Your first tackle box: I’ve been gradually cleaning up my tackle-getting ready for fall fishing and came across a couple of very old and well loved lures. I started thinking about what...

OK John Loc: Oklahoma City,OK

I’ve been gradually cleaning up my tackle-getting ready for fall fishing and came across a couple of very old and well loved lures. I started thinking about what I had in my tackle box when I first started seriously fishing-when I graduated from worms and salmon eggs and moved to artificials. As I recall my lure selection consisted of a “Chummin’ Minnow” spinnerbait, Original Rapala, RoadRunner Jig, Mann’s Jelly Worms and a few Z-Rays for trout and stream bass. Reels were a Quick 110 & and Mitchell 300. All I remember about the rods is one was red and one was green.
What was in your first tackle box?

Huntm22 Loc: Northern Utah. - West Haven

Mitchell 300, Shakespeare rod and a mepps, daredevil and a rapala. Hey I still use them occasionally and they are almost as old as me😀😀😝😝

flyguy Loc: Lake Onalaska, Sunfish Capitol of the World!

OK John wrote:

I’ve been gradually cleaning up my tackle-getting ... (show quote)

Probably a nightcrawler & a hook or two.

Wv mike Loc: Parkersburg area. Wv

Daddy’s tackle box. Hay RJS I smell a story there.

Robert J Samples Loc: Round Rock, Texas

Well, Hoss, there is always two or three hiding just within reach. For John, consider those compartment plastic boxes that are maybe a foot long, 6 to 8 inches wide and maybe an inch and half deep, with a lot of different cells. You can separate your lures, add boxes as you accumulate more, and remember this, Very Important!

Always keep all your plastic worms separated from any painted or hard plastic lure. It will ruin them! Plastic worms have a thinner that melts plastic, so keep them in a separate box, or zip lock bag and you will be money ahead. You can carry these boxes in a backpack, or some other canvas bag and that way over time as you get more and more, leave what you dont' need at home. Just Sayin...RJS

Fredfish Loc: Prospect CT.

Besides hooks sinkers and bobbers, the first lures I bought as a tween were, jitterbug, hula popper, silver and black rebel floater,blue and white countdown rapala, and a daredevil. My father was a 100% bait fishermen,and said lures were too expensive, so when I saved up some money I bought my own. In saltwater all we ever used was bait. Thats probably why I use artificials 99%of the time now. I consider it more of a challenge.

Robert J Samples Loc: Round Rock, Texas

Fredfish: Good for you. Just Sayin...RJS

Robert J Samples Loc: Round Rock, Texas

WV Mike: There always a story, or three hiding just within reach. Regarding a tackle box, you could get those smaller compartmentalized boxes.

Remember, Always keep your plastic worms separate from the other painted lures. The worms had a thinner and that will ruin any painted lure it touches and is left there for any period of time. So, either a ziplock bag for the worms or a separate box.

OK John Loc: Oklahoma City,OK

LOL Robert. I think everyone figured out that worm trick after our first package turned to mush.

trlittle Loc: Chico CA

Huntm22 wrote:

Mitchell 300, Shakespeare rod and a mepps, daredevil and a rapala. Hey I still use them occasionally and they are almost as old as me😀😀😝😝

Mitchell 300 for me also

Wv mike Loc: Parkersburg area. Wv

Robert J Samples wrote:

WV Mike: There always a story, or three hiding just within reach. Regarding a tackle box, you could get those smaller compartmentalized boxes.

Remember, Always keep your plastic worms separate from the other painted lures. The worms had a thinner and that will ruin any painted lure it touches and is left there for any period of time. So, either a ziplock bag for the worms or a separate box.

Some skirts will do the same thing

Ben Bragg Loc: Dayton Ohio

I had a pre rigged Creme worm, a few hooks and sinkers And a spinner rig called a beaded eel in an old metal box my uncle gave me when I was 10
This got washed away by a wake caused by a barge on the Ohio River. Devastating to say the least
A couple years later I worked in my neighbors grandpas yard for a week in exchange for a browning spinning rod with red reel. Big improvement for me. Eventually built up a collection of worm Hooks, Mann’s jelly worms, a Johnson weedless minnow, a Silver black rapala a jitterbug and my prized Big O crank bait.
My grandmother always accused me of spending every penny I got my hands on , on fishing stuff.
She was right . Matter of fact , my wife says the same thing Many years later.

OJdidit Loc: Oak Creek Wisconsin

Black and white spoon, a Daredevle knockoff as the original was not in the budget. Caught lots of northern pike on it as I probably fished it too fast for anything else. A black and silver Rapala original floater, a Mepps spinner and numerous hooks, split shot and clip on bobbers. My first intentional bass lure was a Bill Plummer’s Super Frog and it was a blast to use in the lily pads. Lots of topwater explosions. First rod was a Zebco 202 combo, I believe.

Fredfish Loc: Prospect CT.

OK John wrote:

LOL Robert. I think everyone figured out that worm trick after our first package turned to mush.

Just a heads up John and everyone else. Modern-day plastics are pretty much compatible with each other with one BIG eexception. Z-MAN ElaZtech plastic will DISSOLVE most other plastic baits,so do NOT put them together with any others. It's a more durable plastic, with that one drawback.

OJdidit Loc: Oak Creek Wisconsin

One other observation based on bad experiences. Careful pre-rigging baits ahead of time as hooks can rust. I thought I was doing myself a favor by pre-rigging tubes, etc while healing up from one of my surgeries. Turns out I ruined a bunch of them this way. Rig them right before use and save yourself a lot of frustration and $