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  1. #1
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    Storing soft plastics

    Boxes or leave em in the bags???

    Normally I leave them in the bag they came in and then put them in a small container. So for example I put all my craws in one container, beavers in another, senkos... ect.

    I was thinking about taking them all out and putting them in 3700 boxes or something similar. Some plastic bags are a pain (rage/keitech) to store because they take up so much room.

    For the people using boxes, do the baits dry out? Do you store swimbaits in boxes or leave those in there bags?
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  2. Member 1Cast 1Fish's Avatar
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    #2
    I used to take the plastics out of the bags, but after I had issues with them drying out, melting, leaching colors, ect...I now just leave them in the bags and place them in a storage bin.

  3. Member DrewFlu33's Avatar
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    #3
    I had been putting them in 3700 boxes for a while, but like 1Cast 1Fish noticed issues. As he said they dry out, bleed colors and so on. They also seem to pick up off smells from the boat and garage. Besides, they take up a ton of space this way.

    I started keeping them in their original packaging, separating by category (drop shot, swimbaits, craws, trailers, senkos, etc) and putting those into vinyl zip bags like these.

    For those that I didn't have packaging for due to them already being in 3700 boxes, I purchased some 6x4 4 mil zip-lock bags off Amazon. These are the ones I got, but I recently learned that they can apparently be had for cheaper in the crafts section of Wal Mart (or ordered to the store at Wal Mart) or at Hobby Lobby.

    I'll never go back. They stay much nicer this way (no smells, no drying out, just as good as new), don't take up as much space, make it easier for me to find what I want and get back to fishing, and make adding/removing things from the boat much simpler.

    On that last point, I have a good example. I rarely fish white soft plastics here since we don't have many shad and unless I'm up north the fish just don't often key on white looking stuff - with one exception. When I'm on the Mississippi, those fish eat a bunch of shad. So when I'm river fishing, I grab the river bag with my white soft plastics and go. Then it's not in the boat getting in the way when I'm not on the river and I only need a small selection of some generic white soft plastics just in case.

    I'll usually adjust similarly when fishing on places that have smallmouth versus those that only have largemouth. You get the idea.
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  4. Member
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    #4
    A few things like beavers and brush hogs I put them in 3600 boxes. I pretty much keep them in their original bags and put them in gallon ziplocks by category ie drop shot baits, flukes, finesse worms etc

  5. Member Jeff Hahn's Avatar
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    #5
    Quote Originally Posted by basscat tyler View Post
    I pretty much keep them in their original bags and put them in gallon ziplocks by category ie drop shot baits, flukes, finesse worms etc
    This^^^. I keep mine int heir original bags and put the bags in ziplocks according to the type of bait.
    "The man of system is apt to be very wise in his own conceit; and is often so enamored with the supposed beauty of his own ideal plan of government that he cannot suffer the smallest deviation from any part of it…He seems to imagine that he can arrange the different members of a great society with as much ease as the hand arranges the different pieces upon a chessboard.” Adam Smith, The Theory of Moral Sentiments

  6. Member
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    #6
    I keep mine in original packs may combine two bags to one. To store the plastics I use cheap plastic shoeboxes from dollar general. They come with a lid and stack nicely, perfect width for most plastic baits bags.

  7. Member
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    #7
    keep in packs. i bought the 3600 and couple 3700 series plano without any dividers and throw them in there for my tackle compartment in my phoenix. just separate by style
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  8. Member
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    Aug 2012
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    Blenheim Ontario
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    #8
    I use large deep section planos for bulk storage of plastics. However I transfer all my baits from the original packaging to ziplock bags. I soak most everything in Bio Edge (that doesn't already have it's own attractant fuzzed into the plastic) and find original packaging of most baits are pron to leak. Then I have a zipper bag for plastics where I just take whatever I need on the go. Mind you I do this because I'm primarily a Co-Angler and don't like to bring the kitchen sink. Boaters that carry plano boxes may have a more efficient method for storage.

  9. Member
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    #9
    I sort of do both, most I keep in 3700's, I've got a box organizer that holds 10 plus I can fit 3 more on the sides and one on top if I need to...I don't think I ever have more than 5 boxes of hardbaits at any given time in the boat. Any time I go out I just bring the boxes I want from the basement. Swimbaits (or others that come in hard cards) go into a bin in the right rod locker. That's also where I throw misc. bags of something I don't think I'll use but might. Hooks and weights go into another bin in that same rod locker. It's just more organized for me and lets me know when I need to order certain colors.

  10. Moderator Luke's Avatar
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    #10
    like most I keep mine in their original bags and separate them by types, creature, worm, craw, and so on.
    one thing I did get to doing this year was I bought some of the large 3700 boxes I think they were #3731 that are like 4" deep but just one large open box with no dividers. I put each type in a box then took a sharpie and wrote on the box what was in it. then they go in with all the rest of the tackle, but I can at least grab one box vs dig through a bunch of other stuff

  11. Member
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    #11
    I keep them in their original packages and sort by type, then put them in plastic storage boxes similar to the ones in the link below. I keep 6 of them in the boat.

    https://www.walmart.com/ip/IRIS-5-Qt...Clear/28140858

  12. Member
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    Sep 2013
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    #12
    Quote Originally Posted by mrdeath View Post
    I keep them in their original packages and sort by type, then put them in plastic storage boxes similar to the ones in the link below. I keep 6 of them in the boat.

    https://www.walmart.com/ip/IRIS-5-Qt...Clear/28140858
    this is almost exactly what I went to and I'm much happier with how I can separate them by type and have a nice sturdy, stackable, and locking storage. Time will tell but happy so far. Label the top of the box to cut down time looking for the right box.
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  13. Member
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    Feb 2012
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    #13
    Quote Originally Posted by mrdeath View Post
    I keep them in their original packages and sort by type, then put them in plastic storage boxes similar to the ones in the link below. I keep 6 of them in the boat.

    https://www.walmart.com/ip/IRIS-5-Qt...Clear/28140858
    This is what I've been doing for about the last 8 years and it works really well for me.

  14. Member
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    #14
    Not really what I was hoping to hear.... Seems like most peaople do what I already do. Gonna switch some stuff over and see what I like better. BPS has 3700 and 3600 boxes on sale right now, 5 for 10 bucks so its worth a shot
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  15. Member Bass AHolic's Avatar
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    #15
    oh for petes sake haha.. leave them in mfg bags , place then in what ever , and when get home bring the bait inside home, till next trip.. then they're under A/C or heat.. and no issues. don't leave in boat, truck etc,,out in the Heat or Cold Winter Weather or pkg open. Do it my way, and you can use them over n over till worn out or snagged and lost at lake, nuff said!

  16. Member
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    #16
    Quote Originally Posted by Bass AHolic View Post
    oh for petes sake haha.. leave them in mfg bags , place then in what ever , and when get home bring the bait inside home, till next trip.. then they're under A/C or heat.. and no issues. don't leave in boat, truck etc,,out in the Heat or Cold Winter Weather or pkg open. Do it my way, and you can use them over n over till worn out or snagged and lost at lake, nuff said!
    Ha thatd be a lot of loading and unloading for a quick fishin trip
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  17. Member K_Mac's Avatar
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    #17
    I store most in original package as stated above except for my most used jig trailers, I store those in a 3700 box without issue
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  18. Member Bill Reynolds's Avatar
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    #18
    I store all my plastics in the original bags. Bulk storage is in labeled plastic shoe box containers and I load trip boxes that stay in my boat. I have 2 of the larger trip boxes, one for finesse worms and one for trick worms and two of the smaller boxes, one for drop shot and one for tubes. This system has evolved over time and probably will continue to do so but I am happy with it for now.


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  19. Member
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    #19
    Bags. I keep my jig trailers in big food storage bags. Put several bags of craws, chunks, etc. together.
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  20. Member
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    Paducah, KY
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    #20
    I really like the BassMafia Money Bags, keeps my plastics in their original bags and can fit anywhere. Tough as a 2dollar steak too.

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