hey guys, so im wanting to buy a tacklebox/gearbag that I can setup for dual use here in FL with freshwater and salt water fishing, and was wondering if you could recommend a tacklebox/gear bag that has worked for you, IE not a cluster to get stuff in and out and easy to deal with on a rocking boat. also was wondering if you can recommend hooks and tackle for use in florida waters. for salt water I would say intercoastal / pier/ barely offshore.

thanks

I use two different containers for fresh vs salt water and an overall molded plastic box for things that work in both environments (stainless steel pliers, fish grips, battery radio, FRS radio, heavy gloves for cat fish/sharks, maps, gps to mark hot spots, spool of 20lb line for leaders, leaders, swivels, hummingbird fish finder head unit, suntan lotion, inflatable fanny pack style lift vest.)
I use this to sort the freshwater hard baits/spinners which was Home Depot for 15ish with the 3 plano case inserts and a couple other plano cases are floating about with soft lures, etc.
http://www.homedepot.com/p/Husky-Mobile-Pro-Organizer-with-3-Removable-Organizers-17193870/203431528?N=c28p#.Um2LkxDY29Y






Anything such as this for salt water which has different salt water rigs such as fluke, striped bass, etc and holds maybe 10 lbs of misc weights to reach bottom.

This is the catch all for both environments.





http://www.walmart.com/ip/Rubbermaid-35-Gallon-Action-Packer/879603






OP, to save weight/room on the boat, I would suggest you split the equipment and reduce any chance of confusion if other people are using your lures.

 

This is my kind of question. You fish saltwater like I do. I have a freshwater box and a saltwater box. I say box, but I mean bag. I went to walmart and got a tackle bag made by ugly stick. It came with organizer boxes in it and lots of storage space. I just put a strip of blue tap on my saltwater bag. It has a shoulder strap as well. I wouldn't advise keeping freshwater stuff with saltwater stuff because it will rust like crazy. In the saltwater bag, keep lots of crankbaits, nothing under 6 inches if I were you, and color depending on the bait that is normally there. My cranks are either mullet colors or greenback colors. I have a couple pinfish crankbaits too. I use a lot of bucktails as well for snook and reds. Weights from 1.5-2 oz, and the colors don't really matter, but I've noticed reds seem to go for the pink or chartreuse, and snook go for white or chartreuse. Could be a coincidence though. I keep berkley gulp shrimp with popping corks for fishing flats or slow water. Fishing with popping corks, IMO, is one of the funnest kinds of fishing. Keep leader material too, because your line can get mangled on rocks and whatnot, and I'm a believer that fish can see braided line (I run 50lb flouro leader). If you're drifting live bait, use a leader set up with a 1/0 or 2/0 hook, going to a barrel swivel with say a 1oz egg weight. This is used for moving water with a drift. It will keep the bait around the bottom, where lots of big reds wait for passing fish.  I would only use circle hooks, basically because the fish will hook itself, and all you have to do is reel. Make sure your hooks are stainless or "saltwater grade". Most other stuff will start rusting very quickly. I would keep some silver spoons handy too. Its fun when a school of jacks or blues come along, and they'll start tearing up a spoon and the fight is on.

I mainly fish Brevard County, FL for snooks and reds. I frequent Sebastian Inlet.

You need seperate tackle bags for fresh and saltwater.

I have several boxes and various plastic organizers.
After a lot of years of fishing, I've gotten to the point where I want as little gear as reasonable with me, and in carry it all in  a backpack.
Can't stand carrying a box any longer....I leave them in the jeep and can always go back and retrieve major components of my gear if needed....but realistically, what I need goes in the backpack, and off I go.

For example, tomorrow I'll be walking the beach all day. I took a plastic organizer box and put all the metal lures and jigs I could conceivably use. I have a big ziplock bag full of terminal tackle, and a spool of leader material. A couple of tools, my headlamp, a knife, some rags....and that's it. Stuffed all that into an old camelback hawg, and I'll have that on my back and my rod and reel...nothing more.

I'll have a shit ton of gear back at the jeep, but I seriously doubt I'll need anything beyond what I'm bringing.

And for the next trip, I'll repack my bag based on where I'm going and what I'm fishing for.

Fishing is a lot easier and a lot more fun when you aren't carrying a bunch of heavy crap around, especially if you don't need it