Finding practical and space-saving ways to store your fishing tackle at home can be a little tricky at first. As I stated in my last article, though, there are several ways to do this utilizing any of the hundreds of products designed to do just that: store tackle. Last time, I discussed several ways to store fishing rods, ranging from rod racks designed to hang on the wall or fasten to your ceiling. Today, you’ll learn about a few ways to store and protect your reels and other items.
Let’s face it, fishing reels can cost quite a bit. While there, are a wide range of reels that appeal to several price ranges, we all want to ensure that they remain intact and reliable, so safe storage for them at the end of the season or just a day on the water is a must. Reel cases are a great option for this, and they’re available from a few different companies. Some models are simply briefcase-like products with individual, padded compartments inside in which to place each reel. Others are filled with blocks of soft foam that prevent the reels from moving around during travel.
If you don’t want to detach your reels from your fishing rods each day, then you perhaps a neoprene reel cover is more your style. Bass Pro Shops makes a few different styles of this product, designed to fit securely over a reel and fasten with Velcro. For rods, you can also purchase a nylon rod sleeve that fits over the length of the rod and then fastens to the reel arm with a nylon cord. Combined, these two products do a great job of offering protection from scratches.
Lastly, what do you do when you have a lot of tackle to store and organize? Well, short of building your own at-home storage shelves, you can check out any number of complete tackle storage units available on the market. These range from wooden cabinets to durable wire trolley systems that are comprised of shelves, wheels, hooks on which to hang lure and bait packages, and rod holders built into the sides. These units are great for garages or boat houses and do a great job of keeping things organized and easily accessible before each trip. Also, from experience, these units are quite easy to assemble, so don’t let that be a deterrent if you’re in need of something like this.
It can be easy to overlook that fact that rods and reels aren’t indestructible, especially when the off season arrives. However, as strong as its components may be, even the most expensive reel can be broken when stored carelessly or crushed beneath several objects in the garage. Check out a few of the products I’ve outlined in this series on tackle storage and you can spend your time on the water instead of shopping to replace a broken rod or reel.
