What's in your tackle box?

[Spudnut]

Hope this finds all of you healthy and safe. Seems like we are still a couple of weeks away from the kayak season here in Alberta, so I spent some time over Easter cleaning up my tackle box getting ready for 2020. Decided to add it to our video series including a new giveaway for some lures. As primarily pike fisherman, we tend to focus on spoons, but would love to hear what others use with great success.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yV0kfE4N...KHJ4AaABAg

[EZM]

I yearn for the day I don't have tackle trays and totes all over the boat. Unfortunately, anyone who owns a boat has learned "it so easy to bring everything on the boat with you".

I likely have >200 crankbaits in the boat, maybe 500+ lures between spoons, spinners, jigs, etc...

Problem is, I likely use only maybe 50-60 of these on a regular basis. Many of these are different sizes or colors of the same item and some "spares" of the go to lures.

Having said all that, you could whittle it down ….

Everyone in Alberta should have …

1) Assorted jigs and tails
2) Spoons
3) Spinners
4) Crank Baits
5) bouncers and blades
6) hooks and sinkers and terminal tackle

pretty much allows you to fish in most places for most species

https://i.imgur.com/RFiVXWU.jpg

https://i.imgur.com/SLmrayX.jpg

[Smoky buck]

Umm I would have to find it all to even know what I have :thinking-006:

I find random lure unopened or lures I have made and not used all around the house, in my truck, and shop. I have gear to catch everything in western Canada in both salt and freshwater

My wife better not start calculating how much things cost

[Spudnut]

:)

[Bushleague]

I've been doing more fishing from shore and out of the canoes the past few seasons, so I've downsized what I actually take with me quite a bit.

Basically I have a small two sided tray for predators that has some spoons, spinners, and jigs on one side. The other side has a couple spinnerbaits and rattle traps. This is what I take with me when I wander down the shore.

I have another small tray that has a few shallow divers, a couple deep runners, and some heavyer jigs that comes out in the canoe with me. Between these two boxes I'd be pretty confident fishing any pike/ walleye lake in the province.

I have another small tray with some terminal tackle that I take when I plan on fishing bait, and a very small two sided trout box. The trout box has got spoons, spinners, and nymphs. I can fit that little box in my pocket, but I've fished a pretty good variety of trout waters across Alberta, BC, and the Yukon with good success.

The boat however, still has way more stuff than anyone could ever need stashed in it, mostly for lack of a better place to store it.

[Bushleague]

Pics or it didn't happen eh? While its a fraction of the amount I used to consider necessary I've found it to be about all you really need to catch fish anywhere in AB. I keep trying to cut back a little more, but it does seem like I've hit a fairly practical minimum.

https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/49827874017_3c7a55c5ae_k.jpg (https://flic.kr/p/2iV7SYa)DSCF1430 (https://flic.kr/p/2iV7SYa) by , on Flickr

[Osky]

For pike besides spoons plugs and Rapala type lures. Jigs with rubber swim/paddle tails. A favorite is a good sized bass type single spinner bait, with rubber skirt and big Colorado blade.
Bring it in deep,or over weeds, or rod tip up reel it fast enough to gurgle the surface.

Osky

[Osky]

Pics or it didn't happen eh? While its a fraction of the amount I used to consider necessary I've found it to be about all you really need to catch fish anywhere in AB. I keep trying to cut back a little more, but it does seem like I've hit a fairly practical minimum.

https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/49827874017_3c7a55c5ae_k.jpg (https://flic.kr/p/2iV7SYa)DSCF1430 (https://flic.kr/p/2iV7SYa) by , on Flickr


No doctor spoon?

Osky

[Bushleague]

No doctor spoon?

Osky

With spoons I tend to buy Canadian... just cause I can.

As I said, I do have a couple spinner baits like you mentioned and a couple rattle traps on the back side of that spoon/ spinner box. Using single hooks on my spoons and spinners they are pretty weedless and I feel that I could almost lose the spinnerbaits, but cant quite bring myself to make that cut.

[Osky]

With spoons I tend to buy Canadian... just cause I can.

As I said, I do have a couple spinner baits like you mentioned and a couple rattle traps on the back side of that spoon/ spinner box. Using single hooks on my spoons and spinners they are pretty weedless and I feel that I could almost lose the spinnerbaits, but cant quite bring myself to make that cut.


Agreed. I change out all my spoons and many other lures with #3 or #4 heavy style shaugnessy style hooks. Lake trout spoons and lures are all changed out as well.
The Rapala style and smaller baits get changed out as well but with smaller hooks. I do not run any with triple locations, only two hooks on a lure.
You can purchase hooks with pinch able eyes and put one right on the single hook of those spinner baits. It lets you lengthen the look by putting a rubber trailer on that second hook, the rubber further back and clear of the skirt. Also allows a better color contrast choice on that back hook.

Osky

[Rvsask]

As primarily pike fisherman, we tend to focus on spoons, but would love to hear what others use with great success.

Primarily pike fisherman here as well.:) Obviously we throw spoons, Williams Whitefish as big as they come in the gold and silver hammered pattern has been best, but we throw other things too. When pike move into deeper water I have great luck with a Storm Flatstick, both the 6" version and the big one, I think it is 10". I've got a bunch of big crankbaits ranging in size from 6" to 12" that dive to different depths. All of them get used at different times. Big softbaits work well for us too. Searchbait by Storm is a good one, in the biggest variety. Unfortunately they don't last forever. and I have to restock on them after a great day of laker fishing last October. We catch and throw back a lot of 40" pike every year and they have been caught on just about everything. It is not uncommon to catch some big pike on larger jigging spoons either. Bucktails have their time and place too. We do not catch a pile of fish on them but we have caught some behemoths. The best thing about chucking the bucktails is knowing they're handmade in our house by my kid. Here's a "first fish" on one of his creations.
https://pbs.twimg.com/media/CO1BM7bU8AEStt7?format=jpg&name=large

[58thecat]

No doctor spoon?

Osky

Len Thompson....5 of diamonds.....all ya need....but of course like most of us we have a sickness....and every time we stop in a store we end up over in the fishing isles....with another handful of "this looks interesting"....:)

[Smoky buck]

Primarily pike fisherman here as well.:) Obviously we throw spoons, Williams Whitefish as big as they come in the gold and silver hammered pattern has been best, but we throw other things too. When pike move into deeper water I have great luck with a Storm Flatstick, both the 6" version and the big one, I think it is 10". I've got a bunch of big crankbaits ranging in size from 6" to 12" that dive to different depths. All of them get used at different times. Big softbaits work well for us too. Searchbait by Storm is a good one, in the biggest variety. Unfortunately they don't last forever. and I have to restock on them after a great day of laker fishing last October. We catch and throw back a lot of 40" pike every year and they have been caught on just about everything. It is not uncommon to catch some big pike on larger jigging spoons either. Bucktails have their time and place too. We do not catch a pile of fish on them but we have caught some behemoths. The best thing about chucking the bucktails is knowing they're handmade in our house by my kid. Here's a "first fish" on one of his creations.
https://pbs.twimg.com/media/CO1BM7bU8AEStt7?format=jpg&name=large

There is a different level of satisfaction catching fish on lures or flies you make. I got hooked on this as a kid and it has only escalated over the years. I have a bedroom set up in my house just for lure making theses.

[Lowrance Fishburn]

You don't want to see the obscene amount of tackle I have. Im not even bragging really, its stupid. I use the same 5-10 lures regardless and yet I have a garage FULL of stuff. It's almost more of a collection...Best line i've been told, "Some lures are meant to catch fish...others are meant to catch fishermen".

[Osky]

You don't want to see the obscene amount of tackle I have. Im not even bragging really, its stupid. I use the same 5-10 lures regardless and yet I have a garage FULL of stuff. It's almost more of a collection...Best line i've been told, "Some lures are meant to catch fish...others are meant to catch fishermen".

You are so right. About 5-6 years ago the beautiful Mohican was hovering around on her lifelong quest to clean and organize and locked on my gear. She then asked about my insurance coverage in relation. I laughed but to quiet her I started with my musky gear, laying it all in neat rows for pictures.
First of all the amount of coverage over a 4 stall garage floor was incredible but then when she made a matching list with Replacement costs as best I could relate I was stunned. The rest of that day and the next we did all my fishing gear iincluding rods and reels.
The replacement valu you would never believe, and had she not listed and photographed it all laid out my insurance would not have covered were there a fire, storm, theft, whatever.
I thanked her well for her foresight.

Osky

[Smoky buck]

You are so right. About 5-6 years ago the beautiful Mohican was hovering around on her lifelong quest to clean and organize and locked on my gear. She then asked about my insurance coverage in relation. I laughed but to quiet her I started with my musky gear, laying it all in neat rows for pictures.
First of all the amount of coverage over a 4 stall garage floor was incredible but then when she made a matching list with Replacement costs as best I could relate I was stunned. The rest of that day and the next we did all my fishing gear iincluding rods and reels.
The replacement valu you would never believe, and had she not listed and photographed it all laid out my insurance would not have covered were there a fire, storm, theft, whatever.
I thanked her well for her foresight.

Osky

And once all was finished she grabbed the credit card and headed shopping because she knew she had something to hold against you if there was any argument lol

[manitou210]

These spoons are amazing good for eveything,trout, walley,pike
bass, white fish etc
cast and jig spoon great for lake trout trolling with wire line
they come wraped in paper to protect finish, they have silver in coating
you will not be disapointed with this spoon
manitou

[EZM]

You don't want to see the obscene amount of tackle I have. Im not even bragging really, its stupid. I use the same 5-10 lures regardless and yet I have a garage FULL of stuff. It's almost more of a collection...Best line i've been told, "Some lures are meant to catch fish...others are meant to catch fishermen".

I am guilty of the same thing. I was re-organizing a couple years ago, and found an obscene amount of gear still in packaging in the garage, in my totes, in some bags still from the store, in tackle bags, etc... I laterally needed a "WFT wake up call".

I ended up filling a big tub (like a bus boy tray) 24"x15"x6"deep packed full of unopened spoons, extra spools of line, terminal tackle, floats, sinkers, crankbaits, Dispsy divers, some pliers, scented baits ……….. you name it ……. it was there.

I was re-hooking the year before that, and ordered some hooks, and wanted the price break 3+ packages - I had over 500 unused still in package replacement hooks and over 1000 rings !!!!! just sick and a waste of money.

Since then, when I go into the fishin' hole (or wherever) to pick up bait, I get bait and get the hell out of there.

No extra hooks, terminal tackle, and all those things that I think I need or that I think I need backup and spares of.

When I think about it, I'd go in to buy $20 worth of bait and likely left with $100 or more of stuff every single time. And I was there pretty much weekly.

Crazy - real wake up call for me.

I ended up giving away 30+ rods and reels and literally a large cooler full of lures and 6-7 tackle bags and trays.

Funny thing is, I have a few dozen go to lures or set ups that I use to do 95% of my fishing. They would likely all fit into on average sized tackle bag.

[Smoky buck]

Starting to sound like we need to start a tackle hoarders anonymous on AO :thinking-006:

[Buckhead]

You could include me in that. 50 years of hoarding.
I ended up with more lures and tackle than you can imagine.
Started giving away stuff about 5 years ago to anyone that would take it.
I still have more than I could use in 10 lifetimes.:budo:

[pinelakeperch]

What isn't in my tackle box is the question :)

[Bushleague]

I am guilty of the same thing. I was re-organizing a couple years ago, and found an obscene amount of gear still in packaging in the garage, in my totes, in some bags still from the store, in tackle bags, etc... I laterally needed a "WFT wake up call".

I ended up filling a big tub (like a bus boy tray) 24"x15"x6"deep packed full of unopened spoons, extra spools of line, terminal tackle, floats, sinkers, crankbaits, Dispsy divers, some pliers, scented baits ……….. you name it ……. it was there.

I was re-hooking the year before that, and ordered some hooks, and wanted the price break 3+ packages - I had over 500 unused still in package replacement hooks and over 1000 rings !!!!! just sick and a waste of money.

Since then, when I go into the fishin' hole (or wherever) to pick up bait, I get bait and get the hell out of there.

No extra hooks, terminal tackle, and all those things that I think I need or that I think I need backup and spares of.

When I think about it, I'd go in to buy $20 worth of bait and likely left with $100 or more of stuff every single time. And I was there pretty much weekly.

Crazy - real wake up call for me.

I ended up giving away 30+ rods and reels and literally a large cooler full of lures and 6-7 tackle bags and trays.

Funny thing is, I have a few dozen go to lures or set ups that I use to do 95% of my fishing. They would likely all fit into on average sized tackle bag.

Before I started my downsizing phase, we had some guys installing an overhead crane at our shop that I took out fishing while they were in town. One of the guys claimed to only use one lure, a white twister tail grub with a pink head. We went out 4 times, that was all I ever saw him use, and all said and done he caught more fish than me and the other guy who had big tackleboxes full of stuff. According to his co-worker this was not uncommon.

[jungleboy]

Len Thompson....5 of diamonds.....all ya need....but of course like most of us we have a sickness....and every time we stop in a store we end up over in the fishing isles....with another handful of "this looks interesting"....:)

I don’t know what I am doing wrong but I have never had any luck with the 5 of diamonds . My go to for spoons is the lucky strike perch pattern devil bait. Catches fish 60% of the time all the time 🙂. Otherwise I am a big fan on of rattle raps and black Maribou jigs.

[Smoky buck]

I don’t know what I am doing wrong but I have never had any luck with the 5 of diamonds . My go to for spoons is the lucky strike perch pattern devil bait. Catches fish 60% of the time all the time 🙂. Otherwise I am a big fan on of rattle raps and black Maribou jigs.

Don’t worry I am the same way with the old faithful red and white spoon that so many view as a go to pike lure. I won’t even tie one on anymore lol

For the most part I have found most of the well known go to lures are not all that amazing. Most work but I always find something less common that works way better for me

[58thecat]

I don’t know what I am doing wrong but I have never had any luck with the 5 of diamonds . My go to for spoons is the lucky strike perch pattern devil bait. Catches fish 60% of the time all the time 🙂. Otherwise I am a big fan on of rattle raps and black Maribou jigs.

00 or #2 are my go to sizes....I have used them in the mountains to catch trout...oceans to catch bottom fish....here on cold lake for all species...ice fishing I jig'em….but I do have a crap load of others and get impatient so I pick through the pile but usually settle back to these...its good to have these decisions....:)

[58thecat]

Starting to sound like we need to start a tackle hoarders anonymous on AO :thinking-006:

wait until the turd outlaws certain types of lures because of the ability to catch needs to be reduced and has no reason being in the tackle box arsenal of mass destruction...:scared0018:

[Smoky buck]

wait until the turd outlaws certain types of lures because of the ability to catch needs to be reduced and has no reason being in the tackle box arsenal of mass destruction...:scared0018:

Don’t worry I will just start a black market lure ring :scared0018:

[58thecat]

ohhh and I also fell in luv with these too....highly recommend them...another full tray in my tackle box of these.

http://www.lenthompson.com/blog/a-year-with-the-dimpled-series

stop the madness:angry3:


https://shoplenthompson.ca/collections/dimpled-series

[cranky]

Before I started my downsizing phase, we had some guys installing an overhead crane at our shop that I took out fishing while they were in town. One of the guys claimed to only use one lure, a white twister tail grub with a pink head. We went out 4 times, that was all I ever saw him use, and all said and done he caught more fish than me and the other guy who had big tackleboxes full of stuff. According to his co-worker this was not uncommon.

Ive got it narrowed down to only one lure to. Same as guy you mention, only different colour.
This is effective for me. Dont need to carry much,which is great cause i shore fish only. No boat. Cant handle one anymore with heart troubles.

I have no interest in keeping up with anyone else but i catch my share for a old guy.

[Bushleague]

00 or #2 are my go to sizes....I have used them in the mountains to catch trout...oceans to catch bottom fish....here on cold lake for all species...ice fishing I jig'em….but I do have a crap load of others and get impatient so I pick through the pile but usually settle back to these...its good to have these decisions....:)

Agreed. The 5oD in roughly the same sizes is my most consistent producer, its not always the hot lure but it almost always catches good numbers of fish. The orange and gold, and orange and white colors round out my Len Thompsons.

I used to have mixed feelings about the Williams spoons because they are typically quite picky about their speed and prone to twisting up your line badly, but I started messing with the hook size and adding twister tail trailers and came up with a couple recipes that are absolute dynamite on pike. They never have caught walleye or trout as well for me as the Len Thompsons though.

[Spudnut]

Hope this finds all of you healthy and safe. Seems like we are still a couple of weeks away from the kayak season here in Alberta, so I spent some time over Easter cleaning up my tackle box getting ready for 2020. Decided to add it to our video series including a new giveaway for some lures. As primarily pike fisherman, we tend to focus on spoons, but would love to hear what others use with great success.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yV0kfE4N...KHJ4AaABAg

Link not working, try this one:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yV0kfE4NsE8

[Jigsalot]

Left side is my perch and walleye and snot rocket lures on the right side. Just getting my fly stuff out today for some trout fishing coming soon I hope.

[Osky]

ohhh and I also fell in luv with these too....highly recommend them...another full tray in my tackle box of these.

http://www.lenthompson.com/blog/a-year-with-the-dimpled-series

stop the madness:angry3:


https://shoplenthompson.ca/collections/dimpled-series

58 I had a very large daredevil lure like the type your showing. Th entire lure had rows of raised "dimples" if you will. From the top view they looked like rows of little pyramids sticking out, but farther than I've ever seen any other lure hammered out, really rough.
It must have been the light shafting off those hi faces but that silver and blue spoon was devistating on pike in Canadian waters, unreal.
Well of course I had a client who insisted he was an accomplished rod handler and he put that lure on and with a mighty heave he casted and backlashed and the snapping line with my spoon heading mid lake was the end.
I had found it in some offbeat shop in the close out bin while in the south tarpon fishing. 2 bucks maybe. I can't find another and I have sorely tried. Some are like it but not hammered as deep which I Think was the key.

Osky