Tackle Boxes buying guide

Whether you are planning a relaxing family trip to the shore or going on a thrilling expedition, you need some tool to organize your gear and equipment. Tackle boxes present a simple yet efficient way to manage all the equipment.

These boxes are sufficient enough to carry all your essential supplies. With separate compartments, you can easily organize the tools properly. They add a dash of sophistication in the managing process, which keeps all your tools safe and secure.

However, before selecting an appropriate box, you must look into its features. An ill-fitted option will waste your money and will not provide any benefit on your trip.

A buying guide contains all the necessary information on different characteristics of the box. Here, you can quickly evaluate your requirements and make the right purchase. Also, you will get answers to all your common queries.

But, before all this, you should know the product inside out. So, let us give a quick look over the brief introduction of the product

What do you mean by Tackle Boxes? Why is it important to have them?

Traveling to a seashore with your gang to relieve yourself from the bustling city? You, your buddies, the placid water, and a trout on the hook are all you want.

But still, along with your valuable fishing rod, you also need to organize your fishing gears in a planned way.

This is where a tackle box makes its way into your fishing trips. A tackle box is a box, constructed of some solid material, mainly of plastic, which allows you to keep your beloved fishing gears in one place, in an organized manner. Also, the tackle box has a handle on the top of it, enabling you to carry it while on the go.

The box is made waterproof because the tackle box has to be around water all the time, and you will never want your gears to get damaged at any cost.

Moreover, it is highly durable and offers enough space to assemble all your gears, without giving you a headache. Also, it makes your gears portable.

Besides this, it features a transparent lid through which you can get a peek inside the box. It is done to make sure that you are carrying every essential. The best thing is it has adequate space to accommodate your large items and big cabinets to keep your baits.

What to choose: Tackle Bag vs. Tackle Box?

With the advancement in technology and improvement in features, tackle bags are getting more limelight than the traditional, solid tackle boxes.

Though tackle boxes are popular ever since, there are a handful of fishermen out there who have opted for tackle bags and never looked back since then. It entirely depends on your personal choice, which one do you prefer, but it will be more crystal clear if you have a look at both of them.

1. Tacklebox

These accommodate the lures and other fishing gears more neatly. Due to their waterproof characteristic, they can be easily used on boats, where there are chances of water storms to show up.

If you are going with your buddies and do not want to carry more luggage, these boxes come in handy to keep everyone's gears in them. It is because they have adequate space to provide a home to all.

Besides this, their clear lid offers you more liberty to sneak in and pick out the desired item from inside when in emergency. And it can be stored easily on any shelf or in your car's trunk or the garage.

2. Tackle bags

If you are searching for something portable, then bags can be very handy. They can be easily carried, in case you have to walk a mile to reach your fishing destination.

Because you don't have to carry boxes and other containers with you, using tackle bags allows you to transport all your gears to your final destination in just one go.

Hence, keep in mind your destination and the number of members in your group and choose the bag or tackle boxes that complement your fishing trip and make your tiresome tasks a lot easier.

Why should you read a buying guide before selecting a suitable tackle box?

During your fishing trip, the thing that matters the most is how portable and damage-proof your box is. Since you will be carrying a lot of gear on your trip, you will never want the equipment to get damaged at any cost.

When you start searching for the best box which suits you, you come across many sites, and information booklets that may provide you with the authentic information or sometimes may misguide you as well.

To make things easier for you, we have collected all the necessary information about tackle boxes and merged it into a detailed yet understandable guide.

Mentioned below are some vital features governing your tackle box. Before making any decision, let's have a glimpse at all of them.

Types of Tackle Boxes

When you are going out fishing, you carry hooks, baits, and many other essential fishing gears. Keeping the safety of your box and gears in mind, we have categorized the different types of tackle boxes and explained it here so that you can have an idea about how both of them different and which one is suitable for you.

The tackle box is of two types, and they are:

1. Hard case

A classic, old-fashioned box, it is a great choice to carry all your baits and gears. It has a trunk-style design, which earlier used to be a wooden box. Nowadays, the hard tackle box is made out of different materials other than wood.

Plastic shell boxes are more common ones that you can find in the market. It is because your tackle box is exposed to salt and other minerals when carried along the shore. This can rust or damage the material of the box.

If it is a metal box, the metal will be corroded, and if it is a wooden one, the wood will degrade due to moisture attack.

Hence, the plastic boxes are made waterproof so that no mineral or moisture can damage it. Also, this material is light in weight and more durable which gives you the ease to clean it.

Most of the hard tackle boxes have a trunk or suitcase-like shape along with a handle situated at the top or on either side, which helps in locking your tackle box. To have extra control over your boxes, you can also search for the ones that have wheels.

2. Soft cases

When you want your tackle box to occupy less space and be lightweight so that it becomes easier to carry it, a soft tackle box is what you want. These also feature extra pockets so that you can also carry your small essentials while on the way.

Unlike hard boxes, they are made of fabrics like nylon and polyester and have options like shoulder straps, which are soft, and you can easily wear your tackle box like a backpack. This is highly beneficial when you want to have free hands and move freely.

The biggest disadvantage that you will come across while using these boxes is that they can tear off if any sharp object like hooks or knives is kept inside them. The second disadvantage is that they lack the waterproof characteristic in them.

This enables your bag to soak water and moisture, which can lead to damage to your gears, which are made of metal. Though they offer you more portability, their disadvantages pull them down.

Things to deem about while selecting appropriate Tackle Boxes

Size

Planning to go for your dream trip but unable to decide which size is suitable? Well, this problem is faced by many, and it indeed becomes difficult to make one concrete decision.

While you want your box to be bigger but on the other side, you don't want it to become too heavy.

To fix this issue, consider all the fishing essentials that you have and choose an appropriate size that can accommodate all the gears that you have.

But, to have some extra space, in case you need to fit in some other equipment in the future, you can choose a size up to ensure that you never run out of space.

It is always recommended that you pick up mid-sized tackle boxes so that they cater to all your essentials, and you never run out of space for extra gears.

Materials

No single material is the most desirable when it comes to tackle boxes. Every material has its advantages and drawbacks. Thus, it depends on you, which location you prefer, and what you carry with yourself.

Your tackle box can be made of various materials such as:

1. Plastic:

Besides being lightweight, plastic also ensures that your gears are always safe because plastic is waterproof. It offers you the ease of cleaning, and the best advantage is, it does not trap odor.

2. Nylon or polyester fabric:

Lightweight and durability are the features that these fabrics offer. Due to their flexible properties, it is easier to compress boxes made out of these materials so that you can carry them easily wherever you go.

3. Metals:

Being sturdy and long-lasting, metals are a great choice if you want to store your gears. But the main drawback is when you go near water bodies, the minerals and salt corrode your box easily thus, exposing your gears.

Quality of Materials

Quality is the deciding factor when you are searching for the right material for your box. Ensure that the material used should be of top-grade.

If you are opting for plastic, search for boxes made of non-toxic and quality plastic. The metal used as the frame should be corrosion-proof. Try to buy boxes made of stainless steel, but if you can, then avoid using metal boxes.

If you are opting for fabrics, search for the variants that have a coating on them to resist water, if you experience a heavy shower.

The summary is, opt for boxes that are durable and portable but do not compromise with the safety of your fishing gears.

Waterproofing/water-resistant

You are going to stay near the water most of the time. This calls for a box that can endure the harshness of the salt and other materials, most likely to damage your gears.

But you can't go fishing without your gears arranged in an organized way, right? To ensure that your box and essentials are always protected, look for waterproof boxes.

Fishing is an activity that requires you to stay around water all the time. Having said this, you never know when water can secretly make its way inside your bag.

This can corrode your essentials and also lead to fungi formation with that damp smell lingering inside. You won't even like to touch a bag like that, will you?

Since you won't find anything entirely waterproof, you can search for some features which make your box water-resistant to a great extent.

Search for tackle boxes with durable plastic material or fabrics which have an extra coating to keep water at bay. Also, look for boxes that have waterproof hinges to ensure that no amount of water leaks inside.

Investing in a waterproof box is a worthy decision because it helps increase your tackle box's longevity and all the gears that you put into use.

Ease of use and comfort

When you are going outdoors, especially fishing, you need to carry a lot of stuff with you. A hook, bait, lure, and many other essentials find their way inside a fishing tackle box.

While searching among different options available to you, you will find that all the boxes have a different storage system and offer various organization comfort.

The box having a large compartment at its base and trays on either side, also known as hip-roof, is ideal for you if you are a beginner in the world of fishing. Another type is the trunk box.

The trunk type box has several trays opening outside, which are present on the lid. Search for options that also contain dividers inside so that you can customize your box your way.

Also, look at the type of handle provided and pick out the best one to suit your taste. If your bag has a shoulder strap, make sure they are soft, padded, and adjustable.

Besides these features, also search for different boxes that feature extra pockets enabling you to carry other small essentials with you such as scissors, water bottles, etc.

Despite having so many features, the main factor regarding the ease and comfort of your tackle boxes should be weight. Opt for a box that is light and comfortable and holds all your essentials.

Bells or Whistles

It is nowhere recommended that you should purchase tackle boxes based on bells and whistles, but having some is like a cherry on top of the cake. Who doesn't want to own a good-looking fishing box which treasures many valuable gears within it?

You will also come across some boxes that have pre-stocked tackles, which may fascinate you if you are a newbie.

These features depend on your choice if you want to have them or not, but sometimes having something extra is not a bad idea, though!

Durability

Do you have nightmares that your box got damaged mid-way, and all your gears fell into the water? To eliminate your worries, you need to ensure that you invest in a durable box that pays off your investment and works well in the long run.

Tackle boxes which have hard cases have the maximum durability. They acquire this durable characteristic because they are waterproof, unlike their counterparts.

You will find many variants even in hard boxes, and find the right pick for you, emphasize the following points:

1. Choose a strong box that is made using hard plastic.
2. The plastic used in it should be resistant to cracks, stains, and tears.
3. It should be able to withstand the constant exposure to salt and moisture.
4. The hinges and clips should be smooth and working efficiently.
5. Ensure that your box is entirely waterproof because it will be in use when you are around water.

Look for these aspects in your shortlisted boxes and invest in the one which stands on each of the mentioned points.

Lure Compartment

There are many boxes available that are larger and have many compartments to accommodate all your fishing tools.

But if you want to keep your attractive baits, lures, and hooks in separate compartments, then search for tackle boxes that have additional spaces designed for them.

This is a very efficient way to keep your things neatly organized and your small essentials protected so that you can grab them out easily and use them.

Storage

When you are waiting for hours to catch a trout, and suddenly you see one coming towards you, you will always want to access your tools easily and use them.

An ideal tackle box for you should be the one that has enough space both inside and outside of your box to keep all your essentials and offer you easy access to grab them whenever you want.

Hard boxes have foldable trays and drawers which slide, for storing your tools in a planned manner. They also feature storage solutions on the top of the box for keeping stuff like reels and other tools.

Softboxes have customizable pockets and compartments for organizing items inside and rods accommodating external spaces.

Also, when you are not going on fishing trips, you will have to store your fishing tackle box inside your house. Though hard boxes are tough and occupy a lot of space, the softbox, on the other side, is flexible and compact and does not occupy extra storage spaces.

Space

If you are a beginner, then you will not need extra space in your tackle boxes rather than keeping your essentials only.

But if you are an experienced angler and look for multi-species fish, you need to have enough room to accommodate all types of lures and tools required for attracting your fish.

Opt for boxes that have more storage space and come with foldable trays and sliding drawers to help you in keeping your things in a well-planned way and have a glance at each of them when you open it.

Your box should also have extra space to accommodate reels, tools, and additional equipment needed if you are extending your trip.

Worm Proof Technology

This technology will not be very fruitful if you believe in using artificial lures while fishing. However, it will be a boon if you often make use of live baits and lure.

Live baits tend to become soft and often stick together, making it difficult for you to entangle them and place them on the bass.

Worm proof trays are available in most of the tackle boxes to help you keep your baits separate and safe. Look for options having inbuilt trays and invest in them to enjoy hassle-free fishing.

Strong latches

It would be very difficult for you to choose between fishing and wasting precious moments while fixing your fishing box if it keeps on opening after every 10 minutes.

Latches are a very important part of any fishing box because they keep your tools and baits safe and prevent water and air from entering inside.

Make sure that your box's latches are working efficiently and are not rusted or damaged. You would want your boxes to have numerable latches, but that option is only available if you are opting for a large-sized box.

FAQs

1. What are the steps to organize my tackle box?

It is straightforward to keep your tackle box organized. Follow the given steps, and you'll see a fully-organized box:

1. Go with your own customized packing system to make your tackle box completely personalized.

2. Add your labels to mark elements of each section individually.

3. Keep on cleaning and organizing your tackle box from time and again for effective maintenance.

2. How to choose between a hard or soft tackle box?

Hard and soft tackle boxes have their pros and cons. Therefore, whatever you choose among them should largely depend on factors like what is the duration of the trip or the amount of tackle you need during the trip.

3. What are the ideal characteristics of a tackle box?

The tackle box must have a plethora of compartments with separate space for lures/baits. Moreover, the outer case should be waterproof to avoid any water contact. Also, extra space for accessories is provided.

4. What are the vital elements of a tackle box?

The list of all essential items is given below:

1. Lures or baits

2. Lines

3. Spinners

4. Hooks

5. Fishing pliers

6. Rigs

7. Swivels

8. Floats or sinkers

9. Sunglasses

10. Bug spray

11. Any favorite drink

Final Verdict

Tackle boxes are indispensable for a fishing trip. Not only do they allow you to organize your equipment correctly, but keeps them safe from any damage.

We have knitted all the essential facts and details in this comprehensive guide. Just go through them, and you will be able to assess the worth of different products quickly. Arm yourself with an elite box and enjoy your fishing expedition.