06/06/2026
Today, let’s talk something a little less exciting, but very necessary. I’ve been discussing it with more and more of you lately, so let’s officially cross off a few key points. These are things I’ve learned personally from spending the last handful of seasons fishing, traveling with, and storing these baits.
1) General storage. I’ve been around the block and back 10x on this. I’ve tried tote bins, laying them out in single compartment boxes, Lakewoods, gutter spouts, all of it. And I’ve always come back to the old bucket method. With the new hard tails, it doesn’t matter *as much*. It’s really hard to deform them. But as with all soft plastics, especially swimbaits, it does still matter, and you’ll benefit greatly from keeping them as straight and “fresh” as possible. Hanging them vertically is the best way to do this. Enter point 2…
2) Paperclips to hang. I’ve found that hanging them from the Screwball (or leaving the little hang tag on if unrigged) is the best way to keep the baits hanging true. Hanging rigged ones by a hook often causes a weird curve or additional bait damage, especially if you leave one dug in and attach the other the rod. That embedded hook is then always under tension and moving around, unnecessarily tearing the bait up. Enter point 3…
3) Hanging from a rod. Eject BOTH hooks. If you don’t, again, you’re just causing unnecessary damage and awkward bending in the bait. Leaving it hung incorrectly on a rod, for an extended period, could cause the bait to take on that shape, too. Eject the hooks, keep it loose and keep it new!
Feel free to share any hacks you guys have, too. Always learning little tricks and ideas from yinz so don’t hold back. 🤠🌻
