ANGLING TIPS Jack Wollitz

Tackle storage seems pretty simple, almost to the point where it should be the least of an angler's worries, but the fact is organizing lures can be nearly as important as how you present them to the fish.
Companies like Plano, Flambeau and others have developed great storage and carry systems that greatly simplify the daunting task of getting lures from your basement or garage to the lake. And they are a far cry more efficient and flexible than the old days of the suitcase-size tackle box.
I use a Plano tackle bag - about the size of a medium duffle - and the company's clear plastic boxes. I pack each box with specific kinds of lures - crankbaits, jigs, trailers, tubes, plastic lizards, big worms, small worms, topwaters and other categories of baits.
The small boxes then are organized in the big bag so the lures I am most likely to be using are at the top, with backups stacked in descending order down to the bottom of the bag.
This enables me to pack the night before a fishing trip with the lures I believe will be most helpful on the water. For example, my Lake Erie tackle selection is much different from what I'll be using at Berlin Reservoir, so I can customize my tackle bag very easily in anticipation of my needs.
The box-and-bag system has virtually eliminated frustrations associated with rooting through a jumbled array of loose zip-locks and mini boxes that used to be scattered around in compartments of my boat. Now, everything I need is in that canvas bag on the floor.
The way I see it, anything that gives me more fishing time is good. More casts equate to more fish, and I'd rather be catching fish than looking for baits.
jwwollitz@aol.com