What to put in the tackle box?

[droy80]

Hello all. I'm looking to put together a couple different boxes in my tackle bag. One to three for the salt, and one to three for the fresh.

Just wondering what are some of the "go-to" plastics/hard baits for both bodies of water?

I'm am currently going through all the pages and makes notes as well, but thought I'd see if I got any replies here as well.

Thanks in advance!

[gerARRGH]

Popping cork is a must.
Purple with chartreuse tail gulp shrimp.
Texas roach or morning glory saltwater assassin sea shad 4in.
A couple buggs lures for when the fish want something tiny.

[Snookfish]

I have a plastic box (about 6x10)with terminal tackle (hooks, jigs, sinkers) and then next to it I have super spooks for top water. I always carry 3 or more spoons as well. Then a couple of generic spinnerbaits that I can change out the trailer on. I also carry another big plastic box that has sandwich bags with my plastics in it. It allows me about 20 bags. I keeps an assortment of gulp, chicken boys, usually some dark baits like penny, and a few light baits white with red and white or white with chartreuse. I keep a few bags of paddle tail and swirl tailed minnow baits. Usually mullet color and a few other colors. I also like grubs with swirl tails as they make good trailers for the spoons or spinners.

[SteelRinger]

A couple of good answers for saltwater, so I will answer the freshwater question.

You need a couple of Rat-L-Traps, I prefer a couple of each size in the shad and sunfish color schemes. I would also have a couple inline spinners in the 1/8-1/4 ounce sizes. I prefer blues and slivers. My preferred brand is Blue Fox, but Mepps and Cabelas brand are good as well. I would also have a small box set up for cork fishing for sunfish/crappie (slip bobbers, small jigs, small plastics, worm hooks and split shot). I would also have a good supply of barrel swivels, three way swivels and snap swivels. For bass, a couple of top water baits (can be double duty with your SW stuff), a couple of spinnerbaits (same as top waters), and some 3/0 worm hooks with some plastics (craws, worms, etc.) along with some bullet weights. Finally, if you want to fish for catfish as well, I would throw in some #4 and #6 trebles to use with your slip bobbers and maybe a couple of 1-2 ounce sinkers to use for bottom rigs. The circle hooks you can raid from your SW stash.

[gonefishin]

For Salt you want some Topwaters in Bone/Silver, look at Super Spooks and Spook Jrs (smaller for when they are not hooking up on the larger) SheDogs in Chartreuse/White, Skitterwalk in Trout and Pink. Also some Manns Baby Minus ones in Citrus Shad and Bone and Catch Juniors and Mirrodines in Bone/Chartreuse, 808, Black/Chartreuse, Red, and Chartreuse. Johnson Spoons Gold and Silver. Your choice of plastics (I prefer Cocohoe Minnows and TTF Flats Minnows) in Chicken on a Chain, Opening Night, Bone, White/Chart Tail, Strawberry/ White tail, Motor Oil/Chart tail, and Pumpkin. Pick up some artificial Shrimp in Natural and Pink. Popping corks (I use Cajun Thunder). Speck Rigs in Pink/White, Yellow/White. I have some Buggs Lures but have not gotten to try them yet, but they should be great for the light bite days in the marsh.

My Freshwater box, I carry H&H skirted spinners in White, White/black, Black/Yellow, Black/Red. Zoom worms in Plum, Junebug Red, Watermelon Candy, Pumpkin and Motor Oil to be rigged Carolina or Texas Style (Don't forget worm hooks and weights) Rattletraps in Silver/Blue, Silver/Chart and Crawfish. I also have a couple of Bomber Fat Free Shad in White and Citrus shad that I have caught bass and crappie on and some more Manns baby Minus 1 in Tennesee Shad, Baby Bass and Chartreuse
I have a separate pan fish box with plastic jigs for crappie and small inline spinners like Mepps and Rooster Tails and Panther Martins, along with some tiny rattletraps that work well for white bass. Speck/Sand Bass Riggs in Pink/white and Yellow/white under a popping cork works well for white bass also. A variety of cork sizes Including popping corks and ball jig heads and hooks
I mostly Saltwater fish but grew up fishing Freshwater and am getting more freshwater opportunities now. I keep my saltwater gear in a Plano 3600 tackle bag and my freshwater tackle is in a Plano 3500 tackle bag. makes it easy to just grab the bag for where ever I am going. I also have a large 3700 Tackle bag at home for storing all my extra tackle and seasonal changes.

[droy80]

Looks like I've got a little shopping to do next time I've got some moolah lol

I've got most of what I think I'm going to need for salt, need to buff up the freshwater stuff.

Now, just gotta learn to figure out where fish are. Should be easy right? haha

[gonefishin]

My grandfather always carried a plastic frog for dragging over lily pads, he always swore by these for huge largemouths. I haven't tried one yet but when I get a chance I will pick one up. As for finding the fish, the same rules apply for fresh or salt, look for birds and bait, structure and moving water. Not exactly easy but it does work.

[redneckyakclub01]

Freshwater: stick worms like senkos(light and dark), top waters(a walker and a chigger), square bill crankbaits, spinnerbaits, worm hooks, bullet weights, lipless rattling cranks, creature baits like craws and lizards.

Saltwater: tails (red/white, light, dark), jigheads, shrimp imitation, popping cork, topeaters, suspending baits like corkies, spoons. If you use gulp, get a gulp proof container to keep them in to avoid messes.

[TroutSupport.com]

One knocker spooks are great and a good size for both trout and reds as well. Get a bone, or if you are in clear water the speckled trout works well.

[JMS]

Fresh; Berkley power bait lizard, worm and crawfish, couple spider jigs, worm hook, bullet wieghts, spinnerbaits (White or chartreuse), couple crank baits that work at various depths, rattletrap. Almost forgot, buzz bait.

Salt: Spook Jr, white spinnerbaits, wake bait (Mann's T-1 or Hunchback), weedless spoon (one each silver and gold)' paddle tail match color to water condition, couple jig heads for paddle tail (various wieght)

Have experience in Fresh, salt is pretty new to me, only listed what has worked for me so far