I am finally getting around to putting away all of my ice fishing gear. I was wondering what I need to do with all of my plastics. I spent a good bit of money this year to stock up and don’t want to spend it on the same things next year. I am always disappointed when I get out my ice fishing stuff next fall and I have a solid brick of plastic goo in my tackle boxes. Any ideas?
Mjigs
Zip lock bags work well. And avoid heat storage of course.
Do they lose their scent?
Expect TubeDude to chime in with his thoughts, I beleive he had some ideas about this topic last fall.
I had the same problem. All my crappie jigs would melt together, so I now store them in the freezer when I’m not using them. This goes for all year around. After every trip, I put them back in the freezer. I don’t know if this will effect scented plastics or not. DKS
have stored large amounts of plastics for the past 5 years keep in ziplocs in a plastic tote in dark basement uv light also takes a toll on rubber and plastic good luck…
Keep the different types of plastics seperate. Don’t store white grubs with watermellon seed worms for example. They will have a chemical reaction and melt together.
Thanks for the info. I had thought of the plastic bags but not keeping the colors seperate. When you buy plastics in the original packing they have salt in them. Does this salt have any preservation properties or is it simply for scent. Should I buy some salt, not iodized, and add it to the ziplock bags?
Mjigs
As far as I know the salt is useless. It just washes off with the first cast but may have some preservation properties, but I doubt it. Lots of the curly tails I buy have no salt in the bags and they store just fine.
Hey Jig Guy, you have got some good input. The main problem with plastic baits is that the solvents in them are very reactive with many kinds of plastics and paints. Most modern tackle boxes are made of nonreactive plastic, but many small compartmented plastic lure boxes are not.
Clear hard plastic boxes are usually “polystyrene”. Plastic solvents turn this plastic to sticky goo in a hurry. They are okay for keeping hardbaits, jigheads and flies, but do not put soft plastic baits in them.
Look for lure boxes that are rated “plastic safe”. If in doubt, look for polypropylene containers. These are the softer and more flexible plastic, and they are not clear like the bad ones. You can see into them, but not as well. Plastic baits will not dissolve this stuff.
Virtually all of the plastic baggies available are nonreactive to the plastic solvents. Once you have opened a bag from the tackle shop, it is a good idea to keep the rest of your stash in a closeable plastic bag or a nonreactive compartmented box.
In the attached pics you will note that I use a LOT of the polypropylene boxes. In the number one pic, you will see the colors of some of my plastic assortment. I still have plastics, in prime condition, that I purchased over 20 years ago.
Lure paints are another problem with plastics. Don’t let your plastics fall in with your hardbaits. Very costly lesson. Also, be sure you do not toss a rigged jighead with a plastic on it in with the other plastics. Many jig paints are very reactive and will spoil a whole compartment of plastic baits if allowed to remain with them.
I pour and paint all of my own jig heads. I finish them all with nonreactive epoxy paint. Most manufacturers don’t do so. However, the powder paints are pretty nonreactive too.
The advice to keep colors separate is good too. In addition to solvents, plastics contain color dyes, specific to the individual bait. Some colors do not “bleed”. Others will quickly discolor anything else with which they come into contact. Chartreuse is probably the best (or worst) example. Put a couple of chartreuse grubs in with some new white ones and within a couple of days you have all chartreuse. By the way, that is a good way to get full use out of some old discolored whites or pearls. Mix them with some chartreuse in a plastic bag and leave them for a few days to a few weeks. Soon you have some great new chartreuse baits.
Heat does not seem to be a major factor in the meltdown of plastics. I take my lure boxes out into Arizona temps over 100 degrees. Sometimes the boxes get warped but I have never had plastic baits melt together.
If you don’t think those lure dyes are potent, try buying some of that “Spike It” plastic lure coloring liquid. If you dip a grub in that stuff for more than a few seconds it will dissolve. You need a neutralizer to keep your newly dyed plastics from falling apart before you can use them.
See I knew Pat would to the rescue. Way to go TubeDude!
I’m laughing at Tube Dude’s fishin’ office! Hey man, you got more than my boat can hold… and what’s bad is that everything must be on my boat to be totally prepared… maybe I should buy a tugboat to tag along my boat so I am never without my lures and equipment… just don’t like the idea of leaving it at home at the wrong time when the right time comes around.
Wow TubeDude I love your office!!! I think that I might just have to save those pictures, and then whenever my wife says that I have too much fishing stuff, or that I don’t “need” any more lures because I already have plenty, I’ll just produce the pictures and tell her that until I have that much stuff, there is no way that I have “enough”. LOL
I myself have also had a bad experience with mixing plastics with different things with not so fantastic results:
I’ve had spinnerbait jigskirts “glue” themselves to a rapala, and some of the “tenticles” also glued themselves to a polished hammered silver spinner blade. I don’t know if it was from the heat or from reacting to whatever finish is on the metal.
I’ve also had curly tail jigs “eat” a hole in some of my bobbers and clear plastic bubbles. I’m much more careful about what I put where now.
Hey Paul…and Cat_Man, glad you appreciate the pic of Pat’s Playroom. Would you hate me if I tell you I have a bunch of stuff on shelves in my garage too? Much of the goodies in the boxes are assorted hooks, jig heads, spinners, spoons, blades, beads and other stuff just for making lures.
Remember the old saying “YOU CAN NEVER BE TOO RICH OR TOO THIN”? I add to that “YOU CAN NEVER REALLY HAVE TOO MUCH FISHIN’ STUFF.”
They also say that none of us is a complete loss. We can all serve as examples for others. And Kevin, if you want to use me as an example…to get a bigger fishing allowance…you have my permission. Heck, I’ll even write you an excuse note if you need one.
Actually, it is patriotic to be a dedicated fisherman. I’ll bet we contribute a big chunk of the national economy on our pastimes. Ain’t it great to be a fisherman in America. Get out there and make a cast for democracy.
That collection is has got to be the 8th wonder of the world. I almost cried when I open the pics. Now that is what I call money well spent!!!
Looks like a fun place to play! wish I had a place to play like that!
…DONE. From now on, noone mess with me or tell me I can’t get more fishing stuff. I have Pat’s official stamp of approval, not to mention the backing of the entire democratic free world. Give me Liberty or give me death(uh, maybe substitute death for fishing).
Yo, TubeDude,
When I grow up, I wanna be just like you.
Now if I could just get the little missus to go along with it…
Hey BB, I blush at your admiration. Good luck with the missus. They can be a mite contrary. They always seem to have their own priorities…like eating, paying the bills…silly stuff.
This may be “too much information”, but it took me three times to get it right. Hooked up with TubeBabe 25 years ago in June, after two false starts. She’s a keeper. The fact that I keep her tackle in good repair and make lots of new lures for her helps me justify those big credit card dings from Cabelas, BassPro, Janns, Barlows, etc. I just say “That’s stuff I had to buy for you sweetie.” So far it’s still working.
Man, this thread sure got away from storing plastics. Sorry 'bout that.
I got the answers that I wanted…I don’t know what you expected when you posted those photos but a bunch of grovelling inferiors, plus I now have ammunition to get more stuff.
I committed the cardinal sin this winter in joking around with the mrs. by saying that I had purchased enough fishing gear to last me a few years. And can you believe it, she took it literally. Now every time I go to the local fishing store I get the same lecture “I thought you said that you had enough fishing stuff to last a few years?”.
My only recourse in the past has been to say it’s like you and clothes, do you ever have anything to wear? Now I have a great photo to carry around in my wallet to prove a point, thanks again tubedude.
Mjigs