Having a well maintained and ordered tackle box is one of the most important things you can have as a fisherman. Whether you prefer single trays, tackle boxes or even soft slouch type bags, this article will delve into the pros behind each article and what works best within various applications.

The biggest struggle when fishing from small boats or kayak is the small amount of space available to store your tackle. Single tackle trays are a great way to maximise space while still allowing you to have a decent selection of tackle.

Tackle storage has advanced in leaps and bounds over the last few years, with single trays designed specifically for plastics, hard-bodies and flies. The beauty of single trays is their ability to separate tackle; for example having all slugs and spoons in one tray and using the other trays for terminal gear. Plano has put out an extensive range of waterproof boxes ready for whatever tackle you desire. In terms of fly storage, Scientific Angler have a great range of trays in varying sizes and styles that will help preserve your flies for another day. More of a hard-body fan? Shimano has released a line of hard-body storage boxes that retail for around $22, and are available at all good tackle shops.

If it’s plastic storage you’re after, then have a lash at Shimano and SureCatch’s newly released boxes with ‘worm proof’ technology, made specially for storing soft plastics.

The trusty old tacklebox has come along away from its ancient one-tray predecessors. There is a huge range of colours and sizes on the market these days, catering for every need you could ever have, and these days most tackleboxes are semi-waterproof and UV resistant.

When talking tackleboxes one major market leader comes to mind: Plano. Plano has a tacklebox in every size you can imagine and for almost any application you can think of. They range in price from around $18 to about $140. For applications such as jetty fishing and beach fishing. owning a well organised tacklebox is essential, and will ensure that you are in with a real chance of getting amongst the big ones.

With the new influx of soft plastics sweeping the fishing market, a tidal wave of accessories for these lures have not been far behind. One good way to store your plastics is in a soft pack where all your different coloured plastics are kept separate by zip lock bags. The beauty of this system is having all your plastics on hand, and their condition does not deteriorate as rapidly as those kept in conventional storage methods. They stay in excellent condition, and are nearly as good as the day they were bought. It is an easy system to carry, is light and compact, and perfect for fishing from kayaks or small boats with minimal deck space.

Slouch type bags are becoming more and more popular amongst anglers on the go, especially those fisherman with minimal preparation time and a heap of tackle. Soft bags combine the best of both worlds – they’re easy to travel with yet have great storage features allowing you to fit a number of single trays with your gear in them. Again, Plano has put out a number of styles and sizes that are quite reasonably priced. Shimano is another company that has released soft bags that are very well priced and the quality is second to none. If you travel a lot, soft bags are the way to go.

As you can see there’s a heap of tackle storage options out there, all designed for specific purposes. I hope this article has pointed you in the right direction when deciding how to store your tackle.

Til next month, good fishing.