Texas Fishing Forum

Soft plastic storage

Posted By: Boat flip

Soft plastic storage - 03/20/16 01:52 AM

I have tried many ways to store my bags of soft plastics, but always seem to get frustrated and just throw them in the hull of the boat. Anyone got a good method?
Posted By: Marlin Frederick

Re: Soft plastic storage - 03/20/16 01:59 AM

Most will tell you to keep them in the original bags. I've done that for years, but I loose many baits that have to be straight each year from the pressure of other baits. I use the original FTO worm bags to organize the baits by style.

Recently, I've moved some of my baits to the o-ring style Plano 3700 series boxes. It isn't ideal because they make so few useful sizes/styles of boxes for this application. Still, it has solved my issue with bent baits.

What I don't like is it takes more space and I can't just easily grab a bag and add it to my arsenal. Also I like having a "on deck" box (3700 deep with lid removed) on top of my soft plastic storage where I keep the 6-8 baits I'm working with that day. I can't do this with the hard box storage system.

Basically, I'm doing a mix right now of hard boxes for baits that have to be straight and FTO bags with plastics in original bags. I'm not 100% sold yet, but that is my experience.
Posted By: TroyKing

Re: Soft plastic storage - 03/20/16 02:00 AM

Same thing here...this week I dumped every thing out on the ground and sorted them out by bait style and put just what bags of each I need in gallon Ziploc bags,which I then put in my tackle bag. It helped, but it's still could be better.
Posted By: basseditor

Re: Soft plastic storage - 03/20/16 02:11 AM

Something I read on here years ago, and I've doing it with fair results is leave the baits in the original bag then put them by type in those delicate laundry bags (it is a mesh bag). It holds quite a few bags of baits. They can be stowed in nooks and crannies.

Get the mesh bags at Walmart for about a dollar each.
Posted By: Rog

Re: Soft plastic storage - 03/20/16 02:22 AM



Leave em in original bags and toss em in these by type then you can toss in storage compartments based on lake and time of year. Can't show better example cause all are at boat storage but original bags fit perfectly.
Posted By: Donald Harper

Re: Soft plastic storage - 03/20/16 02:25 AM

Put one Black/Blue Flake Lizard and one Blue Flake Worm in a box of Night Crawlers, leave over night. Go fishing the next day. You will catch a 8 on the lizard and a 9 on the worm. Then go home. Reload for the next trip.
Posted By: David Burton

Re: Soft plastic storage - 03/20/16 03:06 AM

I keep them in the bags, and put them in clear plastic containers like the one above. However, I needed something for a trip, and found an Adidas Golf Shoe Bag. Not clear, but has vent holes, and zips up!
Dicks Sporting Goods
Posted By: rxkid2001

Re: Soft plastic storage - 03/20/16 04:59 AM

Put most of mine in 3700 boxes last year. I have noticed the lids warping on several of the boxes. I thought the plano boxes were "worm proof". Does the o-ring style eliminate this?
Posted By: SRitchey

Re: Soft plastic storage - 03/20/16 05:11 AM

Original bags into gallon Ziploc bags labeled by type then into duffle bags. Pick out original bags for the ones I'm going to go to the most for the lake I'm fishing and put them in another gallon Ziploc. It stays out for easy access and the duffle bags go in storage lockers for backup.
Posted By: Marlin Frederick

Re: Soft plastic storage - 03/20/16 12:03 PM

The o-ring lids do not warp because they have a raised plastic section the lines up with the trays below. The o-ring insures they baits don't dry out or leak outside of the box. Juice will pass between trays if laid on the side.
Posted By: ezbassin

Re: Soft plastic storage - 03/20/16 02:40 PM

I also use plastic containers similar to the one shown above and keep them in the original package. Then I also have a couple of Plano 3700 boxes so I can easily get to the baits or colors that I use most often.
Posted By: BassCrankin

Re: Soft plastic storage - 03/20/16 03:00 PM

Here is one of the ways I store mine. I've tried almost every way imaginable trying to satisfy my OCD with soft plastics but I finally (for now at least) found a way that I am happy with. I bought these containers at Hobby Lobby in the craft section. I was roaming the store and killing time while the wife was shopping and I found these. There's 5 dividers and its deep enough that you can actually stack the soft plastics in their original packages. I believe Flambeau makes one similar to this container? I like that the lid is hinged and opens at one end and that is has a durable latch with a durable handle. I purchased all 7 that the store had that day and I keep most of my soft plastics in them. But, for faster access, I keep the soft plastics I think I'm going to be using most of the day in one of the Husky Home Depot tool bags and keep the soft plastics in their original packages. That's something I can just keep on the deck of the boat and readily available and I can fit about 20 packages in the Husky tool bag. The 7 larger containers fit well in the front center storage box on the front deck of the boat, even though they do take up a fair amount of room, but like I said earlier, I've tamed the soft plastic OCD issue.......for now!?! Hope this helps.

Posted By: Rhaider

Re: Soft plastic storage - 03/20/16 04:57 PM

I've started putting all mine in quart size ziplocs with some bait scent and putting them in Plano speed bags by lure type. I label all the speed bags with a sharpie marker and then label all the ziplocs the same. I think when you take them out of the original bags the oil in the scent helps to keep them lubricated and straight in the bags. I've got 5 speed bags with different styles of plastics in them and it's been the quickest way for me to organize. I can keep the speed bag up on the deck with me and file through the different ziplocs with ease. Only caveat with this is don't keep zoom plastics with any other brand and don't keep different color zoom plastics together. They don't play well with others. I'll post some pictures of the system if anyone's interested
Posted By: Kens3313

Re: Soft plastic storage - 03/20/16 05:08 PM

This is my system ive used for about 8 years now and I really like it, Each box is labled what type of bait it is, and I have an extra box in front of all this that has miselanious baits in it. I made these out of wood and 1/4" pegboard for the dividers.
<a href="http://s94.photobucket.com/user/kens3313/media/videos/100_0462.jpg.html" target="_blank"><img src="http://i94.photobucket.com/albums/l86/kens3313/videos/th_100_0462.jpg" border="0" alt=" photo 100_0462.jpg" style=""></a>
Posted By: Kens3313

Re: Soft plastic storage - 03/20/16 05:10 PM

Here is the boxes that are behind those, Excuse the mess, This was after a 3 day trip and got a little un organized.
Posted By: ezbassin

Re: Soft plastic storage - 03/21/16 01:38 AM

Originally Posted By: BassCrankin
Here is one of the ways I store mine. I've tried almost every way imaginable trying to satisfy my OCD with soft plastics but I finally (for now at least) found a way that I am happy with. I bought these containers at Hobby Lobby in the craft section. I was roaming the store and killing time while the wife was shopping and I found these. There's 5 dividers and its deep enough that you can actually stack the soft plastics in their original packages. I believe Flambeau makes one similar to this container? I like that the lid is hinged and opens at one end and that is has a durable latch with a durable handle. I purchased all 7 that the store had that day and I keep most of my soft plastics in them. But, for faster access, I keep the soft plastics I think I'm going to be using most of the day in one of the Husky Home Depot tool bags and keep the soft plastics in their original packages. That's something I can just keep on the deck of the boat and readily available and I can fit about 20 packages in the Husky tool bag. The 7 larger containers fit well in the front center storage box on the front deck of the boat, even though they do take up a fair amount of room, but like I said earlier, I've tamed the soft plastic OCD issue.......for now!?! Hope this helps.





LOL, your OCD is mild compared to mine.
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