Probably one of the most important pieces of fishing equipment (aside from a rod and reel) that you will own is the tackle box. A good tackle box will keep your lures, line and equipment in order and out of harm’s way. However, tackle boxes can be expensive. As a cheap person by nature, I am always on the lookout for inexpensive fishing equipment. So I bring you my top five inexpensive tackle boxes.
Plano 8616 Six-Tray Tackle Box ($19.88: Wal-Mart)
As far as I’m concerned, for the money, Plano makes some of the finest tackle boxes around. This box is no exception. For about twenty bucks you get up to 46 compartments depending how you arrange things. There is also a big storage area in the bottom. This thing even has cup holders on the lid! It measures 20.0″x 11.25″x 10.75″ but is a touch heavy at over five and a half pounds.
Plano 1364 4-By Rack Tackle System ($27.99: Bass Pro Shops)
Sticking with Plano for now, the 4-By is a nice multi-purpose tackle box. Sometimes you don’t need to take all your tackle with. This 13″x10″x14″ box has a large under-lid storage compartment. The tackle box itself is not extremely big, but it is versatile. It also has four removable 2-3650 interchangeable ProLatch™ utility boxes. This way if you only need a small selection of lures, you need only take one or two smaller boxes.
Berkley Gulp! Alive! Storage System ($24.99: Cabela’s)
This is really more of a specialty tackle bag, but if you fish with a lot of scented/flavored softbaits, this is a really good value. The bag measures 8″x15″x11″ and features water proof storage bags to hold your Gulp! baits. It can fit either six 1pt. containers or three 1qt. containers of bait. It also has a couple of mesh storage pockets and a size 3600 plastic storage box for hard baits or other odds and ends.
Flambeau 4003ST Hanging Boat Bag ($19.98: Wal-Mart)
This 12″x6″x8H” bag is perfect for the boat. It can be mounted to the side of the boat and has a fold down working area. It comes with three 4006 “Tuff Tainer” organizer boxes and side pockets to hold the 2003 size boxes. It’s great for keeping all your gear in order when out on the water.
Flambeau Outdoors Blue Ribbon Waterproof Fly Box ($23.88 Wal-Mart)
Not wanting to leave the fly fishermen out of the picture, we have this box from Flambeau. This little (4″x3″x1.38″) box is locking and waterproof and is also protected on the outside by rubber insets. It has sixteen compartments that keep your flies separate and protected. Since each fly has its own little cubby, there’s no worries about snags or flies getting hung up. The small size and protection offered make this a great portable tackle box for fly fishing.
Sources
www.walmart.com
www.cabelas.com
www.basspro.com
