Hey guys I know a lot of you have been saltwater fishing for decades. I am a Nebraska boy and have gotten hooked on fishing here in Charleston. I am new and still learning by trial and error. I would appreciate some tips and tricks on how you set up or what you have for a tackle box. I am starting to pick up some gear little by little and looking for a few good ideas on organization and equipment to get the most for my buck. Would appreciate some of you old salts input…
Josh
Yay first comment!
Well I have tackle box, but it isn’t filled from the top to the bottom with lures. Mostly because all the hooks just rust within a week or so because of salt splash. Most people around here use soft plastics on a jig head. I have found during the winter that those are the only things that will actually catch fish. Z-man makes excellent soft plastics, and they are super strong that they will last through several blue fish bites. During the summer and spring there is a TON of bait in the water, so lures don’t work quite as well. You will find that most of the freshwater lures will work in the salt as well, if not better than saltwater lures. Most of my tackle box is loaded with hooks, weights, swivels, etc. As for rods and reels your freshwater stuff should work just fine. Just rinse it with clean water very well after a trip. I hope this information helps a little bit. Good luck out there!
“In every species of fish I’ve angled for, it is the ones that have got away that thrill me the most, the ones that keep fresh in my memory. So I say it is good to lose fish. If we didn’t, much of the thrill of angling would be gone.” Ray Bergman
My inshore tackle bag is about the size of a middle schooler’s over stuffed bookbag. I like to have 2 or 3 of everything because my friends usually end up using my stuff as well. I have 3 trays in the bag.
Tray 1 is full of hooks, jig head and lead. I make sure to have J and circle hooks ranging from size 1 to 4/0 and jigheads (J and circles) from 1/16 to 1/2 oz. I’ll have all sizes of pinch weights, eggs from 1/2 to 4 oz and pyramids from 1/4 to 4 oz.
Tray 2 has lures and plastics. I used to have two individual trays full of each but narrowed down my selection. I have assorted sizes and colors of DOA shrimp, curly-taled grubs, Mirrolures, topwater plugs, and bucktails.
Tray 3 has assorted stuff. I’ve got my floats (popping corks, cajun thunder knockoffs and balloons), swivels (3-way, barrel, ball bearing, and snap), glass beads, crimps and any other little hardware I find necessary.
I also have a tupberware full of Gulps of all shapes and sizes that keeps them all nice and smelly in plenty of juice.
Also in the tackle bag I’m sure to have a dedicated bait knife, filet knife, knife sharpener, pair of gloves, fishing pliers, spare pliers, scale (not a fancy dancy $$$ Boga), spools of monofilament leader (15lb, 30lb, 60lb) an oyster knife (during oysterr season…) and 2 extra coozies. It doesn’t hurt to carry an extra copy of your fishing license as well.
I like to go through every once in a while and reevaluate what I’ve got (what I use and what takes up room) and change my tackle selection depending on the season. I like to be well stocked so I’ve got a 5 gallon bucket that is literally full of extras of everything so I can easily replace what is needed without going to the store.
I’m a fanatic about tackle organization. Don’t ask me to explain my offshore tackle bag, the list will be twice as long…
yella bote
black motor
Hey Rapchizzle- Where do you get circle hook jigheads? Thanks
Ask for them at Haddrells. In a different location than most of the jigs.
Circle hook jigheads?!? SAWEET I need some o’ dem!
“In every species of fish I’ve angled for, it is the ones that have got away that thrill me the most, the ones that keep fresh in my memory. So I say it is good to lose fish. If we didn’t, much of the thrill of angling would be gone.” Ray Bergman
welcome, knotsober. you and rap should see therapists. good call on the owners though 
my stuff lives on the floor, passenger seat, and bed of the truck… maybe i should be the one seeing the shrink.
i like to wade around with a film canister of split shot and hooks, knife on waist, pliers in pocket, and a minnow bucket on the waist.
broluck, i’m trying to say i keep it simple when i can. i think if you’re starting out, you should over-plan for the amount of space you’ll need when putting together the big organizing boxes, but might also want to have a field bag that can accomodate a smaller amount of stuff when you need to mix and match for the quarry. sure, i have topwater boxes, spoon boxes, lead, and hook boxes, etc but i’m constantly wanting a combination of them, and really don’t care to tote them all every time. i also don’t have the right type of brain to want to write on each of them.
to each his own- get things that will allow versatility as you develop preferences and techniques.
quote:Don't send that picture to any therapists or they'll probably be knocking down my door, knowing I'm good for at least 6 months worth of sessions.
Originally posted by barbawangwelcome, knotsober. you and rap should see therapists. good call on the owners though
my stuff lives on the floor, passenger seat, and bed of the truck… maybe i should be the one seeing the shrink.
i like to wade around with a film canister of split shot and hooks, knife on waist, pliers in pocket, and a minnow bucket on the waist.
broluck, i’m trying to say i keep it simple when i can. i think if you’re starting out, you should over-plan for the amount of space you’ll need when putting together the big organizing boxes, but might also want to have a field bag that can accomodate a smaller amount of stuff when you need to mix and match for the quarry. sure, i have topwater boxes, spoon boxes, lead, and hook boxes, etc but i’m constantly wanting a combination of them, and really don’t care to tote them all every time. i also don’t have the right type of brain to want to write on each of them.
to each his own- get things that will allow versatility as you develop preferences and techniques.
But you’re totally right on simplicity and wanting to mix and match. That stuff is on my floor only because my boat is in the shop, otherwise it all fits just like that in my big release well that I don’t use. So when I go shore fishing, or fishing on someone else’s boat I just take out the boxes I need and put them in a tackle bag or backpack.
Don’t even get me started on the containers not shown that labeled by the migrant species alone…
got tons of stuff in my boxes but i find my self carrying a plastic sack with 1/4 oz jig heads, 1 & 1.5 oz egg weights and eagle claw 85 hooks and i throw a few packs of jigs on the console with the sack. This does not mean that i dont keep all of these things in my boxes too just seems easier to get them out of a sack than the tackle box.