Best Tackle Box For Saltwater Fishing: Top 5

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When you go saltwater fishing, you do need to have a good tackle box. A tackle box is essential for carrying all of the gear you need to be a successful fisherman. In terms of saltwater fishing, the tackle box needs to be fairly waterproof, durable, and resistant to the effects of salt, plus you need to look for the right size box for your needs too.

At any rate, although finding a good one can be hard, so we have put together a detailed buying guide to help you find the best tackle box for saltwater fishing (the Plano Big Game Tackle Box is our top pick). We have narrowed it down to 5 options but let’s first look at the 3 essentials to look out for with tackle boxes.

Contents

3 Things To Consider With Tackle Boxes

Before getting a tackle box, there are 3 main things that you need to keep in mind before you make any final purchase, so let’s go over these quickly.

1. Durability

For one, you do obviously want a tackle box that is very durable. For one, having a solid outer shell is a big deal, one made of thick and tough plastic. You don’t want the tackle box breaking or shattering if you happen to drop it or if you boat over some big waves in the ocean.

Moreover, if there are any see-through lids, as there often are, these should be durable too, not that they break and expose your gear.

Another big aspect here is being waterproof and saltwater resistant, both so the tackle box itself does not corrode, plus so that the interior items are not exposed to saltwater.

Finally, you do also need the hinges, both for the lids and trays, to be durable and solid, so they don’t break when opening or closing.

2. Right Size

It may seem a little obvious to state, but make sure to pay attention to the specific size of the tackle box you are looking at. If you are a beginner and don’t have that much tackle, and if you don’t plant on increasing your stock too much, a smaller option will probably do fine. However, if you plan on bringing a ton of tackle with you, a larger option will suit you better.

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Now, ideally, having a large main compartment for big gear is ideal, but there should also be various trays, compartments, pockets, or organizers for smaller gear. Therefore, not only do you need to pay attention to the amount of gear you want to fit in the tackle box, but the size of the individual pieces too.

Do you need to fit a few large things or many small things? Would you rather have large open compartments, or a bunch of small organizers to keep things separate? Only the largest of tackle boxes will accommodate both needs.

3. Easy To Carry

Finally, you do also want the tackle box in question to be easy to carry. For one, this means coming with a good handle, one that is made of solid materials, has an ergonomic design, and won’t fall off if you have a lot of stuff in the tackle box. At the same time, having a tackle box that is not too heavy will definitely help as well.

Here is a good general checklist on what you should have in your tackle box.


Our Top 5 Tackle Box Picks for Saltwater Fishing

Here are our top 5 picks that we felt deserved a mention, below we cover an overview of each looking at size, interior and durability;

1. Plano Big Game System Tackle Box

If you need a good tackle box to go with for saltwater fishing, the Plano Big Game System Tackle Box caters well for most situations.

Size

In terms of the specs, this thing is 21.5 by 12.5 by 13 inches, making it quite large and ideal to hold a fair amount of tackle. It has enough room to hold a whopping 40 baits, each of which can be up to 12 inches long.

There is a reason why this is called a big game system tackle box, because it is big and meant for big baits.

Interior

The interior of the Plano Big Game Tackle Box does have racks to accommodate additional stowaway utility and tackle boxes, which is pretty convenient. Do keep in mind that these utility boxes are sold separately.

Durability

In terms of durability, this particular tackle box is made with thick and high quality plastic. It is not going to crack just from sitting around. It does feature a fairly high level of impact resistance, but it is just a plastic box, so we would not purposely go out of our way to see how durable it really is. It comes with a basic hinge and latching system, which works just fine.

The latches are not super durable, but they definitely keep everything on the inside, thus making this item 100% worm proof, as is advertised. It even features a solid plastic handle for easy carrying.

Pros

  • Very large and ideal for tons of tackle.
  • Comes with space for stowaway utility boxes.
  • Durable shell.
  • Worm proof.
  • Latches keep the lid securely in place.
  • Handle for easy carrying.

Cons

  • Hinges and latches are not too durable.
  • Carrying handle also has limited durability.
  • Does not come with dividers.

You can check the current price on Amazon here


2. Plano Angled Tackle System

If you need a decent sized tackle box that is well organized, the Plano Angled Tackle System is a good option to keep in mind. First and foremost, this thing features many different compartments that can be used to keep all of your baits, lures, and fishing gear well organized.

Size

Firstly, there is a large upper main compartment which is sloped. At the front of the slope, it is 1.5 inches deep, with the end of the slope being 2.5 inches deep. The main compartment is 16 inches in width, which is fairly large, thus allowing you to store a variety of gear.

Interior

Next, the front of the Plano Angled Tackle System features 3 utility drawers stacked on top of each other, each of which is ideal for storing various smaller baits, lines, and other such things. These are also 16 inches wide and roughly 1.5 inches deep.

Next, to each side of the 3 utility drawers, there is 1 vertical compartment, a small compartment, which can be used to store even more gear. Finally, the top of the tackle box, beside the large upper compartment, also features 2 very small compartments which can each hold a couple of lures.

Durability

All of the compartments, beside the large top main compartment, feature DuraView doors. In other words, the doors are made of solid plastic, they are easy to open and close, they latch firmly into place, and they are also see-through so you can easily see what is on the inside of them.

The solid latching system on the top compartment will definitely not open up unless you open it yourself. Finally, this whole thing, especially the outer shell, is made of a durable and impact resistant plastic.

Pros

  • High level of overall durability.
  • 1 large compartment, 3 utility drawers, and 4 small compartments.
  • Great for keeping smaller things organized.
  • Good latching systems with a secure lid.
  • See through doors for easy visibility.

Cons

  • Not waterproof.
  • Not ideal for very large gear.
  • Gear tends to slide around a bit.

You can check the current price on Amazon here


3. Plano 2-Tray Tackle Box

If you need a decent sized tackle box, albeit not as large as the first one we looked at, this is a good way to go. The Plano 2-Tray Tackle Box is advertised as being a good option for young anglers who don’t have too much gear.

Size

For one, this is a very lightweight tackle box, coming in at under 3 pounds, making it ideal for smaller people to carry. Next, it comes in at 15 x 9 x 7 inches, making it a medium size. It’s not too large, but it should be more than good enough for anybody who is just getting into fishing with a limited amount of gear.

Interior

In terms of inner storage, the Plano 2 tray tackle box, as the name implies, comes with 2 trays, each of which are just a little under 15 x 9 x 7 inches. both trays are extending trays which open up when you open the handle, thus allowing access to both trays at the same time.

Each tray comes with between 14 and 25 smaller organizer compartments. There is also a large bottom compartment where you can fit some larger items. When you open the lid, both top trays come out in an angled fashion, thus allowing access to the bottom tray at the same time.

Durability

The outer shell of this tackle box is made with fairly durable plastic. Now, it can easily handle saltwater and general use, but do not try dropping it. While it is fairly durable in general, impact resistance is a bit limited here.

We do like how this tackle box comes with an easy to open lid with a brass latch. It will definitely stay closed unless you open it, although it is not waterproof. At the same time, it also comes with a convenient carrying handle so young anglers can transport it with ease.

Pros

  • Great for organizing.
  • Good for beginners with limited amounts of gear.
  • Decent outer shell.
  • Resists salt water.
  • 2 Cantilever Trays with 14 to 25 Compartments + Large bottom area.
  • Solid brass latch.
  • Collapsible handle.

Cons

  • Not ideal for very large gear.
  • Not ideal for large amounts of gear.
  • Not waterproof.
  • Not very impact resistant.

You can check the current price on Amazon here


4. Plano 7771 Guide Series Tackle System

If you need a large tackle box with plenty of space, plus a lot of smaller compartments for organization, this is a good option to keep in mind no doubt.

Size

First off, the whole thing comes in at 21.2 x 12.9 x 12.7 inches, which means that it does have quite a bit of room. The main compartment that is top accessible is fairly deep, wide, and long, making it ideal for various types and sizes of tackle.

It features a top tray with various dividers for storing smaller items, plus the tray can be removed to store things underneath too.

Interior

The Plano Guide Series Tackle System also comes with one large compartment in the lid, which is divided into several smaller spaces, plus a small lid compartment to the side of it too. Furthermore, the front of this tackle box features 4 utility drawers with various small compartments in each of them.

Each of these utility drawers is around 18 inches wide, 9 inches deep, and about 2 inches in height. As you can see, thanks to the variety of compartments, compartment sizes, and drawers, storing small and medium size tackle, lots of it, is more than possible. Besides the very largest of tackle, this tackle box will work great.

Durability

We do like this particular tackle box due to the fact that it is made with really solid plastic. The outer shell is quite durable and features a fairly high level of impact resistance. With that being said, the plastic see-through doors on the lid compartment and in front of the utility drawers does not have the highest level of durability.

However, being see-through is pretty neat because you can see what is on the inside. The collapsible carrying handle is fine for transportation, plus the plastic latches are very secure, although not that durable either.

Pros

  • Lots of room for bulk storage.
  • Many large and small compartments for storage.
  • See-through doors for visibility.
  • Secure latching system.
  • Durable outer shell.
  • Convenient carrying handle.
  • Removable bait racks.

Cons

  • See-through lids are not that durable.
  • Latches and handle are not too durable.
  • Not waterproof.

You can check the current price on Amazon here


5. Ready 2 Fish Tackle Box

This is a slightly more basic tackle box to go with, not unlike the third option we looked at above. The Ready 2 Fish Tackle Box comes in at just over 2 pounds, making it fairly lightweight, thus easy to transport and carry around. The collapsible handle definitely helps with portability too.

Size

In terms of the size, this tackle box comes in at 13.9 x 7.6 x 7.4 inches. As you can see, it is fairly small, but that is not always a bad thing. It is good for beginner anglers who don’t have too much gear.

Interior

On that note, what is nice here is that this tackle box comes with an assortment of various tackle already included. It comes with a ton of hooks, some skirts, grub baits, sinkers, and a few other useful items as well. This is a 2 tray tackle box, one where both trays feature various smaller compartments for keeping your gear organized.

The trays automatically pop out in an angled fashion when you open the lid. Therefore, besides the 2 trays, there is also a decent sized bottom area to store some things in as well. Do keep in mind that this tackle box is not ideal for very large gear as it just doesn’t have the space for it.

Durability

Besides that, this particular tackle box has a very thick and solid outer shell which is made of plastic. We do like this because it is totally waterproof, not to mention very durable too. It does have a high level of impact resistance.

At the same time, the latch system used here is easy to open and close, plus quite secure too. On a side note, the lid also features a shallow compartment where you can keep some fishing line and other smaller things.

Pros

  • Superior durability.
  • 2 pop out trays with various organizer compartments.
  • Small compartment in the lid.
  • Good for portability – decent handle.
  • Good latching system.

Cons

  • Not ideal for experienced anglers with lots of gear.
  • Included tackle is not exactly top quality.
  • A little lopsided.

You can check the current price here on Amazon

Conclusion

At the end of the day, as long as you pay attention to the size of the box, which means the total size and the size of inner compartments, its weight and handles, and its durability, you should have no problem finding one that works for you. We would definitely recommend taking a closer look at any of the five above options we have reviewed here today.

Jason Downs

I created Fishtackly to share my 30 years of fishing experience and knowledge with others with the aim to help, and hopefully get more people involved and educated in this fantastic hobby that I love.