I’ve had my eye on this tackle bag for almost a year but couldn’t bring myself to spend that much on what is a glorified milk crate but my awesome wife and kids surprised me with it for Father’s Day.
I’ll preface by saying that I haven’t used it yet but did spend some time yesterday getting it set up the way I think I’ll want it and I’m pretty impressed.
PRO’s:
-Holds everything I had been carrying in a backpack with room for more if desired
-Seems very sturdy. I believe there are plastic sheets sandwiched between heavy duty vinyl that form the walls
-Limitless storage configurations. I can tell that they put a lot of thought and time into making sure it is functional
-No zippers to inevitably get stuck due to salt water exposure. The strap over the main compartment was up to the task of vigorous shaking with the bag loaded down and the clip did not come undone
-Large saddlebag side pockets have riveted drains
-Seems very durable but only time will tell
-Looks way cooler than a plastic milk crates
CON’s:
-The tackle trays that come with it are janky. The bottom of one was smashed when I got it (see below for more)
-There are no drain holes in the main compartment. This seems like the one oversight in my opinion.
-The rod holders would more than likely not hold up for anything but storage. I will only be using them to transport rods and hold them upright while I load/unload kayak. It seems like they can be removed was well. May end up using one to store my net while fishing.
-Customer service team did not respond to an emailed question about their Ballistix tackle trays. Seems like this is just the way of the world now…
A little more about the tackle trays:
I decided I was going to upgrade to watertight trays a couple months ago and was weighing options. I’d seen the Ballistix series and the price is right compared to the yellow brand and they are available through Bass Pro so I bought 2 x 3700 utility trays and the terminal tray to organize the main compartment (I reached out to customer service to confirm that the Ballistix trays would fit in the bag and did not receive an answer).
The Ballistix trays seem very durable and the seal appears tight, the ballistics tray is pretty slick with the molded lid too – even my smallest swivels did not leave their new home when I shook the tray/put it in the bag and took it out multiple times.
My kit includes the Ballistix trays mentioned above along with a KastKing Hyperseal 3700 deep tray with no compartments (5*) that holds other items that I do not want getting wet.
All of this fits in the main compartment but I have to keep the terminal tray on the side with the strap clip in order for it close because that tray is slightly shorter.
TL;DR: 4.5/5 for the bag (-.5* for the gimme trays and no drain hole in main compartment); 5/5 (so far) for the Ballistix series tackle trays.
Posted by No-Grocery-720