Help Reducing Tackle

[weekendfisherman]

Hi Everyone,

I am sure that many of us on here have this issue, (At least our spouses think so!) so I thought that I would see what the consensus is here...I have WAY too much fishing tackle (Yeah, I know...you can never haver have too much..) and I am tired of lugging it around. I am stuck bank-fishing for the at least the next year, or two. I want to narrow down what I am carrying with me. The problem is that even though I have done that, I still have too much to carry.

I am currently using spinner-baits, Senkos, flukes, worms (esp. weightless, split-shot, and shaky-head), rattle-baits (though treble hooks are not ideal for the areas that I'm fishing), tubes, top-waters, etc....

Any suggestions on narrowing the list even further? I would like to get down to only taking 4-5 items with me in a fanny pack. Worms and spinner-baits are a must! I am fishing in several lakes in SW VA and in New River on occasion. The water clarity varies greatly. The fish here are scattered, so I have to do a lot of moving...often through brush, etc.

I'm not looking for favorite lures, etc., but for help in selecting a simple selection to cover my basis.

Thanks for your help!

[CMorg]

While I cant offer you any help , I am going to agree with you and your problem. I too have too much tackle , and it can hurt your fishing if you have too many options. I am in the process of downsizing , and then stocking up on what I actually want to use.

[Jrob78]

I have the same problem. It is hard to downsize when you don't know what you are going to need on a given day.
The plus side of bringing less stuff is it forces you to concentrate on the tackle you did bring. It can be easy to switch lures way to often if you have a whole bunch of options.

[carolina-rig-01]

Do I ever understand your problem, and as silly as it sounds too much tackle really can be a problem. I have a 21 foot Triton that has all the storage in the world, and as a result I carry way too much stuff with me. Over the past year I have started trying to only take what I know I will need, and allow myself a few other boxes and bags of stuff that I think I might need for plans B and C. The rest of my stuff gets put up on pegboard in my garage, which now looks like a tackle shop. The pegboard allows me to keep my stuff very organized and it's easy to put my hands on what I need when I need it. Also I have a bunch of baits that I use all the time and go through a lot. Like certain jig trailers, specific crankbaits, favorite spinnerbaits, ect. and all of this stuff goes on pegboard as well. This is how I keep stuff organized when out of the boat and it's amazing how much money it has saved me because when I can't see what I have I usually go buy whatever I am running low on in the boat and don't realize that I had several of them in boxes in the garage.

As for wanting to put a handful of items in a fanny pack for walking banks. Since spinnerbaits can be fished so many different ways it's a great way to cut down on tackle you take with you because it still gives you a chance to show the fish several presentations. I would carry a few spinnerbaits that give you a choice in blade size and color as well as weight. Then I would carry a few replacement skirts in different colors so you can make changes while you are fishing. It give you so many combinations that it's like having a whole box of spinnerbaits. I would also carry a few bags of softplastics. Maybe pick your two favorite styles of worms, and carry a color for clear water and a bag for muddy water in each style. If your water is always clear or always muddy then you can eliminate half of the colors or carry twice as many bags in colors that fit your water conditions.

This way here you are pretty well fixed up with enough tackle to get you by, but you are only carrying around a few spinnerbaits, a few skirts, and maybe 4-6 bags of plastics.

Not sure if this would work for you or not but it might be worth a try.

[HarveysMinnow]

I believe it's unlikely that anyone will have a magic answer for this problem. As JRob said, "It is hard to downsize when you don't know what you are going to need on a given day." It's also hard to avoid the temptation to buy another lure that looks like it might be a good bait. If we could all be a typical Bass for a day, maybe we would have a better concept of what really is inviting or appetizing - to the fish, not the fisherman. Since that ain't gonna happen, we're stuck with our best guesses based on our past experiences.

/

[Ebbetsguy]

I am feelin this big time
I have reduced my tackle to the colors and baits that work, I have found that the less tried and true choices I have, the more successful ( in terms of FISH CAUGHT) i have become
I do not fish competitively, so I don’t need the biggest, fastest boat to get 27 miles away from where i put in and I don’t need every bait in the world to get one of those all important checks, neither do they but thats another thread and topic
:
What I have is'; Bait caster
4 rigs all 6'6"
2 X MH/fast rods, 2 med/fast with 4 Pflueger Trion NSLP
Spinning:'
one: 6'6" M/fast with a Pflueger Trion x35 reel
Baits
Trick Sticks; in 5 and 4 inch: basically a few black , green and browns
Mann’s Jelly worms, 8 and 12 inch :Black, Purple and Motor Oil
Some Beaver craws, Paddle tailed and Plastic Jerk baits
Jigs and Jig heads, all in the usual black, brown and green mixtures
Jitterbugs
Rapala and bagleys cranks, most without rattles( 12 in all)
Old School offset worm hooks
a few EWG
and weights and split shot for t and c riggin
that’s it, works very good for me

[Marty]

I've never been able to get down to four or five items for bank fishing, but I have cut way down on my tackle. I have a shoulder bag that holds up to six 3600 size boxes. When I go on a boat I rarely take more than four boxes, and just one or two for bank fishing.

Cutting down on tackle for me has not been a matter of choosing lures, except to a small extent, but more a matter of attitude and confidence. I believe if a fish will take a crankbait, then it would also have taken any number of crankbaits that would have been in the same place at the same time. Same for spinnerbaits, topwaters, soft plastics, etc. I also believe that if a fish will take a given color then it would take any number of colors.

Consequently, I don't feel I need a big selection of lures. My partner's just the opposite; he's got enough to stock a tackle box and is incapable of cutting down.

[keithdog]

Sounds like we all can relate. Here is what I do. I take into consideration the season to start with. Is it prespawn, spawn, post spawn, hot summer water, fall, and so on. Then I consider what pattern the bass are in "generally" that time of year. Also taking into consideration the body of water your going to be fishing, and the type of structure the lake has, types of cover, what will the bass most likely be feeding on, and what is going to be my access to cast. In other works, am I going to be casting from an open bank or squeezing in between brush and under overhanging branches and so on. Next I look at what the weather conditions have been for the past week and what is expected overnight and into tomorrow. Post frontal conditions are going to make the bite much tougher than say an overcast morning with light showers. And my choice of lures will be very different for both. Also, consider the fishing pressure. Is the lake heavily pressured? If so, try choosing a lure that is different from what the rest of the anglers are throwing on a daily basis. Be an oddball!!! Familarity of lures to bass is good for the bass, not for the bass fisherman. If you think about all these factors, you can usually come up with a game plan and that makes choosing the proper assortment of lures to take much easier. You can also take a few extra fall back lure to leave at your vehicle and return to if needed. Also, something you might want to do is start an easy record of your days outting on a callender. Just mark cloudy/post spawn, lizard for example on the date square on a callender and keep those calenders for future reference to look back on in following years for the date your fishing. There are certain lures that work better for shore bound anglers. My choices would be spinnerbaits, soft plastics, top water baits, floating jerk baits, shallow square billed cranks, 1/4oz jigs, and frog baits. Hope this helps.

[cassidyta]

The simplest way would be for you to send me all of yoru gear and I will send back only what you need. I am here to help.

Okay, the serious answer is what most have alread said. Stick to what works the most consistantly.
For shore fishing, I try to stick to a couple of bags of plastics. (Merged into ziplock)
A spinner bait, a hard jerk bait, something topwater, and then my terminal tackle.
I have found myself taking things out of the boat before I head out for a tourney. I was spending more time changing baits at a spot then I did fishing the spot.

[pro reel]

I used to do a lot of bank fishing before I got my pond boat. I also got tired of trying to carry a full size bag, but I hated getting that far away from the truck without everything I might need. The best bet for me was to wear cargo pants or shorts. I stuck a few bags of various plastics with extra hooks and sinkers in one pocket. I found a small CD case that held 6 spinner baits and it fit in another pocket. Then I got a very small tackle bag with a bassmaster subscription. I would load 2 small trays with a few of each bait that I thought I might want to try and the front pouch held clippers and pliers. It was light enough to carry from spot to spot with no problem. I now have a 14 ft fiberglass boat on a tilt trailer. I can launch it at just about any small pond with bank access and I'm back to carrying a small tackle shop with me.

[bamabassman]

I have to agree with most all the above statements. But do remember the time of year and the weather on the days you are fishing. This plays alot into what you will need and use to get what you want. Good luck buddy, hahahhaaha, downsizing is hard to do.

[Imgoodatwhatido]

Here is what I do. I made a creek/river/pond box. I fish a lot of flukes in the waters here close to home. I use Strike King 3X zulu's. They will stretch 4 feet and you WILL NOT ever wear one out to the point of not being able to use it. This makes it able to carry 2 or 3 of them and not a whole bag. I keep them in a ziploc bag. In this ziploc I also have a few speed vibe craws, a few auger tails, and a few rage shads. That covers all the soft plastic fishing i do close to home. I have a rattle trap box with hooks, bullet sinkers, and a few glass beads for my texas and carolina rigging. I even keep a couple drop shot sinkers and hooks if I need them. My point is that its not what you take, Its how much you take. I carry two spinnerbaits with me both are 3/8 oz terminators with a smokey shad skirt on one and a chartreuse shad on the other. A small pop-r, spitn image and a couple bitsy bugs and thats all I take. Pretty much covers everything. Hope this helps

[Bender]

I've been fishing from shore quite a bit this year since I've been traveling and taking a small amount of stuff with me. I usually take 2-3 rods, one hard box (3600?), and a little tackle bag that I got at Dick's for cheap. In the hard box there are traps, jerkbaits, crankbaits, poppers, jigs, etc. The little bag has several pockets so in one side there are weights and shaky heads, the other small side pocket has 2 spools of leader material. In the smaller top pocket I put hooks in their packages, 10 different ones maybe. In the main bigger pocket I put plastics in their bags, 15-20. There is one more thin mesh pocket on the front where I put pliers, a Spike-It marker, and scent. It works out pretty well and I'll try to get pics tomorrow. It is out in my rental car in the parking garage here in Texas now along with 3 rods. A 6'10" Medium spinning, a 7' MH casting, and a 6'3" ML casting. I usually use a 6'6" M casting instead of the 6'3" for topwater and jerkbaits but the shorter one is new so I want to try it. The bag is actually pretty small so it is easy to carry around.

[cassidyta]

When shore fishing, this has been a life saver for me.
http://www.basspro.com/webapp/wcs/st...SSSELL_PRODUCT

When going into the areas where I have to hike alot, I will usually take the reels off my rods and store them in the backpack. Then I bungie the rods to the top of the pack. This does not work if you have to go off a real path. I have one lake where the only way to get to it is a 4 mile hike on a good path.

[Jrob78]

Originally Posted by cassidyta

When shore fishing, this has been a life saver for me.
http://www.basspro.com/webapp/wcs/st...SSSELL_PRODUCT

When going into the areas where I have to hike alot, I will usually take the reels off my rods and store them in the backpack. Then I bungie the rods to the top of the pack. This does not work if you have to go off a real path. I have one lake where the only way to get to it is a 4 mile hike on a good path.

That's what I use too. It really is perfect for shore fishing when you need to carry a lot of stuff.

[walkeraviator]

I tell ya, wade fishing flats in TX for trout really revolutionized how i bank fish. Before, i would take my big bag hung over my shoulder with 4 3600 boxes and a bunch of other crap, and 3 rods. After wade fishing where you cannot set down the box while you fish I got in the habit of a small box hung around my neck and 1 rod. So i have 1 7' Medium spinning rod with 8lb flouro on it. And in my box I have:

Bullet weights, drop shot weights
EWG hooks, drop shot hooks, and wacky rig hooks
shakey head Jigs
Couple Finesse Jigs with trailers on em... green pumpkin and black/blue
White X-rap
Rapala Floater in black/silver
daiwa peanut crank (dont matter what color in my opinion)
And an assortment of plastics:
Yum Dingers in Green Pumpkin, Watermelon/Red, and Baby Bass in 3-6 in sizes
7" power worm in green pumpkin, watermelon, black/blue
5" Berkley Power Shakey Worm in Green Pumpkin, watermelon/red
Zoom Super Fluke in pearl, green pumpkin
Reactin Innovation Smallie Beavers in you guessed it Green Pumpkin and watermelon/Red

see a pattern in my colors?

However, if i am going to fish somewhere a different color or lure may work, i can always substitute out something for something else. I have been known to thrown buzzbaits and tiny torpedos in the box if i am gettin out real early. Fishing this way is how i finally learned how to fish a wacky rigged senko this year....

Next year I plan on fitting a similar sized box in my camel back so i can carry water with me and it makes it easier to get through the realy thick stuff when trying to get to a fishin spot... the over the shoulder box i have now gets hung up on stuff now and then.

[walkeraviator]

Here is a link to the box i use...

http://www.foreverlastonline.com/zoo...ges/new008.jpg

[Raul]

I swear.... I can fish almost anytime/anywhere with these: a bag of 5 inch curly tail grubs, a handful of jigs, a couple of spinnerbaits and a Jitterbug, but as Marty mentioned, it´s more a matter of confidence and attitude, I´ve been able to downsize to a sidepack that holds a 3600 T-box plus a few bags with essentials ( like terminal tackle ) and that´s it but even though I know I can fish with what´s in the bag there´s always that little voice in my head planting the seed of doubt ---> "you shure you brought enough ?"

[weekendfisherman]

Originally Posted by cassidyta

When shore fishing, this has been a life saver for me.
http://www.basspro.com/webapp/wcs/st...SSSELL_PRODUCT

When going into the areas where I have to hike alot, I will usually take the reels off my rods and store them in the backpack. Then I bungie the rods to the top of the pack. This does not work if you have to go off a real path. I have one lake where the only way to get to it is a 4 mile hike on a good path.

I have several fishing backpacks. But, I am looking to only carry a few things in a waist pack...I went out fishing a while back and only had limed time...I only took a bag of plastics and a few spinner-baits and had a blast! That's partly what got m thinking about how overcomplicated we have made bass fishing. I carry some great stuff that has never seen water-as I am sure most of us do.

I want to pick the 3-4 things that I would have the highest statistical chance of hooking a bass with...I may not have everything for every possible situation, but I should have what I most often need for nearly anything that I will face. The light weight (and the lack of stress from constant lure changes) would be worth it! I like to walk the bank while fishing a spinner-bait or swim-jig...Then on the way back, I'll switch to a slower bait like a worm, or Senko and fish...

I may have just answered my own question! Lol!

[islandbass]

From one shorebound wonder to another, just ask yourself honestly which lure types, colors and shapes have truly been effetive for you. I know what it's like to lug bags of stuff around myself. What a pain in the rear, and it's even more painful when you realize you're lugging this junk around and 90% of it is never even going to be tied on. Arrghh!

The epiphany of realizing that really on a select few colors and lures were truly effective. I separated the most effective from my pile of junk so that my cranks go in a plano or two, jigs and other lures in other planos and soft plastics in their original bags are put in my small B.A.S.S. bag. The planos go into my backpack and I take the planos I think I will need to use.

Depending on the length of the trip, the backpack might or might not come. Long trips, yes, short stints, no. I have smaller planos that can fit in my B.A.S.S. bag to bring a handful of hard baits, jigs, and other things and I am good to go.

I just got sick and tired of lugging junk around that I just never used or got around to using.

It has really worked and unused stuff will stay in a cardboard box in the garage. Give the rest to kids or organizations that help kids fishing. You'll feel better about it too.

Lastly, I used to carry 4-5 rods and that can be hard to lug around too. I learned most of the fishing I do can be handled with only 3-4 rods, leaning on 3.

1 Spinning rod for the finesse stuff (medium light)
1 casting for the treble lures and lighter single hooks (med power)
1 casting for the single hook lures (medium heavy power)

The 4th could be light to ultra light if I know the bite is going to be seriously tough or a heavier rod.

Bam! Done deal. If you need help on how to carry multiple rods easily, do a search on the words rod quiver.

[bassboogieman]

Been there, done that............ SEVERAL TIMES. Trust me.......... IT DOESN'T WORK. I've given up trying. As a boat owner (also a TR-21 as mentioned above) I have ample storage and the unending need to fill it up. Whatever I think I may need is on the boat............. somewhere. A lot of stuff I seldom use is also on there............. somewhere. I've cut back on my rods - only to buy another I "really needed". Two years ago in an effort to reduce the number of hard baits I had on the boat I sold a lot in excess of 200 lures. Now, BINGO! I've repalced every one of them. Really, I think I've hit upon the answer on how I will make my fortune - start a 12 step group to help Fishermen with Addiction to Tackle. That's correct, I'm calling it "FAT". Watch for the website, comming soon. My slogan will be: Get Rid of Your FAT.

My probem is shared by many I'm sure. I carry 18 rods on my boat - it's CRAZY - will I use all of them during the day? NO, but I MIGHT need ANY ONE of them. That's totally crazy thinking, but I know I'm not alone. Two dozen spinnerbaits - 18 too many (how many agree?). Traps - probalby 50, what was I thinking? Crankbaits, crap at least 150 of various sizes, diving depth, OMG the colors cover the spectrum. Chatterbaits are my NEW FAVORITE bait - about 30 of them. Addiction, for sure. Soft plastics? Best way to describe those would be in POUNDS - about 30 pounds of plastics. I definitely need professional help getting rid of FAT (and I carry an extra 50 pounds of that too). OH how could I forget? Jigs - I've got 30 or more AND I hardly EVER fish them, WTH is wrong with me? Hooks and sinkers in the hundreds. Spare line - spools of various types and strength, and WHY do I have spare line? I never respool a reel on the water - I CARRY SPARE REELS, yes spinning and casting. This is nuts.

OK, I'll stop now. It's not all entirely true, but close. Just hope you all realize this was poking fun at the addiction we all know as fishing. If you started laughing at me, well hope you enjoyed my rant.

[weekendfisherman]

Thanks for the replies.

[nofearengineer]

If you're serious about reducing your tackle, I can PM you my shipping address if you like.

I don't know....I suppose I have too much tackle. I take ten rod/reel combos with me, as well as hundreds of hardbaits and bags and bags of plastics. It's all personal preference I guess, but I LIKE having all of that stuff with me. True some of it doesn't get used a lot, but hell...if I decide on a given day to use something different, I know it's there.

I have the advantage of keeping my boat in my garage, so my boat doesn't have to be loaded/unloaded as much. I guess my boat is my tackle box. I'm sure that is part of the way I look at it.