Tackle Tips

[The Fisherman Guy]

Fishing is a sport surrounded by folklore, tall tales, honey holes and home remedies. Over the years I have seen so many fishing "creations" that I wish I could have documented some of these rigs and jigs, to use myself, and to pass on to other fish minded folk.

With the consumption of tackle that is inherent to fishing, any way to prolong the use of your equipment with special maintenance, or high level tackle box organization, will definitely reduce the cost of fish per pound in relation to the cost of all the tackle that we purchase annually. Not to mention, the reduction of waste in rusted hooks, bottom of the box tangles, and the popped can of Muskol in the tackle box.

What tricks or tips do you employ to keep your equipment and tackle in the best condition possible?

[DarkAisling]

Great thread! At TFH the other day the cashier explained to me that she had spent way too much with the sale that was going on, but that it was alright as her tackle would last her the whole year. I expect my tackle to last "years" . . . not just one year.

Anyway . . . here goes:

• Anything liquid goes into a zip lock bag (in addition to the commercial packaging).
• My non-lead weights get a spray with WD-40 (controversial, I know), but I already lost a bunch to rust this year.
• Tackle box/trays are promptly opened up once inside to dry out: no waiting until the next morning.
• Expensive or delicate items get their own compartment in the tackle box (ideally . . . I've got so much stuff right now that isn't really possible . . . been wallowing in consumerism).
• Like items are stored together. This prevents re-purchasing something I already have (which I've done twice this year as hubby mixed up the tackle box . . . we now each have our own box).
• Don't let anyone else screw with your tackle! (see the above point)

[mooseknuckle]

wish I could say I had any good advice but I'm one of the lazy one's I simply have a look in the box before I go usually lasty minute trip over to CT for leaders spoons and line toss it in the box as unorganized as possible and hit the water. Life is too busy as it is the best part of it all for me is just sitting in the boat with my thoughts and hopes of reeling in the "big one". Sorry didn't mean to steer this one off course guys I'll check bak myself maybe I could learn a thing or two.... naaaaa I'm ditching work early hitting CT and it's out to wab for some monster pike!!! Good day all

[Cal]

The only thing I do is let my tackleboxes air out after a I get home, especily if its been raining. Try to store your rods out of direct sunlight as this weakens your line, also NEVER get anything oil based on your line this will eat it up realy bad in a very short time. Quickly as in within the same hour of contamination depending on the solvent. After using bug spray, wd40, gasoline etc wash your hands thouroghly before going back to fishing.

[The Fisherman Guy]

To keep your tackle box moiture and rust free, throw a Dessicant (moisture absorbant) in the trays, or the bottom of the box. This way if you do get it a little wet, you can just close it up and the Dessicant will eliminate the moisture.

If you don't want to buy them, they are commonly found in shoe boxes, Silica Gel. Convieniently sized to fit in the trays of a tackle box!

[wadeseward]

How does everyone else store there pickeral rigs when there done fishing, they are cheap enough to toss when done, but after putting on good hooks I would rather keep them. I have tubes with plastic ends that I have been using, any idea's?

Thanks

[Geezle]

Originally Posted by The Fisherman Guy

To keep your tackle box moiture and rust free, throw a Dessicant (moisture absorbant) in the trays, or the bottom of the box. This way if you do get it a little wet, you can just close it up and the Dessicant will eliminate the moisture.

If you don't want to buy them, they are commonly found in shoe boxes, Silica Gel. Convieniently sized to fit in the trays of a tackle box!

I like this idea. Any idea where a person could get some of that stuff aside from shoes?

Originally Posted by wadeseward

How does everyone else store there pickeral rigs when there done fishing, they are cheap enough to toss when done, but after putting on good hooks I would rather keep them. I have tubes with plastic ends that I have been using, any idea's?

Thanks

My tackle box has a few big-ish square trays in it...I usually just sorta wind up the rig and stuff it all in there...not the most organised but it works

[RedHeadedFisherman]

Originally Posted by wadeseward

How does everyone else store there pickeral rigs when there done fishing, they are cheap enough to toss when done, but after putting on good hooks I would rather keep them. I have tubes with plastic ends that I have been using, any idea's?

Thanks

i get a pack of 100 "base-ball card sleaves" at the card store, or anywhere
cards are sold.. ( lots of places) . i have a cardboard box 1/2 to 3/4 the hight of the sleive, put the pickeral rigs in a slieave, put in box.. vola! neat and tidy.

[Fishin' Fool]

x2 on the desiccant. They are great for reducing rust/corrosion in the tackle box. You can find them in the box with computer parts and other electrical stuff. Once you start looking for them, you'll be surprised how common they are. The best ones are found in little hard plastic containers as opposed to the paper envelopes.

For pickerel rigs, loose leaders and loose snelled hooks, there are these great little wallet dealies that you can find at some fishin' shops. Basically they are a black vinyl cover with 8 or 10 clear envelopes inside. Each envelope will hold a coiled pickerel rig, or a bunch of leaders. Cheap and simple.

FF

[Geezle]

Originally Posted by Fishin' Fool

For pickerel rigs, loose leaders and loose snelled hooks, there are these great little wallet dealies that you can find at some fishin' shops. Basically they are a black vinyl cover with 8 or 10 clear envelopes inside. Each envelope will hold a coiled pickerel rig, or a bunch of leaders. Cheap and simple.

FF

Never even knew a product like this existed, but now that I do I'll be on the lookout

[John_K]

Originally Posted by wadeseward

How does everyone else store there pickeral rigs when there done fishing, they are cheap enough to toss when done, but after putting on good hooks I would rather keep them. I have tubes with plastic ends that I have been using, any idea's?

Thanks

i think its either crappy tire or walmart that has them, but its basically a foam tube that you wrap the rig around and stab the hook into the foam to hold them in place. i think they hold like 8-10 rigs and are around 5-9 bucks.

[slingshotz]

Best investment so far was a rod case. I used to throw my rods in the back of the truck all the time and driving on all those dusty roads and the bouncing around really beat some of them up.

I usually replace all the trebles on lures with good quality barbless ones (sometimes stainless steel ones for the bigger ones). I've never had any hooks rust yet and I find trebles, even off some reportedly good quality lures, have a bad tendancy to rust for some reason.

It's also a good idea I find to clean out the tackle box every month or so (depending on how much you fish). You'd be surprised at the amount of crap and odd bits you'll find.

[Woody_16]

For p-rigs I use the empty large tins from chewing tobacco. Even with the larger ones they sometimes don't snap shut because of the length of the metal pieces where the hooks attach to the rig, so I just toss an elastic band around the tin to make sure they don't open. Then I just took some white-out (to make a place to write) and a sharpie and wrote on the tin whats inside (p-rig, hooks, etc). Might not help you if you don't chew or know someone who does (my roommate is a steady supply haha) but that's what I have going on.

[Eddy62]

Originally Posted by wadeseward

How does everyone else store there pickeral rigs when there done fishing, they are cheap enough to toss when done, but after putting on good hooks I would rather keep them. I have tubes with plastic ends that I have been using, any idea's?

Thanks

put in a baggie works fine for me

[Toirtis]

Originally Posted by DarkAisling

• Anything liquid goes into a zip lock bag (in addition to the commercial packaging).
• Tackle box/trays are promptly opened up once inside to dry out: no waiting until the next morning.
• Expensive or delicate items get their own compartment in the tackle box (ideally . . . I've got so much stuff right now that isn't really possible . . . been wallowing in consumerism).
• Like items are stored together. This prevents re-purchasing something I already have (which I've done twice this year as hubby mixed up the tackle box . . . we now each have our own box).
• Don't let anyone else screw with your tackle! (see the above point)

X2 + using dessicant packets...I have a bunch in my trays, bags....even in the bottom of my rod cases.

[tara_13]

If I know Im going to use them, again... I'll use the same package they came in, I just take off the weight.

[Kokanee9]

I have seen large containers of that stuff in pet stores and I also saw it in walmart about 3 years ago. It was around the 10 or 12 $ mark for a container about 20% bigger than a bleach bottle. You would have to come up with some kind of a small package to put it into and use it.

[TheKi]

i have a large box where i keep all my gear for every type of fishing i do than a smaller box and a backpack that i fill up with only stuff i need for a trip

[calgarygringo]

As Slingshotz said get a good rod holder bag. The one I have is great. 2 sides to it and I put the heavy duty rods in one side and light weights on the other. Lots of big outside pockets to put extra things. Electronics scale pouch, spare reels, gerber tool kit, and whatever else I put in there. I also have several boxes for tackle so things don't get messed up as much. The big one for the walleye/pike fishing, small one for perch and trout, pocket box for fly and small spinner mountain fishing. It makes it easier going out too when I can take it all or just go with what I will be using depending on location. I do like the dry packs idea for moisture. If someone finds a good suplly maybe post it up for the rest of us.

[stvnda]

Originally Posted by little archer_99

i have a large box where i keep all my gear for every type of fishing i do than a smaller box and a backpack that i fill up with only stuff i need for a trip

x2

I usually only have one tray with me and one small flybox. Anymore than that and i wouldn't run out and have to go home!

[Rick.]

Not sure where I got the idea from (I know it wasn't my own) but started wrapping elastic bands around the trebles on my crank baits. Before I would pull one from the tray and ten others would come out with the one I picked. With the elastics it has really solved the problem of inter-tangled baits. I'm just not sure what the life span of an elastic is. LOL. Anyway, for this season, it has worked well. Rick.

[Toirtis]

Originally Posted by calgarygringo

I do like the dry packs idea for moisture. If someone finds a good suplly maybe post it up for the rest of us.

As Kokanee9 mentioned, you can buy it as the crystal-looking cat litter in pet stores/walmart...you just need a fine mesh bag to put it in.

[horsetrader]

Originally Posted by Rick.

Not sure where I got the idea from (I know it wasn't my own) but started wrapping elastic bands around the trebles on my crank baits. Before I would pull one from the tray and ten others would come out with the one I picked. With the elastics it has really solved the problem of inter-tangled baits. I'm just not sure what the life span of an elastic is. LOL. Anyway, for this season, it has worked well. Rick.

I'm pretty sure it was Dace that posted it with a pic but can't find it but was good tip

[0liver]

I usually toss a couple zinc strips into my box to keep away the rust.

[bloopbloob]

Originally Posted by 0liver

I usually toss a couple zinc strips into my box to keep away the rust.

how does that work? wouldn't every single hook need to be touching a piece of zinc in order for it to work as a sacrificial anode?

[Kokanee9]

Some good tips in here, even though the thread is a couple years old.

[0liver]

Originally Posted by bloopbloob

how does that work? wouldn't every single hook need to be touching a piece of zinc in order for it to work as a sacrificial anode?

I think it just absorbs all the oxides and stuff.. i have no idea HOW it works but it works for me, none of my hooks rust. I'm no science buff so I'd be the wrong person to ask.

[bloopbloob]

Originally Posted by 0liver

I think it just absorbs all the oxides and stuff.. i have no idea HOW it works but it works for me, none of my hooks rust. I'm no science buff so I'd be the wrong person to ask.

well maybe you're just lucky... but zinc doesn't 'absorb oxides'... it just loses its electrons easier than iron (ie. the steel hooks) when they are in contact, so the zinc corrodes instead of the iron, but there must be a connection between them to allow electron flow. Not picking on you or anything, just don't think others should be mislead by the idea. Just stating how (and when) zinc works to prevent rusting of steel. If they don't touch, it won't have any effect.

I don't do anything with my tackle box except make sure there are no puddles of water in there, and have only had a few hooks with a tiny bit of rust over many years.

[0liver]

well there pretty small and i have quite a few [2 or 3 for each tray of hooks..]and they move around alot so at any given time they are touching different hooks. all in all it is better then nothing!

and i wasn't disagreeing with you, i was just saying that it works!

[bloopbloob]

Originally Posted by 0liver

well there pretty small and i have quite a few [2 or 3 for each tray of hooks..]and they move around alot so at any given time they are touching different hooks. all in all it is better then nothing!

and i wasn't disagreeing with you, i was just saying that it works!

that makes more sense, probably would help a bit, better than nothing! thought you meant 1 or 2 strips in the whole box, which wouldn't really be worth the effort IMO.