By Mark Romanack
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| Terry Kunnen of TKO Charters and Off Shore Tackle is one of the most organized anglers I’ve ever met. He packs an amazing amount of gear into his Lund 2025 and is ready for whatever fishing situation he encounters on the water. |
If anyone needs to be organized, it’s a fisherman. Name a hobby other than fishing that requires so many different pieces of gear and other essentials that must be somehow stored and organized? Most avid anglers have enough gear to fill a garage! Try fitting all that stuff into a fishing boat and still leaving some room to fish.
The
problem with fishing tackle is you’ll only need it if you don’t take it. How
many times have you had to stop at a bait shop to purchase something you
already owned but left at home? Getting better organized is something every
angler could benefit from. A few organizational tips makes it easier to lay
your hands on essential gear and avoid having to choose what goes and what
stays home. After all, an angler’s goal should be to take it all and let the
fish decide what gear will be needed on any given day.
VERTICAL ROD TUBES
Storing
long trolling rods is a major problem in most boats. Many rod lockers simply
won’t accept rods longer than seven feet. Inexpensive plastic vertical rod
tubes are a great way to organize trolling rods when running from one fishing
spot to the next. Produced by Berkley and many other companies these rod
holders are sold individually or in banks of 3, 4 and 6 rod holders. Mounted on
the side of the console or near the transom of the boat, these rod holders
insure that your rods won’t tangle or bang together when running. When trolling
these tubes double as a handy place to store your landing net.
CLOTH ROD COVERS
Ever
put a dozen rods into the rod storage locker and then tried to get one out?
What a mess. Cloth rod covers produced by a number of companies are an
expensive way to cover rod/reel combinations that are strung and ready for
action. The cloth covers the guides and line and prevents the rods from
tangling. Each cover runs around $5.00 making them cheap insurance against rod
damage and frustrating tangles.
MESH MINNOW BAGS
Tipped
over your minnow bucket lately? Minnow buckets always seem to find a way to get
tipped over or to get in the way. Even if your minnows don’t spill, chances are
they will be dead before you can use
them.
Mesh
minnow bags that fit into you boat’s livewell are an interesting alternative to
traditional minnow buckets. Keeping your minnows in the livewell allows them to
be treated to fresh water, insuring the minnows will be frisky when needed.These
mesh bags feature a foam float to keep them upright in the livewell and easy to
get minnows as needed. When not in use the bags collapse and take up very
little room. One mesh minnow bag is plenty to hold all the minnows needed for a
long day of fishing. Slick!
PLANER TAMER
“In-line
planer boards are essential tools for many trolling situations, but storing
them between fishing trips or even between trolling runs has been a problem,”
says walleye pro Keith Kavajecz. “A new product known as the Planer Tamer
neatly stores four planers and some essential tools or six planer boards.
Designed to mount along a rod box or at the transom of the boat, this cool new
product protects your boards and keeps them handy.”
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| The helm of the Enterprise speaks to organization and keeping everything within easy reach. Pictured here are two Lowrance HDS sonar units, one full screen for sonar and the other full screen for navigation, a VHF Radio, a Fish Hawk water temperature and trolling speed probe, an auto-pilot, bow thruster, trolling valve and even an AM/FM stereo for keeping the mood upbeat and fun:) |
PLASTIC MILK CRATES
When I
was in college I literally lived out of plastic milk crates. Just about
everything I owned fit nicely into one of these durable and handy containers.
Fishermen can find just as many uses for plastic milk crates, but one of the
most handy is for storing the many Plano boxes anglers use to store crankbaits
and spoons. Milk crates come in two sizes and both will fit nicely under the
console of most boats. The mesh design allows water to drain out, keeping the
things stored inside organized and dry.
The things you can store in these
durable containers is endless. Milk
crates are great for storing anchors, anchor line and dock lines so they can
dry out after use. These handy items can also help to keep a minnow bucket from
tipping over so easily. Bulky items like marker buoys, in-line planer boards
and sea anchors can also find a good home in these inexpensive containers.
SOFT SIDED COOLERS
Hard
coolers and boats just don’t go together well. Because the cooler won’t fit
into dry storage compartments, they end up cluttering the floor of the boat.
Soft sided coolers are ideal for storing crawlers, cold drinks, lunch or
anything else that needs to stay cold. Because they can be molded into just
about any shape, they fit into dry storage compartments where they are out of
sight and out of the way.
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| An organized and water ready boat should be the goal of every fisherman. |
MILITARY AMMUNITION CANS
Every
angler should have a camera on board, but how do you keep expensive camera gear
dry in a fishing boat without spending a fortune on a waterproof hard case? Metal
ammunition cans sold at army surplus stores are the answer to storing delicate
and expensive gear like cameras, flash attachments, film, digital scales and
hand-held GPS units. A rubber seal in the lid makes these containers 100%
waterproof and because they are made of metal they are also crush proof. Line
them with pieces of foam rubber to cushion your gear and you’ll be ready for a
quick hero shot every time you’re on the water.
RUBBER FLOOR MATS
Is your
boat carpet getting thin in some high traffic areas? Rubber floor mats (the
type sold at farm stores) can be custom cut to fit just about any space. These
mats provide secure footing, they keep objects from sliding around on the floor
and they help contain messes associated with fishing crawlers or minnows. A
layer of rubber on the deck also makes just about any boat quieter. When they
need cleaning, simply pull them out and hose them off.
GETTING IT TOGETHER
Fishing
success often boils down to being prepared and organized. Hopefully, one or
more of these tips will help keep your fishing boat ship shape and ready for
action. At the very least your fishing partners will be amazed they can clearly
see the floor on your boat.
