Tackle box needs more than fishing gear Electronic devices, tools helpful items

During each week after my Saturday column appears on these pages, I receive a number of e-mails, letters and even phone calls from faithful readers across the state and country. Plenty of personal interactions and conversations with friends and neighbors regarding my articles occur regularly as well. At the garage and the grocery store and from the post office to the dentist’s office, I get complimented, criticized, questioned, advised and frequently razzed about what I did write and what I should write, and of course there are countless questions.

After last weekend’s article about all of the available features of tackle boxes and bags and the process of selecting just the right model, I figured mentioning the fact that I actually own and regularly use four tackle cases was really going to bring down the good- natured teasing. To my utter surprise, the bulk of written and verbal exchanges from sportsmen concerned what I actually packed into each gear box besides the prerequisite reels, lines, leaders and bait. Some wished to know if my extra equipment was duplicated in each tackle case, others related unique items they carry in their fishing boxes, and still more suggested I do a story on the best and most beneficial extras to pack along with the regular tackle.

Oh, and of course there were a handful of somewhat abusive but not unexpected e-mails and curbside comments from close “friends” regarding my inventory of fishing gear cases. More than one good buddy suggested, not for the first time, that with so much equipment I really ought to be a better fisherman. I subscribe to the theories that if you can’t be great, you at least ought to look great, and if you carry enough gear, when you really need something in particular, it won’t still be at home. I also made sure to mention, to each and every pal that taunted me, just how often they seem to need to borrow some item during an outing, and that I usually find it among my packed paraphernalia.

For the record

Whether an angler is five miles from home or five miles from the nearest woods road, sometimes they need to record a special catch. Perhaps it’s a trophy fish, a first of a certain species, or a youngster’s big moment, but in every case certain items need to be at hand. Every tackle box needs a tape measure, cloth is better than metal since it won’t rust, stores easier and is less likely to harm a fish to be released. A small, accurate digital scale is also a plus and for toothy critters or species larger than pan fish, there is a Boga Grip or similar tool that locks on the fish’s lower jaw without injury to fish or fisherman, and has a scale in the handle.

Even if an angler usually carries a camera on each trip, one of those small disposable cameras as an extra is a great idea. I like the ones that can actually be submerged a few feet to get underwater photos of a special fish. These are a great backup in case the front-line camera is left behind by mistake, malfunctions or batteries conk out. Throwaway, one-use cameras are inexpensive, compact and can beat around in a tackle box for two or three years and still work. My final tool for keeping track of fish is a neat little 3×5-inch waterproof binder made by Elegant Angler. Each page is preprinted with date, time, location and even GPS coordinates, and there are also lines for tides, hatches, flies or baits used and size of fish caught. A pen and pencil are secured to my mini fishing log with an elastic.

Electronics

For safety and convenience I do pack several key electronic items, and since I don’t have multiple units most of these gadgets are transferred from one tackle box to another as needed. A cell phone can be a lifesaver in some situations, and despite the chance of dead zones should be packed along every time. My GPS not only lets me relocate the best spots on certain lakes but helps me get back to the truck if darkness overtakes me. For trolling with downriggers when specific speeds are crucial to success, my GPS works as a precise speedometer in the boat.

A set of two-way radios with 3- to 5- mile range are a great help keeping track of partners when two sports are fishing different locations in the same region. Frequently, especially when I’m ocean fishing, I pack a marine band two-way radio to get updated weather data and to summon assistance from other nearby sporting or commercial watercraft in case of mechanical or medical emergency. A small but powerful flashlight or head lamp is a must and in a couple of my tackle boxes I have a miniature clip-on pocket light with elongated flexible neck. Once clipped on my pocket and adjusted I have hands-free access to tie on flies, mend a line or work on anything from a malfunctioning reel to a boat motor. And don’t forget a half-dozen suitable size batteries for those lights or perhaps the remote foot pedal of the electric trolling motor.

Tools of the trade

I’m certainly no mechanic, but even fishermen need access to some tools, and even if you aren’t mechanically inclined one of your companions might be. In my boat tackle box is a sparkplug wrench, compact screwdriver set and of course a multi-tool which, when opened, has more than a dozen utensils from pliers to knife to awl. There are a set of long-nosed pliers for getting hooks out of large fish, a set of hemostats for delicately removing flies from small gamefish, and a set of sturdy wire cutters for shearing hook tips and barbs to help remove hooks from other fishermen. Been There! Done That! Without the wire cutters it would have meant a long painful trip to the nearest hospital and the end of a fishing trip. Also, as an “I learned the hard way” idea, pack an extra boat plug and an extra boat key in a zip-lock plastic bag in the lower storage section of your boat tackle box.

While we’re on the subject of repairing people, scrapes, cuts, burns and bites are fairly common occurrences compared to burying a set of treble hooks in a hand or arm. A small first aid kit is a much-needed item in every tackle box, and along with it pack a tube of sunscreen, fly dope, a vial of over- the-counter hypoallergenic eye drops and a container of Afterbite to stop the itching and swelling when the insect repellent fails. If you take prescription medications, place a few days supply in a waterproof container, along with a few pain pills and antihistamines at the start of each season, just in case.

Proper supplies for equipment repair is the next issue. A miniature version of my full- size multi-tool along with the tiny set of varied-tip screwdrivers will usually meet the need for reel or eyeglass repairs. For rod malfunctions such as broken guides or reel seats, a small roll of duct or fiber tape, contact cement, Super glue and a liquid metal product such as J-B Weld will fulfill most needs. I also carry a stick of ferrule cement and matches or a butane lighter to melt and apply it. A roll of fly-tying thread and a bottle of head cement will fix up most flies or loose hooks on lures, and a wader patching kit will assure my feet stay dry and warm.

Small, but useful

An extra set of sunglasses, polarized of course, and a set of clip-on magnifying lenses to tie on the tiniest dry flies at dusk or join the thinnest tippets with just the perfect knots are often very useful. A thin, laminated booklet illustrating a couple of dozen popular knots is a big help in a small package, as is one of those tiny knot-tying tools. Fly fishermen really need to have access to a water thermometer, a line cleaning and floatant applicator kit and leather leader straightener to remove bends and kinks from any size leader.

No tackle box should be without a hook sharpener, a keen-edged filet knife, and if there’s room, one of those quick attach and detach Downeast rod holders. I usually transfer a compact set of binoculars from one tackle box to the other for impending trips. I like to watch game on the shoreline, eagles and osprey flying by, and of course keep track of other boats or wading anglers to see if they are catching fish regularly and if I should change locations.

This year I’ll be adding another gadget to my lineup, and it’s one I hope really works well, but pray that I really never need to use to its full potential. For Christmas a fishing buddy got me a piece of gear I never knew existed, he bought me a lightning detector. This small device attaches to an angler’s belt or fishing vest and when it senses a specific change in atmospheric conditions and ionization of air particles that often yield lightning strikes, an alarm sounds. I hope it never goes off, but when I’m standing in a boat with what amounts to a 9-foot graphite lightening rod in my hand, it’s a lot better to be warned than sorry.

I understand this sounds like a lot of extra gear to carry around, but in truth most items are small, light and fit well into a 20x10x12 tackle box. If a boat is to be used, the entire box goes along, but if I’m on a wading excursion, then it’s a matter of picking and choosing what items can be conveniently carried in my vest pockets and which are the most crucial to success and safety.

It’s likely some anglers will stock items in their tackle cases I’ve not even mentioned, and a lot of these extras certainly depend on individual need. I will say this, however; any tackle box which stores only a basic inventory of reels, lines, leaders, hooks, lures, plugs, flies and sinkers is going to be found sadly lacking sooner or later. Pick and choose tackle box extras carefully, with the hope that they won’t be necessary, then you’ll be prepared when some are. For the most part, items I’ve mentioned will yield a better fishing trip with increased success, safety and enjoyment.

Outdoor feature writer Bill Graves can be reached via e-mail at bgravesoutdoors@ainop.com