After the very good post on overcomplicating bass fishing I thought I would try my hand at making it more simple but I thought I would ask another question. For those of you that are more simplified than us bait collectors how did you get to that point. Meaning how did you go about going through ALL that stuff and simplifying what you use/carry?

sorry, im a bait collector.

Guilty as Charged

Master Bait Collector here!!



although i do have a buddy that entire tackle box fits in 2 ziplock bags and one 3700 hardbox.

+1

Guilty also............but I had to put my Champion in the shop Stump: 1 Lower unit: 0. So I cleaned out my tackle storage areas. I'm employing the same rule that you use for clothes. If you haven't used it in a year get rid of it which in this case means I'm taking it out of the boat. Who knows maybe my gas mileage will go up! Of course this leaves lots of room for NEW swim baits.......?????????

Save your baits (GET A BIGGER BOAT)

Recovering bait collector here too....when I readied the boat for storage prior to moving to TX I could not believe the stuff that came out of it! There were unopened tourney goodie bags, BPS bags, plastics I forgot I had....I never weighed it but it's a wonder the boat would float.

While it was out I took the opportunity to organize and sort into smaller boxes by lure type - seasonal stuff(in 3700 boxes) went into a big soft side bag and the really weird stuff (in more 3700 boxes) are filling an old file cabinet.

Now I HOPE that it will be as easy as grabbing the boxes I plan to use, having 'maybes' in the big bag in the truck and the balance can stay home.

Now if I can find a way to start resisting the little voice that tells me to buy another 5 packs of smallie beavers - I mean it's POSSIBLE that 20 bags might not be enough right?

simplify??????? I know I caught more fish when I was a kid with my one rod, a handful of beetle spins, roadrunners and a bag of grape/white tail worms.. fishing out of a jon boat or a waterspider w/a trolling motor.
Now I've got enough tackle to start a store, enough rods that I get confused sometimes, a 21' boat that blazes down the lake w/enough electronics to guide the shuttle to the moon and I struggle to catch a few fish each day....
We decided last year that we were going to try and stay with what we do well with, only do it better.

I simplified when I realized that I probably used 10% of the lures I own. So, for many years now, I just carry one tackle box with my current favorite lures and terminal tackle. I don't carry a lot of different colors of the same bait, and that really cuts down the volume. Makes it easy and works for me. I'm not a tournament fisherman so that plays a part in it to some degree. Sure, I keep up with the trends in tackle and buy new stuff all the time. I just move some stuff to a gallon plastic pouch in storage of "lesser used baits" as a back-up. And I keep a cigar box at home of really old lures with sentimental value.

I have already given up and admitted defeat. I can't throw any of my old stuff away, can't leave it at home. Every time I start to take something out of the boat, I break out into a cold sweat, start to shake and feel sick. Everything is suddenly better when I put it back in the boat.

Just thinking about it worries me, think I will go throw a few more bags of worms in the boat.

Aint it the truth! You talking about the grape/white tail ringworm, I'd shove a bag of them and a couple hooks and sinkers in My pocket grab My old lews speed spool rod and reel and catch fish all day.

Here is an idea for when you "simplify".......
We will usually take our "old" stuff and put it in a walmart bag and throw it in a hatch. When we run across a kid on a bank or dock, we will strike up a conversation with them (often, they start the conversation) when we leave, we will give them some of our "old" stuff and tell them to give it a try. It never hurts to promote to the younger generation and they will actually USE the stuff that we don't/won't..

Best way to simplify is to break it down by the lures you fish. Here is how I did it.

Tx rig baits: Tubes, Craw worms, Mag II and Ole Monsters
Carolina: Ring Frys/ French Frys, Senkos/straight worms, lizards, brush hogs
Other worm rigs: Senkos, floating worms, sluggos, cut tails and other small drop shot type worms.
Traps: Basically a couple red type baits, white craw, chartuese and RT39 (use 99 percent of the time)
Crankbaits Mostly H2O baits with some norman and lucky craft.
Spinnerbaits just one box
jigs/trailers one box
I keep some spoons and little georges in my falcon hook/sinker box
small topwater box

I can put everything I need to fish year round in 5 plano boxes and just leave my extras at home to restock when needed. Rarely I find a new bait on the market I add to my arsenal (like ribbits), but it is not often

I've done that a few times, boy about 12 started asking Me how to catch bass one day while I was putting my boat in, He said He only had the one bait, I gave Him an old rapala I had that didn't have any paint left on it, when I got back to the dock from parking the truck I was going to show him how to fish it since He was just winding it back slow , about that time He caught a 5 lber