storing your crankbaits, jerkbaits,etc

[jake9995]

Hey guys just wondering how you store your cranks, jerks, traps etc..

I have a ton and i cram them in the hard box, i was just wondering if all of you do the same, and should i be concerned about the hooks getting dull by storing them in the same box....I have tried the boxes that seperates each one but it will take up way to much space and too many boxes.......Your thoughts would be appreciated

[bassfisher02]

I'd say if you are storing them for a long period of time, you should take the hooks off of them, then store them together. If you arent storing them for an extended period of time, I would seperate them, the hooks can dig into other cranks and mess up the outer coating. How I would seperate them? Dont ask me, I dont fish them haha.

[jake9995]

Im not storing them, im using them often. they are always in my bass boat and i was just curious if vibrations will dull them

[bassfisher02]

I'd say either find a way in which you can narrow them down so that putting them in individual tackle storage boxes wont take up too much room, or find a place on your boat out of the way and fasten a long strip of corkboard or styrofoam to the boat and hang them on there, ofcourse every now and then you'll need to sharpen your hooks again, but atleast its a place to put them. But i'm sure another member will chime in here shortly with a good idea...

[Guttboy]

Flyrod showed me some of these "hook keepers" that are made of plastic that you can place on the hooks. It prevents the hooks from scratching up your cranks if you keep them in the plastic lure boxes. Pretty innovative if you ask me.

[millsryno]

I just store mine in Plano clear boxes and have no problems. The plano boxes are cheap so I can buy a bunch of them and keep my lures all organized by colors/depths/brands/etc.

[FlyRod]

The "keepers" Guttboy refers to are otherwise known as "hook bonnets". They are color-coded by hook size; blue for #8 trebles, green for #4-6, and pink for #2. I keep them on ALL my cranks, lipless cranks, and topwaters ALL the time. (I've been known to forget to remove one now and then and wind up making a cast with the bonnet still on.)
When I put down a rod with a treble-hooked lure on it and pick up another rod, I hook the rear treble on the keeper or loop built into the rod (or added after purchase) and put a bonnet on the remaining treble(s).
This may seem rather time-consuming but it actually saves time when one considers that all too often one reaches for a certain rod and winds up struggling to seperate three or four because the lures were left dangling on the tips (which can be dangerous to self and partner, BTW.) Also, a lot of tip guides are knocked out of their frames by lures, especially bullet weights, being drawn into them.
As a general rule, I carry eight-twelve rods with me. By securing the lures on or near the rod grip and placing a bonnet on exposed trebles I save a ton of time, avoid damage to tackle, and avert accidental hookings of gear, self, and partner. When I select a rod from the pile I simply pop the bonnet off, put it in my pocket, unhook the rear treble from the keeper, and fire away.
Storing lures with bonnets on them means using more space in compartments, thus reducing the number of lures one can tote in a given box. Is this necessarily a bad thing? NO! It does, however, compel one to "inventory" his array before each trip and select which lures he might best employ. This means that one actually knows his arsenal better.
Jake, thanks for raising the question. Guttboy, thanks for triggering my response. Some here will, I hope, benefit from it.

FR

[leroy]

I agree with FryWod about the hook bonnets. (Pretty girly lingo if you ask me) Also Falcon has come out with some really innovative new boxes for tackle, look into those. They are alot more expensive then your normal plastic box but should alleviate some worry for you.

[CLENSKH]

I try to keep them all organized but as soon as I get on the water at the end of the day it looks like I just shook em all up and played Yatzee with them. I use plano boxes as well. Just stack em in the boat and label them with whats inside on the edge of the case so I know whats inside.

[zooker]

i have in excess of 500 crankbaits my vote
plano boxes

nuff said

zooker

[lizardsrule]

Man Flyrod it must take you hours to get rigged, and throw baits. I mean, hook bonnets, leaders, etc... I want to tie on a bait and cast for bass. I don't want to spend my only free time placing bonnets on trebbles. Now of course I'm sure you are a lot more organized than I am, but "I" know where everything I need is, and where to get it.

Lizards

[FlyRod]

Originally Posted by lizardsrule

Man Flyrod it must take you hours to get rigged, and throw baits. I mean, hook bonnets, leaders, etc... I want to tie on a bait and cast for bass. I don't want to spend my only free time placing bonnets on trebbles. Now of course I'm sure you are a lot more organized than I am, but "I" know where everything I need is, and where to get it.

Lizards

LOL! Well, I'll bet the time I spend slipping a hook bonnet on or off and unhooking the lure from the hook keeper is far less than most spend trying to seperate several lures (Rogues are the worst!) that have "mated" in the box, or disentangling the results of lures left dangling from rod tips. And, I've never had to "retire" a rod pending replacement of the tip guide due to a bullet weight being forced into it.
As for how "organized" I am, consult Reb re that...mention "Attention to detail."
On a related note; I spend a fair amount of time practicing casting and tuning my reels OFF the water. This may account for the degree of casting efficiency that I enjoy, to include both fewer backlashes and rather good accuracy.
To each his own, but I'll bet I get more CPH (Casts per hour) than those who don't practice the concept I detailed earlier.

Be Safe!

FR

[zooker]

fly is right -i can't belive it either- castin efficiency is key to catching bass.. lets face it the more your lure is in the water the more bites you will get.

i tend to be a neat freak when it comes to my tackle. the faster, easier i can find a bait and tie it on the better i like it.. i also do alot of night fishing in the summer. knowing "excatly" where the bait i want is critical to fishing in low/no light..

again i agree with fly..jerkbaits as a whole tend to be the worst tanglers in the box. i have mine in there own box and only 2 per compartment in the plano box..you rarely lose a jerkbait..

zooker

[JB]

thats the downside of being a jerkbait freak, I own so many that I am forced to keep about as many per compartment in my plano box as possible.
So if you need one in the middle of a 8-9 grouping,
you end up taking all those razer shaper trebs out of other trebles and usually the splitring.
I used to keep the smithwick rogues seperate and the huskiejerks in a dif compartment, and for some reason I keep my xraps in the top water plano.
and then there are the softjerkbaits....hundred of em and thanks to
lizards, a dozen or so more.

[bassinbob]

I used to use hook bonnets. Thought they were a waste of time cause all my baits are in seperate compartments. As per FlyRod I like the idea of putting them on a bait that is tied on a rod. That will save a lot of headaches.

Bob

[Mac10]

Flyrod, where do you get the bonnets? I can't remember seeing them in my catalogs, but may have overlooked. Thanks, and Good Fisning, Mac

[FlyRod]

Originally Posted by Mac10

Flyrod, where do you get the bonnets? I can't remember seeing them in my catalogs, but may have overlooked. Thanks, and Good Fisning, Mac

Mac,

Academy Sports usually has them, as does BPS and (I think) Sportsman's W'house.
It can run into some bux to do all your treble-equipped lures, but you CAN save by only doing those you are carrying and swapping the bonnets off when you rotate your "ammo" as the seasons and conditions change.
I wouldn't be without them.
I'll check out the BPS and Cabela's site and see if I can update this thread with a link a little later.
If you cannot acquire some on your own, I'll be happy to buy some and send same. Don't depend on me to meet the exact date of mailing I might promise. Last week a series of "snafus" caused me to have to send a spool of line by UPS...a few cents shy of thirty bux for that service (Overnight Delivery), rather than a couple of bux via USPS had I made the initially promised deadline. All that so one of our friends here would have it in time for a tourney this weekend. Am I a dumba-- or what? No complaints, as it was MY fault. A promise made is a promise kept.

FR

[FlyRod]

Mac(aroni),

As promised:

http://www.basspro.com/webapp/wcs/st...=SearchResults

Pay close attention to size selection.

FR

[1FASTLASER]

Originally Posted by zooker

i have in excess of 500 crankbaits my vote
plano boxes

nuff said

zooker

Being as I have as many if not more cranks than my ole buddy ZOOK I agree with what he says. PLANO.......and if when you get ready to fish a certain crank I either touch up the hooks or replace depending on what hook style they are. CHEAP insurance on not loosing a bass of a lifetime or that kicker fish needed fopr the weigh in.

[FlyRod]

Another little plug for hook bonnets:

They make life a lot easier when tying a Palomar to attach a long or bulky lure to the line. Try this...tie on a Zara Spook or large swimbait without having a bonnet on at least the rearmost treble. Then try it WITH the bonnet. Do it both ways a few times and you'll gain a greater respect for the bonnets.

FR