Bought a boat 2 years ago and still trying to figure out the best way to store things. It's almost time to get back on the water up north so time to start getting things together. Do you store your soft plastics, primary 2.75 to 5" paddletails in a box or do you keep them in the original zip lock containers?
2021 Vexus AVX 181, Mercury 60CT 4S, MK Ultrex, HB Helix 7 MSI and MDI
IF they have the plastic holder like Keitech I keep them in that. Loose ones in a bag,like Skinny Dippers, I usually put in Plano boxes....neatly arranged.
Don't worry Ma'am....
I'm only here for the Bass.
ALL of my soft plastics are stored in Plano boxes. I despise storing them in bags.
Original packs. If just thrown in a bag the tails will get bent. But you can boil them to soften up.
A lot of guys swear by leaving them in the clamshells and then loading up big clear zippered storage bags. I haven't figured out what's best yet and mine are strewn about the clear bags, KVD bait containers and 3700s.
2017 Phoenix 819
2016 200ProXS, s/n 2B359849, Mod 1200P73BD
Original package or ziplock. I have not seen a difference in bait effectiveness stored either way
All my soft swimbaits of 5" or less go in a plano divider box. You can store WAY more baits in a regular plano 3700 box in less space in your boat, then you can keeping them in their original packaging in a bag. Typically an get two packages of 3.75 swimbaits, or smaller, into each divider, and you typically have 13 dividers in a 3700 box. That is 26 packages of swimbaits in your boat with the bulk associated with the oversized plastic swimbait packages. If you want more storage, go to a deep box and the benefit is even greater. Not to mention being able to avoid the chaos that comes with trying to find THE RIGHT COLOR bait in a bulk storage bag is eliminated when storing them in a box. Flip the lid, see color, grab color, close lid and you are done. Plano storage boxes all the way. And I NEVER have any problems with "bent tails" despite claims that it will happen if they are stored in anything other than their original packaging. Save space in your boat and save time trying to find the right bait using a plano box.
The softer plastic swimbaits like a keitech or the various copies are fine to dump in a box. The tails won't hold any deformation. Stiffer plastics like the 6th sense divine or hollow body swimbaits I always leave in the packaging.
I've got 3 of the big deep plano boxes, 7080 maybe?, that I keep packaged baits in and store in a rear locker.
One is solely for magdrafts, hollow bodies, and line thru swimbaits so I can keep them in the packaging and all together in a box vs just tossed in a storage locker somewhere.
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