Getting Super Organized.
By Terry Ellis
It’s down to the wire or you are just out fishing for fun. You’re fishing with one of your favorite lures and oops, you get a snag and end up having to break it off.
Now where is that extra crank bait, or better yet you don’t have any extra and when getting to the store, which exact model was it? Was it a 3” or a 4”? A total silver or did it have a black or blue on the bottom? Now days there are so many brands and, models shapes and sizes and gets tough to take keep it straight.
Well hopefully this year you won’t have this problem. I myself am getting super organized this season. First of all I have taken all of my tackle and organized it according to what type it is. For example, all jigs together, all top water such as Hula Poppers and Zara Spooks. Crank baits that are shallow runners separate from deep ones.
After I grouped them all together I placed them all in Plano storage containers. For instance I have one that has just hooks, sinkers and some other terminal tackle. Another with only shallow running crank baits. I have less deep running crank baits, so I have one storage compartment with deep running cranks and the other half has jerk baits.
Once each container is full I take tape and label the end of each storage device. One label may read shallow running crank baits. One may even want to put the depth they run, like 3-8 ft deep or what ever. If you have a container with more then one type of lure then add that to the label, so when you are fishing and need something you can quick glance at the end labels and select which one you need.
I have also labeled some of the separate compartment of each container on the cover. For example I have some Rapala DT’s. I have DT-6 or DT-10 and their model or color listed as well. That way once I choose the proper container I can glance at the cover and find where exactly that lure is in the box. Not only does it help find the proper lure I am looking for, but if I lose it and don’t have extras I can use that label when I purchase a replacement.
For soft plastics I have purchased a 7x7 flip top storage bin that is approx 5 inches deep. I keep the baits in their original package and place around 7-10 in each box.
Again the tops of each are labeled with brand, type of soft plastic, length and color.
Then I added a storage unit to my boat where each Plano compartment can stand on edge and I can read the labels quickly and grab the one I need. Now I know not everyone has the luxury of this but you can make due. At least know where in the boat each compartment is or purchase one or two soft tackle boxes and place 4 or 5 in each. The more organized you are less hassles you will have on the lake and more fun there will be.
Now getting this organized isn’t always that easy. I have fished for years without this. I couldn’t remember everything about every lure. I have purchased many lures over the years and did not know brand, running depth and so on. I had to look at the brand if on the lip of the bait and then tried to look it up on the internet.
Well it may take time to do this, but in the long run it will be well worth it.
If any questions on this email me at basshunterluers@yahoo.com
Good luck and tight lines!
Terry Ellis
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