bag" type bag - My life has gotten SO much simpler after finally doing this. Can find baits without having to dig.
I will have to get some ziplocs and give this a try. Sounds like an efficent way to store soft plastics. What about your hooks/weights how do those get stored? Ha
jly reply :
I use gym bags to store the original packages. I write on the outside of the gym bag a general term for what type of plastics are inside i.e. "tube", "worm", "craw" so all my packages of tubes are in the tube gym bag, all my packages of worms are in the worm gym bag, ect. It makes finding what I am looking for easier, then inside each bag they are organized by size and within each size the colors are organized. so when I unzip the worm bag for example the shorter worms are (4 inch senko's) are at one end organized by color (I use r.o.y.g.b.i.v. but customize to your liking), all the way through working up to the 14" worms at the other end. so when I grab the bag I have a general idea on which end of the bag to start looking based on what size I want. Of course if you don't have enough room in your boat just downsize to carry a couple packs of each onboard and keep the rest at the house and restock the boat after each trip. I have been using this system for about 3 years now and have found it very helpful. But on tournament day I already know what I want to throw and keep 2 packs of what I want to throw in my cooler to make things even faster. Just an idea, good luck
ksboy reply :
Was just browsing this thread and I must say, These are some really good ideas. I have been using a BPS double worm bag but it weighs about twenty #s and I have to search for stuff. I especially like the gym bag idea. Might have to give that a try.
Thanks
martintheduck reply :
On 10/30/2013 at 1:11 AM, jiggz125 said:I will have to get some ziplocs and give this a try. Sounds like an efficent way to store soft plastics. What about your hooks/weights how do those get stored? Ha
Since I'm in a boat these days, I've got a whole bunch of various planos for hard plastics and terminal tackle. I have two planos that are full of my goto type stuff....one for hooks strictly and one for weights and weighted hook type stuff.
One plano has 1/0-5/0 offset worm hooks, some EWG hooks, screw-lock hooks in a cpl sizes, some weighted swim bait hooks, weighted tube hooks, and some octopus hooks for a drop shot. In the weight plano I have shakey heads in 1/4oz and 1/8oz, 1/4oz weights, 1/2oz weights, 3/8oz weights, #5 clips, #5 swivels, glass and plastic beads, drop shot weights, pegs, and a few sizes of jig heads....
I feel the two boxes I described above have been perfect for all of my average fishing days. If the fish are finicky I've got 1/8oz shakey heads and drop shot material, if I need to get deep I can make c-rigs, if i need to be cranking I've got snaps, and basically everything I fish uses an offset worm hook or EWG hook. I've got a few other planos full of specialty stuff like jika rigs and strange shaped hooks for super soft swimbaits, but I seldom touch those boxes.
Being a bank fisherman at one point and a kayak fisherman I know about needing to keep the load light. I like the way I have things organized right now because my soft plastics and hooks/weights can all fit in a backpack if need be AND everything stays organized. I go night fishing on my buddies boat quite often and life is really easy when I can just grab 3 things, shove them in a backpack, and know EXACTLY what I've got and where everything is. I've become a lot more anal about my organization recently and it's paid off in time saved, a cleaner boat, and I feel less frazzled when everything is in its own special place. (I'm shocked I just typed a dang essay about organization 
)
Waterlogged reply :
I tried the ziplock approach and I felt like it was hard to dig out exactly what I was digging for. I use some $3 totes with lids that I found at Walmart. The packages that the plastics come in fit perfectly and when filled up and the packages stand straight up and easy to thumb through. I labeled each tote with the type of plastic and ordered them by color inside. Very quick neat and organized.
martintheduck reply :
On 11/6/2013 at 11:37 PM, Waterlogged said:I tried the ziplock approach and I felt like it was hard to dig out exactly what I was digging for. I use some $3 totes with lids that I found at Walmart. The packages that the plastics come in fit perfectly and when filled up and the packages stand straight up and easy to thumb through. I labeled each tote with the type of plastic and ordered them by color inside. Very quick neat and organized.
I'm headed to walmart now to buy some of these suckers!
Waterlogged reply :
You won't be sorry!
Waterlogged reply :
On 11/7/2013 at 4:25 AM, martintheduck said:I'm headed to walmart now to buy some of these suckers!
How are they working out?
ksboy reply :
On 11/6/2013 at 11:37 PM, Waterlogged said:I tried the ziplock approach and I felt like it was hard to dig out exactly what I was digging for. I use some $3 totes with lids that I found at Walmart. The packages that the plastics come in fit perfectly and when filled up and the packages stand straight up and easy to thumb through. I labeled each tote with the type of plastic and ordered them by color inside. Very quick neat and organized.
What size boat you have? How many of these little totes do you put in your storage area?
S Hovanec reply :
I use electronics storage bags from Cabelas. One for dropshot baits, one for tubes, and one for creatures/senkos. Oh, yea....and one for my electronics too.
Waterlogged reply :
On 11/11/2013 at 10:06 PM, ksboy said:What size boat you have? How many of these little totes do you put in your storage area?
I've got a bass tracker 175.
I put 4 in one compartment along with 6 3700 Plano boxes
The ones I use are 14 3/8"L X 8 1/4"W X 6"D
ww2farmer reply :
I keep mine in the original bags, then they are placed in the large 1 compartment deep plano 3700 type boxes. I have one for creatures/craws/jig trailers, one for senkos/worms, one for drop shot/finesse baits, one for misc. stuff like flukes/horny toads/grubs etc.... I keep those boxes stocked out of a large Rubbermaid tote I keep at home full of my supply. The baits in the tote are sorted by type in 1 gallon zip lock bags so I know what to grab.
Nick49 reply :
Like many I use Plano boxes to organize full inventory of hard and soft baits as well as terminal tackle and jigs. I reserve a couple of additional Plano boxes for the boat which contains the hard baits and terminal tackle (i.e. worm hooks, weights, etc) to be used on that particular trip. I use several labeled ziplocks for the soft plastics to be used on that particular trip as well. I am able to fit those plastics in one of those blue carriers that BPS gives you for renewing your membership. That particular bag has a small zippered compartment that I use to store my MegaStrike tubes, wacky o-ring tool, etc.
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