One of the better ways of filling your fishing tackle box is to figure out what your box is going to be for. Is it going to be a general use box or specifically for pike, trout, walleye, pan fish, or bass? Are you going to be using live bait or lures? Answer those questions to get a tailor-made tackle box that will suit all of your fishing needs.
The next step is to get the box. You can get really large complex ones all the way down to small pocket-sized boxes. There are all kinds of good tackle boxes out there. A few of the good name brands are Cabela's, Stren, Bass Pro, and Plano. If you decide to use soft plastic baits be sure the trays inside will resist chemicals that are in the baits. The tackle box should state this on the label.
There are certain things you will need in any tackle box. Needle nose pliers with a good cutting edge would be one that you don't want to leave out. You can get one in a department store or get a workman folding set with multiple tools. As these are very easy to lose, just get the more inexpensive ones and they will do the job just fine.
Get a small folding knife to add to your box. One good brand name is Old-timer, tough but not expensive and will keep a sharp blade. Also a back-up spool of line is something you will be glad you added if you have to change a line in the middle of your fishing trip.
Bug spray, hand towel, zipper bags and a small first aid kit need to be in your tackle box also. You may not use them all of the time, but when you need them you will be glad you included them. If it starts raining, just slip your cell phone in a zipper bag. A hand scale and tape measure are also nice to have in your tackle box, but not necessary if you don't have a lot of room.
Now comes the fun stuff! Putting in your gear. You can put the main items in the general box and use other smaller specialty boxes for the specific fish you are going to be catching.
The general box can have a variety of sinkers, hooks, o-rings, leaders, bobbers, and other fishing gear. The general box can also double as a live bait tackle box, you can just grab it and be ready for most fishing trips. Keep a small selection of tiny jigs, soft body lures, tiny lures, and spinners in your general box as well.
If you are mainly going to fish for bass, set up a box just for them. Plastic worms, spinner baits, crank baits, whatever you use should have a box designed for them. Using a spinner bait box will keep your bait from getting all tangled up together and give you easy access to them.
Your crank bait box should have individual compartments in order to keep the crank baits from getting all tangled together. Soft body baits or plastic worms need to have longer compartments to lay out your bait and keep them protected. Also have compartments for your hooks, jigs, and sinkers for these baits. Sometimes you may need five or more tackle boxes at one time so you will be prepared for whatever type of fishing you want to be doing.
Having well organized and stocked tackle boxes will make it much easier for those spur of the moment fishing jaunts. The motto for a good tackle box is to be well prepared for any eventuality. Get your tackle box in order and you're ready to go!
Did you find these tips useful? For more fishing tips and articles visit my fishing site at http://www.fishingtipsabcs.blogspot.com and get ready to do some fishing!
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