Can you tell its a chilly morning out there, posting into overdrive this morning.
To the point, with the cost of jigs these days, its a good idea to protect them as best you can. You’ve seen the fly boxes that I use for some of the jigs where they are snug in the foam. Little Atom sells “Bug Luggage” for storage. All those ideas are fine for taking the jigs out onto the ice, but there is always a “but”. How do you organize the jigs; size, color, glow or brand even?
For taking long trips, and just to have organized up in the shop I use these bass worm bags. Each bag has seven pages that are zippered at the bottom. The fronts are clear plastic so you can see what jigs are in that particular page you are looking at. I have the bags separated by species; bluegill, crappie and perch. In each bag I have the pages separated by manufacturer. It just seems easier to say, I want to use a “Doodle Bug” so I go right to the Northland page in the crappie or perch bag.
The jigs are stored and secured on a piece of foam that slides into the pages. They are roughly the same size as the window so you can see all of the jigs with the flip of each page.
The bags themselves actually have pockets or areas to store more gear. In these I might have files for cleaning out eyes or sharpening hooks. In the bluegill bag I might have 2 lb Vanish for leaders, the crappie and perch bags might have 4 lb test. I have extra little bags full of species appropriate sized hooks for rigging on the go. I have had extra bulk unpainted jigs in the crappie and perch bag, and all the bags have a small selection of split shot to keep the lines tight while fishing if I need it.
Always good, to be ready for just about anything out on the ice. With these bags you have everything with you, plus they protect the jigs from themselves. What’s that mean? Think about having all your jigs in a loose collection inside a tiny plano box, just rattling around. The more they rattle, the more they collide with each other. Eventually you will start to see little flecks of paint collecting inside. Using a secured way of transporting your jigs will help ensure a longer life on the paint jobs, and many more trips of use for yourself.
Hello, I make my own jigs and am trying to find a way to store them like you described, where I can have them sorted by size, color, etc. I like your idea with the worm bag. What kind of foam do you use.
Kerry,
those pieces of are actually from the boxes that Ambassadeur baitcast reels come in. They are used to cushion the reel inside the box. The nice thing about these are they are roughly the same size of the window in the pages of the bag.
If I was going to go shopping for foam of some type, this is an angler’s #1 secret for finding components and other odds and ends, go to the local craft store. They have beads for crawler harnesses and should have foam boards used for backing. If you live in Monroe, Crafts 2000 would be a good place to start looking.
Another place to look would be a Lowe’s or similiar type store, and look for the thinnest sheeting of foam insulation. Worst case, you have to buy a big sheet, but they may have a damaged piece you can get at a better price.
If I can think of another location or source I will post the info.