Musky Tackle Box Options

Musky Tackle Boxes - Does One Size Fit All?
By Craig Sandell © 2010

Probably the single most troubling aspect of Musky fishing is the storage of and access to our arsenal of lures. Musky lures tend to be larger and come with a compliment of hooks that can result in a “Gordian Knot” of inter-connected lures.

Adding to the problem is the fact that Musky lures come in 4 basic categories; surface baits, crank baits, bucktails and jerk baits. Finding a way to have a selection of lures readily available in a boat with limited storage space becomes a constant exercise in efficient space utilization.

Since the new Musky season is upon us, I thought that it might be helpful to take a look at some of the tackle box options available to today’s Musky angler.

Plano

Flambeau

Special Mate

The Plano 7915 specialty tackle box is a sturdy tackle box for large Musky lures and is made of rugged, heavy-duty plastic.

It provides convenient storage for baits that are too big for a standard tackle box.

It holds up to forty (40) 12" long baits in two compartments and it measures 21½" (L) x 12½" (W) x 13" (H),

The box price is around $80.00.

The Flambeau Maximizer is made of heavy-duty plastic. This box provides convenient storage for those large baits that won't fit in a standard tackle box.

It holds up to fifty (50) 12" long baits in two compartments and it measures 27½" (L) x 14" (W) x 14½" (H).

The box price is around $80.00.

The Special Mate 1345c is the largest of the Special Mate boxes. It is made of high impact plastic and contains 9 ribbed dividers to keep lures and hooks separated, with 5 compartments in each divider.

It will hold 45 large crank baits, jerk baits, or similar large lures up to 12” in length and it measures 22" (L) x 11" (W) x 13" (H).

The box price is around $55.00.

The boxes are all some what similar, however, in today's economic reality, the Special Mate box is almost half the price of the Plano and Flambeau boxes...a very attractive feature. The floating ribbed inserts make it easy to flip through a tackle collection.

Also, if you are dead set on spending around $80.00 for your tackle storage, Special Mate has another box you can get for around $42.00, in addition to the 1345c, that is specifically configured for bucktails, spinners and spoons.

The 8225s Special Mate box contains 15 dividers, with 15 groves in the top of each divider. It will hold 225 spinner baits, spoons, or similar lures up to 8” in length. The box measures 22” long, 11” wide, 9” high

From my perspective, the combination of flexibility, functionality and price make the Special Mate tackle boxes the right choice for the Musky angler starting out or the Musky angler looking for a better way to manage a lure collection.

Take a look at the complete line of Special Mate tackle box options by going to http://www.jacksonlures.com/Commerce2/Mate.htm.

Good Fishing