TACKLE BAG

What goes in the bag before I leave the truck?

Q: What goes in the bag before I leave the truck?

Bare minimum (Pliers, a de-hooker, a hook file, a bait knife, a towel, spare rigs, a few sinkers, a headlamp, and a trash bag.): A day trip on foot. Everything you need to fish one tide, and nothing you have to walk back to the truck for.. Solid (All of the above, plus a scale, a tape measure, a first aid kit, a roll of tape, spare leader spools, and a second hook size.): A weekend, or a day you mean to keep fish. The scale and the tape measure are for the rules, and they settle whether a fish is legal before it goes in the cooler.. Full (All of the above, plus a cooler, a backup rod, waders, a sand spike, a full sinker assortment, bug spray, and sun cover.): ORV or camping. You are the tackle shop for the day, and there is no counter to walk back to when something breaks.. The bag is the difference between a session and a drive home. Pack it in tiers, so a day trip on foot and a week on the sand are the same bag with more in it.

The bag is the difference between a session and a drive home. Pack it in tiers, so a day trip on foot and a week on the sand are the same bag with more in it.

What to use today

A quiet stretch of Outer Banks beach at first light, where the bag gets packed

Right now

Reading the buoys and the tide station for tackle bag…

Three sizes of the same bag

This table is the guide. It does not change with the weather, which makes it the part worth printing and keeping in the truck.

Three sizes of the same bag
The bag	What goes in it	Why
Bare minimum	Pliers, a de-hooker, a hook file, a bait knife, a towel, spare rigs, a few sinkers, a headlamp, and a trash bag.	A day trip on foot. Everything you need to fish one tide, and nothing you have to walk back to the truck for.Pliers, a de-hooker, a hook file, a bait knife, a towel, spare rigs, a few sinkers, a headlamp, and a trash bag.If you carry one tier, carry this one.
Solid	All of the above, plus a scale, a tape measure, a first aid kit, a roll of tape, spare leader spools, and a second hook size.	A weekend, or a day you mean to keep fish. The scale and the tape measure are for the rules, and they settle whether a fish is legal before it goes in the cooler.All of the above, plus a scale, a tape measure, a first aid kit, a roll of tape, spare leader spools, and a second hook size.The tier most anglers should actually be carrying.
Full	All of the above, plus a cooler, a backup rod, waders, a sand spike, a full sinker assortment, bug spray, and sun cover.	ORV or camping. You are the tackle shop for the day, and there is no counter to walk back to when something breaks.All of the above, plus a cooler, a backup rod, waders, a sand spike, a full sinker assortment, bug spray, and sun cover.Heavy by design. Weigh it once and decide if it is a bag or a truck box.

What is in the bag, and why

What is in the bag, and why
Item	Why you carry it	Where it lives
Pliers	Cut line and pull a hook without putting your fingers near the teeth.Belt loop, or the front pocket of the bag.	Belt loop, or the front pocket of the bag.
De-hooker	Backs a hook out of a fish's mouth, especially a swallowed circle hook, without hurting the fish or your hand.With the pliers.	With the pliers.
Hook file	Puts a point back on a hook that dragged over sand or shell. A touched-up hook hooks more fish.A small pocket it always lives in, so you find it in the dark.	A small pocket it always lives in, so you find it in the dark.
Bait knife	Cuts bait on the sand or the cutting board instead of in your lap.Sheathed on the belt, never loose in the bag.	Sheathed on the belt, never loose in the bag.
Towel	Your hands are wet and slimy most of a session. A dry towel is worth more than it weighs.Top of the bag, where it can dry.	Top of the bag, where it can dry.
Headlamp	The fish do not care what time it is. A red setting keeps your night vision and keeps the light off other anglers.Top of the bag, with spare batteries.	Top of the bag, with spare batteries.
Spare rigs	A rig that tangled or broke ends the session unless there is another one in the bag.A flat rig wallet, so they do not tangle on each other.	A flat rig wallet, so they do not tangle on each other.
Sinker assortment	The weight changes with the surf, and a heavy day eats the light sinkers.A small box, sorted by weight.	A small box, sorted by weight.
First aid kit	A hook in a hand happens. So does a cut on a shell or a knife slip.Somewhere you can reach with one hand.	Somewhere you can reach with one hand.
Tape	Holds a rod together, holds a cooler shut, and holds a sand spike that has started to split.The bag, not the truck.	The bag, not the truck.
Scale	Weighs a fish you mean to release, and settles the argument about how big it was.Bag or belt.	Bag or belt.
Tape measure	A fish has to be measured before it is kept, and the limits move by species. Lay the tape flat on the sand and measure total length, nose to the tip of the tail.Bag, with the scale.	Bag, with the scale.
Trash bag	Packs out your line, bait wrappers, and whatever the last angler left. The beach stays open to anglers because anglers keep it clean.One in the bag, one in the truck.	One in the bag, one in the truck.

Four rules for packing light

Pack in tiers, not in bulk. The bare-minimum bag plus the two extra tiers is lighter than one big box you carry every time.
A place for everything beats a bigger bag. If the headlamp is always in the same pocket, you find it in the dark.
Rinse and dry the bag after a trip. Salt kills pliers, hooks, and zippers faster than any fish does.
Weigh the bag once. If you would not carry it a mile down the beach, it is a truck box, not a bag.

Pack by trip

Pack by trip
Trip	When	What that adds
Day trip	A few hours on footPliers, de-hooker, knife, towel, spare rigs, headlamp, trash bag	Pliers, de-hooker, knife, towel, spare rigs, headlamp, trash bag
Weekend	Two days, keeping fishScale, tape measure, first aid, tape, spare leader	Scale, tape measure, first aid, tape, spare leader
ORV or camping	Driving on and staying outCooler, backup rod, sinker assortment, waders, sun cover	Cooler, backup rod, sinker assortment, waders, sun cover