I'm fortunate to have my own stretch of a good-sized river that is decent for smallmouth and even a good-sized northern when the water is high. I fell into the trap of more gear is better; had to have a lure of every color, spent more time shopping than fishing, etc. Schlepped a giant tackle box down to the river (200 feet) every day until I realized that I fished pretty much the same lures every day. And then I would catch a fish, so I would use that lure again and catch another fish and so on.
So, I downsized (NOW photo). And I still don't even use all those lures. I feel less cluttered.
Posted by toolguy8
13 Comments
No. I’m expanding exponentially
Yeah I have hundreds of lures i keep stored in my bass boat and have like 8 go-to lures/set ups that get regularly used. In the last few years I stopped buying the “new best lures” and stuck with the old trusty ones that work consistently. I do believe many lures on the shelf are designed to catch the buyer and not the fish.
I love running more minimalist set ups. Especially to spots I’m familiar with I only really bring what works, and maybe one new toy to try out.
I use a fanny pack with 2 small boxes that range from hooks/weights/soft plastic to crank baits.
Have enough variety to keep it interesting and not hauling a huge load of stuff when I go
Did you just time warp from 1974?
I’ve found that it’s more about gear than actual fishing
I carry very little with me. I fish what I rig and if the rig breaks I have enough parts for a couple replacements. I live right by the river I fish on and I’m not spending all day on it so I’d rather not lug a ton of stuff.
My tackle hoarde grows yearly. I just know what to pack for any given trip based on body of water & conditions. I put some hooks, weights & lures in 1-2 basspro lure wraps and couple bags of plastics in my cargo short pockets and Im good to go.
Yep, my first year I carried a tackle box, with a backpack, 2 rods, and a small fold up chair. Now, I carry 1 rod with the lure for the day, needlenose pliars, a YUM bag with senkos, hooks, and 2 other hard lures in that bag to change up if what I’m throwing isn’t working. Keep that YUM bag in my pocket, and that’s it.
I continue to collect but am def looking to start only taking what I need for each body. It’s getting to be too much!
I’m downsizing immensely. I love buying and experimenting with tackle. I had the “better to have it and not need it” philosophy but it become cumbersome.
I plan out the lake im fishing and will usually have a few options for different areas
However I did an 8 day smallie trip last year to Ontario. My entire lure selection could have fit into a small plastic sandwich bag. Basically 3 lures covered 98% of the fish.
I carry two poles. One with a hook and one with a lure. Then carry a couple lures and couple bags of plastics.
I don’t understand any of this…..downsize? What’s that