Florida Surf Tackle Bag
I recently found myself in need of a new storage situation after my Christmas present storage started falling apart and was not cutting it for me. I knew there had to be a better way out there, so I started asking around and found that quite a few of my fishing buddies all had different methods for storing their leaders and lures. Like always, I just had to get these items they talked about to put them to the test for myself (and for you because you deserve it). Also, I have started an affiliate link with Amazon, so if you do purchase something from my writings, you're supporting me as well. I will be working on something with small businesses soon, but I can't let that cat out of the bag yet. Don't worry… it's going to be good!
This was my first form of storage when I finally decided to walk away from my zip lock baggies and notebook I was carrying around while fishing. I liked what many people in the groups were using, especially their homemade versions, and I just decided to go a different route.
What I liked:
The small profile and able to be carried just about everywhere
Lightweight
Holds pompano rigs and other leaders very effectively
Hooks do not protrude through the plastic sheets easily (it will if you force it)
What I didn't like:
Only 10 sleeves (5 sleeves per set), with two sets of sleeves maximum inside the wallet.
Velcro for the wallet failed after a month (stitching came undone from the wallet)
Sand and Velcro are not friends and especially with this wallet. I dropped it once, and the sand moved forever into it. Not a deal-breaker, but not my favorite thing.
Overall: 4 of 5 stars, and it gets the job done. But I needed more storage as I grew in the surf fishing life and realized that I needed to do a bit more for being versatile out there. That brought me to my next one.
Yes, I too shop at WalMart sometimes (as much as it does pain me to say it considering how much I love my local tackle shops), and I found this on a clearance rack, so I picked one up. I will say, in the beginning, this was my thought of the end all be all bag, and I couldn't believe I didn't know about this before. Then I put it through some paces and found a few problems I wasn't thrilled about but still consider it extremely useful.
What I liked:
It had plenty of storage for leaders in the sleeves.
The bag has two other zippered compartments (one outside, one inside) to hold line, tools, and terminal tackle.
The carrying handle is well stitched and comfortable to hold
What I didn't like:
Sand and these zippers hate each other. It was a constant fight if I got some sand in there.
Zippers tend to eat the fabric while zipping up. Not every time, but enough that it was a constant reminder to pay attention.
Its size is a blessing and a curse. It fits ok in my fishing backpack (hydration backpack), but it does not sit flat in a 5-gallon bucket. I know I'm nitpicking at that last part, but I did promise to give you a complete view here.
Overall: 4.5 out of 5 stars. The only reason for the loss was the zippers being a PITA to use
I am a fan of Mark Burford and his business Florida Surf Tackle. I managed to get my hands on one of his tackle bags and have enjoyed using it. It is comparable to the Penn Fishing binder but solved my more significant issue with that one.
What I liked:
15 sleeves for all of my rigs and extras I carry
The zippers are not prone to hatred of the sand. They hold up very well
Also, with the zippers, no issues eating up fabric
Plenty of room to add more sleeves if needed
What I didn't like:
No exterior front pocket. I had to find something, didn't I?
Overall: 5 out of 5 stars. The interior pocket is more than sufficient for my needs. The zipper issue being a non-existent problem makes it much more user-friendly and comfortable to carry around.
Tackle boxes have evolved quite a bit since I was a kid (Haha, it's funny to say that in the text when I'm 40 now and some of you are older than me, which means you know plenty about steel and lead tackle boxes that will last a lifetime). I have a few tackle boxes in my garage, but this little box proved strangely helpful to me after I got it.
What I liked:
Leader dividers that you can wrap your leaders around. This can be useful but also a curse (see next section)
Clasps are strong and keep the lid closed quite well
Dividers on the top section leave plenty of customizable room
The lower section gives a lot of space to add tools and terminal tackle
What I didn't like:
Leader dividers wrap up the leaders, but they will get loose. A rubber band will prevent them from going all over the place, but you will still have to do some organizing and planning to keep them from tangling up.
Overall: 4.8 out of 5 stars. You can pack it all in here if you wanted to and haul it down to the beach. I have enjoyed using it as it has given me the ability to carry both set rigs and lures to the beach with minimal issues to go through. It has held up very well to my occasional rough handling and a few slips from the surf cart. It is worth a look if the bags are not your thing.
Plano is getting a double nod in this article because they do make some decent things for a reasonable price (the Bass Pro link was better because the Amazon one had it nearly double the price, and that would be seriously check valves of me to throw up an affiliate link like that. Not going to happen!) I have been going to the beach with a 5-gallon bucket for a while and realized that I was missing out when I saw one of my friend Tom's cart. Of course, I went and picked one up.
What I liked:
It fits the 5-gallon bucket very nicely
Has lower storage under the trays for more oversized items
Can punch out one of the lower sections to access bucket from the lid
What I didn't like:
If you push it down on the bucket, it becomes an actual lid and is a PITA to get it off.
Lids for compartments do not like to have pressure from the trays, so they won't close very well if you overstuff them.
I have to use the oversize section a bit more for a couple of lures that I could put up top if the tray were a bit more customizable.
It doesn't like to be sat on (that was a fun learning stupidity move on my side there)
Overall: 4.9 out of 5 stars. The lids to the storage trays are my only complaint. They will pop off pretty quickly, but also, they go back on just fine. They are a bit flimsy and, as I mentioned, do not like it if they have pressure coming from the trays, which will make them pop open. Oh, as to the sitting part. Well, it's not a seat. It will fasten to the bucket, and you will have to pry it off to get it out. If you haven't had the pleasure of trying to take a lid like that off a 5-gallon bucket, I invite you to try it without using tools. Words will be said that you might want to be away from people when you yell them out.
I hope this gave you a couple of new ideas for storing some gear when you head out to go fishing. There are many different options out there, and these were just the ones that I have bought and used so far that I like. I have others that I've hated (as we all have), but they didn't need to be in here.
Tell me about what you're using to take your stuff to fish in the comments where you saw this post or in the comments section on here. Thanks for coming by and reading today! If you'd like to request something to be investigated or written about, please send me an email to ourneverendingsummers@gmail.com, and I will get on it. Thanks again, now go forth and do good things!
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