Tackle Box Design Project, Input needed

[speddy85]

Hello, I would like to introduce myself as an Industrial Design student at Western Michigan University. We have been assigned a project to redesign the tackle box. To do that our design team is looking to get information from the users themselves in various regions of the United States. That being said I would like to know any complaints you might have about current tackle boxes, what is awkward, or just a pain in the butt to use? What might you improve or add to the current tackle box? Would some sort of Lighting System be useful within the tackle box?

Basically what are you dislikes and likes for the products currently on the market and what might you like to see change or be added in the future.

Thanks for your help,

Dustin

[idbefishing]

Something to keep baits with treble hooks from getting all tangle up. Design a crankbait box that would just be thick enough to put a crankbait in so it wouldn't take up to much room when you have several of them stack together. The box would needs lots of dividers so we could customize the size of each of the compartment within the box to fit the various size crankbaits.

[Slowretrieve]

My suggestion is that the tackle box should be geared to the kind of fishing you are doing. There should be a bass tackle box that addresses the specific needs of bass fishermen. That box would be very different from a walleye or a crappie tackle box. A striper tackle box would have larger compartments for bigger baits, much the same as a salmon or steelhead tackle box would. Lighting probably would not be real helpful, but it should come with line clippers, needlenose pliers and a soft measuring tape. Different boxes for different species, that's the key. And none of them should be so large that they would not fit neatly on a boat.

[Moose1am]

Well I am an old timer and I prefer the old style tackle boxs made out of metal. Aluminum or steel. These tackle boxes that are made today have nothing on the old tackle boxes. Plastic##### and it never lasts. It breaks everytime. So If I had a choice and could chooose between paying extra bucks for a metal box I would do that everytime. I do own a Plano Tackle Box now but the latches are already loose and the top won't stay closed. It's only a year old. My dad's metal tackle boxes are over 30 years old and going strong.

I prefer the twin lid type that open outwards and that have multiple trays for the lures on each side. The one I am thinking about has three trays on each side and will hold about 60 to 90 lures plus there is storage space in the bottom for reels and line etc.

They just don't make tackle boxes like they use to.

Today everything is built to have a short shelf life.



Regards,

Moose1am

[crappie66]

I have three plastic tackle boxes that I no longer use, I will say they are far more durable than the old metal ones though, they will not dent or rust, and also weigh less. However, it is cumbersome to carry them along with a bucket, poles, and fish basket.

I currently use a shimano bag type tackle system, it has the strap to put over your shoulder, which frees your hands to carry more stuff. It is made of a nylon material which is waterproof. This bag holds 5 removable storage bins, has huge front pocket, 2 side pockets that I keep extra line in, and a back mesh pocket to keep things like knifes and stringers in, so they can air dry.

I am very happy with this bag, the only thing that could possibly make it or one like it better is to put on shoulder straps like the old elementary day book bags had/have. This would distribute the weight more evenly and allow you to carry even more stuff rather than take multiple trips to and from, and would make it easier to take the long hikes sometimes needed to get to secluded areas.

I think the light idea could be a good idea, I don't know how many times I have needed light at night and not had a source for it.

[ifish2liv]

Hello,
Very interesting post. Instead of trying to reinvent the mouse trap here are some of the modifications that I already use. I put self-adhesive magnetic strips in the bottoms of my plastic Plano boxes. This keeps eveything in it's place especially if it is tipped over. I keep the "dry" packs from jerky or whatever is shipped to me and keep them in my boxes. They absorb the moisture and prevent rust. Also tackle boxes are as good as the person that takes care of them. So in terms of marketing I guess you would have to appeal to the masses. This means something cheap and easy.

[Slowretrieve]

Great idea! I have a plastic tacklebox that I've used constantly for about fifteen years now, but I could glue velcro strips to the removeables in it and on the bottom of the box. Good idea. Thanks.

[MikeAxsom]

My favorite fishing is done with ultra-light tackle, and I like to use small containers for such things as snap swivels, split-shot, hooks, etc. Many of my favorite small artificial baits are also stored in individual 35mm film canisters. I have often considered designing a box that was basically a holder/organizer for a system of small containers like that. It’s easier for me and my clumsy fingers to open a film canister and pour out a swivel than to try to pick one up from an open top tray. It would be an advantage if the 35mm film cans were see-through, or if special containers were included to take their place in the system. Special containers would make this usable for larger items as well. By accident a few years ago I also found that enough of the film cans will provide enough floatation to save your tackle box if you bump it overboard.

[WGNMAN]

SPINNER BAIT RACKS!!! A SMALL COMPARTMENT, TUCKED AWAY IN A CORNER, WITH A RACK TO HOLD SEVERAL SPINNER BAITS, SO THEY DON'T GET TANGLED UP.

ALSO, ADDRESS HEAT ABSORPTION/DISSIPATION. MY OTHER PROBLEM W/ SPINNERBAITS [AND OTHER SKIRTED BAITS] IS HOW THEY MELT TOGETHER WHEN I REPEATEDLY AM DUMB ENOUGH TO LEAVE THE BOX IN MY WAGON, FOR SEVERAL DAYS AT A TIME, IN THE SUMMER.

[speddy85]

Thanks for all the feedback it has been very helpful in stirring up ideas for the project. At this point in the project we have decided to go with a back pack style design for shore fisherman. Our instructor beleives it is an area with the biggest amount of flexibility and that it will stretch our assumptions about what a tackle box is. We are aware of the other backpack designs on the market and it is our goal to improve such a product in an innovative way.

Thanks again your input has been informative and helpful.

Dustin