Tackle Storage - Protect Your Investment
Have you purchased a fishing lure lately? If so, you know there are more styles and colors than ever before and they are not cheap. With lures like the Rapala Tail Dancer going for $10 a piece and more it is extremely important to keep these lures in excellent shape. It doesn't matter if you fish once a year or 100 times a year, you want to make sure your lure is in excellent condition. It can be the difference in catching a fish of a lifetime or ending the day with a big fat zero.
Protect Your Gear
I have been using Plano Storage Boxes as long as I can remember. Using a quality box is more important than ever. The Plano 3700 Series Pro Latch box pictured below has over $300 in Rapala Tail Dancers.
Water Is Not Your Friend
The most important thing you can do is keep water out of your storage boxes. Water that gets trapped in storage boxes will rust hooks and split rings. To make sure there is no water in your boxes open the box and run your finger on the inside of the top. If you feel any moisture leave the lid open until the moisture evaporates. This will not take long if the box is exposed to sun light. Make sure the box is placed in a secure area where the box will not be stepped on or tipped over. I always check the boxes at the end of the day to make sure there is no condensation in the box.
Tips to Keep Water Out
- Inspect and replace boxes that have cracks or broken latches.
- If bait has been in the water, shake off excess water before placing in box.
- Don't leave boxes open in the boat - water will not get in when the box is closed.
- Don't leave boxes on the floor - stepping on a box that was left on the boat floor has ruined a lot of boxes and lures. It is even worse if the box is open when it is stepped on!
- When stowing in a boat compartment make sure the box is free in clear from the latch - I recently ruined a box by not paying attention to where I placed the box.
Other Options
I have so many Plano boxes that I can't justify replacing them as they work just fine and last forever, as long as I don't puncture a hole in them. However, moving forward I will be buying their Hydro Flo boxes. The boxes are made with small holes so water will flow through the box. You can check these out here:
Plano has everything you will need to protect and organize your gear. In addition they have waterproof cases to protect electronics or anything else that needs to stay dry. You can check out their entire product line on their website http://www.planomolding.com.
