How to choose the right bag for the right job.
It seems like every time I go to get something out of our wardrobe another bloody handbag comes tumbling off the top shelf and onto my head. Why would you need so many different bags? Can’t you just have one bag for everything? Well, actually no. The same reason my wife needs a different handbag for every occasion is the same reason I need a range of fishing bags, four in fact.
Some bags are for transporting large amounts of gear on fishing trips, while others are designed to be light weight and allow free movement while casting. Some are designed to carry bait or your catch and can be hosed out when you get home, while others have a seat incorporated into them so you’ve got somewhere to sit while you’re waiting or that 25kilo Mulloway to swim past and devour your bait. One style of bag that have really taken off recently are Soft bags. Soft bags have dominated the market over the last few years as they offer a significant weight advantage over tackle boxes while still offering excellent protection for your gear with the use of soft padding. Whatever requirements you have its more than likely there will be a bag available to fit the bill, and more than likely come in a colour to match your eyes…..if that’s your thing.
El Presidente.
Now here is a fishing bag to rule all fishing bags. I purchased this bag brand new three years ago for about a hundred dollars and it has been worth every penny. I couldn’t imagine a bag that could replace it and cover all my needs so perfectly. I should go and buy another one to put in the cupboard just in case they stop making them. The most impressive thing about El President is it is actually two bags that can be zipped together, and although I usually never separate them it does make the whole package very versatile. The bottom section is for terminal tackle storage and comes with 4 good quality Plano tackle boxes and I bought an additional four which fit perfectly. The bottom section has two side pockets, one of which I use for my knives, files and gimbal and the other side I use for headlamps, batteries and camera. It has four reel compartments in the top of the bag and an additional section for all your leader and line. It even has a pocket on the side for a Leatherman. One component that usually lets a good bag down is the zippers but on El President they shine, made from heavy duty plastic they run smooth and never jam. I give the zippers a hit with some Lano-tech every now and then to keep them in good order and in three years have not had one fail. It has a large padded shoulder strap which is just as well as when it is packed with all my gear weighs over 20 kilograms.
9 out of 10 pink handbags
Alvey reef hopper
Whether its Floreat drain or Yanchep Lagoon, Trigg or Kalbarri. The chance’s are if you get up early and head down for a fish you will see one of these bags or something very similar slung over the shoulder of a time honoured local. I think these were invented about the same time as the side cast Alvey probably earlier and I reckon if Alvey reels were as user friendly as their accessories, the one I was given about five years ago would be on a rod and not on the box somewhere in the back of my tackle cabinet. Simple in design and practical in nature these bags a defiantly worth the 10 bucks or so they cost. Consisting of one large section with mesh at the bottom (to allow funky fish juice to drain out) and two smaller pockets for all your lures, bait, leader and sinkers, these bags are built for work. The last one I purchased even had a knife pocket. How fancy!
The beauty of these particular bags is it doesn’t matter if it gets wet while you’re wading out to your favourite early morning reef. Just chuck a few baits or lures in one of the pockets and you can sit on your perch for hours without having to venture back to shore. Just remember to remove your car keys and mobile before you wade out to chuck big Poppers and Gardies out toward your shortening shadow.
7 out of 10 pink handbags
Plano fanny pack
Now this has been a revelation for me over the last couple of years. There are a few different models out there and in the beginning I was using an old one I had lying about from my Enduro Motorcross days but it wasn’t really a good match for what I wanted. I found the Plano one just before a trip up north in April and I use it every time I fish with plastics without fail. The Plano Bum bag has basically taken the place of the small back pack I was using previous. When I’m on the move prospecting for fish I wear it conventionally, but then when I have to stop to change rigs or swap out a chewed up SP, I spin it round to the front to give me quick access to my plastics, jig heads and fluoro. The bag has one large pocket at the front which is big enough to accommodate pack of 7 inch Jerkshads or a heap of lures. It has a medium size pocket on each side which I keep all my fluoro and boxes of jigheads. And it even has some small mesh pockets sewn on which I keep a leatherman and a pair of braid scissors. I can even slide the butt of my rod through the belt in a vertical position so it stand upright and allows me to re-tie rigs with both hands free. Really is a good bit of kit.
9 out of 10 pink handbags
Abu Garcia Canvas Backpack
This really is the workhorse of the group, built from heavy duty canvas it gets used and abused on a regular basis. Packed to braking point with tackle for long hikes in, packed with tackle and fish for long hikes out, filled with firewood collected for overnighters, squeezed in to any available space in a fully packed fourby and then hosed out on the driveway ready to do it all again. I’ve had this bag for about two and a half years and if it only had a few minor changes would go close to being the top of the list. My main gripe with the designer of this bag is the lack of a decent chest strap. Anyone who has climbed in and out of Garth’s rock will tell you its no easy feat. With over fifteen kilo’s in a back pack that’s lacking a chest strap it makes the task even harder. A heavy backpack with no chest strap tends to not only slip down you back but also lean away from your body which makes for quite uncomfortable climbing. The second thing that I would love to change on the Abu bag is the zips. I have a friend who has one and has not taken care of his zips and every one is stuffed. Because the bag uses brass zips as opposed to heavy duty plastic ones like on El Presidente, they need lots of lubricant like Inox or Lanotech to stop them from seizing and braking teeth. On the upside the bag has massive storage. Not only does it have a dry storage area that forms the bulk of the bag, it also has an insulated, wet section at the bottom which will easily fit a couple kilos of Mulies or six beers no problem. It also has a small pocket on the side of the bag down low and a couple of Velcro straps above that to secure a rod holder which is very handy. I really wish they would re-release a mach 2 version of this bag as I would defiantly buy another one. With out the changes I will probably look at something different when the Abu bag finally dies.
6 out of 10 pink handbags
Thing to consider when buying a fishing bag
• Is it washable?
• Do you want a tackle box or a tackle bag?
• Doest it have padded or heavy duty straps?
• Do the zips look good quality and run smooth?
• Is it double or single stitched?
• Will you fishing gear fit inside?
• Are the clips heavy duty?