I have always been a firm believer in being prepared for most every situation and therefore have always packed heavy for most any occasion. Fishing is no different I usually carry enough tackle to have extras, spares, backups, other choices, for what ever the situation. Fishing from a center console I have to be extremely space conscious as well. Carrying a lot of gear in a small space therefore requires one to be extremely organized and as well as somewhat creative with storage space. I despise having a tackle box in the middle of the cockpit floor taking up valuable fishing space and had been considering installing some built in tackle drawers to at least handle my terminal tackle. Unable to find a suitable location for the built in boxes as well as being reluctant to cut a large hole in my console or elsewhere for the install I started looking at the T top for tackle storage space.
Provided herein are a few simple steps to adding some tackle storage to your T top. Please keep in mind all tops are constructed different and this solution may not necessarily work on all tops. Also keep in mind this is not necessarily a cheap homemade remedy but it does work and it looks like a professional install once completed.
1. Begin by measuring the distance between and to the outside of the horizontal supports on the top. By top horizontal supports I am referring to those that run just beneath the canvas, parallel with the length of the boat, and tie the front of the “hoop” to the back of the “hoop”. Also measure the distance from the canvas to the base of the tubing.
2. Next check the discount stores, fishing tackle stores, and hardware stores for organizer drawers. They all sell different sizes, therefore it may be necessary to look around some for the best drawer size for your top. The drawers should add up in length to be close to the length between the horizontal supports on the top determined in step 1. The draws should be as tall as the distance measured from the canvas to the base of