Hey all,
I was just wondering how ya'll keep all your gear organized in your vest.
Corkies,beads,floats,float stops,leads,slinkies,hooks and leaders,leader spools,swivels,jigs,spoons,spinners,plugs, natural and artifcial baits ect....
Crossing over from fly-fishing where everything you'll need for a season of steelheading stacks neatly into the palm of your hand, this gear stuff is looking like recipe for disaster for a disorganized individual such as myself.
Any tips,tricks, or advise on preventing rat's nests 'ould be highly appreciated.
Thanks in advance,
Larry

I prefer a homogenous mix of hooks, corkies, slinkies and leader reels in each pocket. This ensures that I will always have at least some gear after all the gear falls out of half the pockets as I pull the vest out of the back of the rig and pitch it into the boat. While the gear falls into the boat, it doesn't always make it back into the vest. This way, if at least one pocket stays shut, I know I can cobble together at least some kind of rig. This may have something to do with the funny noises my friends make as the review what I rig up, but I've never been able to get them to explain.

I attach various colors of yarn to each pocket's velcro patch, so that they are handy. I keep flourescent colors on the patches on the right side, earth tone colors on the left, for a racy two toned look.

I stain the bottom pockets with shrimp oil from a leaking container so that all gear contained therein will get a pretreatment with scent . The slow leak keeps the smell fresh, as well as keeping my wife from picking the vest up and moving it to somewhere where I can't find it as I am scrambling out the door at 5:30am. Not only will she not touch the vest with her hands, the oil treatment, combined with the Mucilin stain causes it to slip off the broom handle when she tries to prod the vest out of the laundry room into the garage.

The one of the bottom pockets contain about 5 lbs of slinkies in random sizes. They have woven themselves into a ball that looks like a pile of mating garter snakes. The other side contains 87 pretied leaders which have coalesced into a snarl which could mistaken for a good sized hair ball (if I had a cat, anyway), 2 dozen rusty steelie spoons in a plastic bag (haven't used a steelie since I moved to Seattle 12 years ago), a les davis leader box containing leaders that can actually be accessed, and about 75 corkies of colors that I once liked and wouldn't even give to my worst enemy now. I beg decent corkies off my friends who are actually catching fish. I never pay more than a buck apiece.

The top pockets on the left are where I keep the hook files and pliers for 15 minutes before I lose them when throwing the vest ino the boat. The top pocket on the right is seemingly empty, but down in the bottom, hidden in the lint and tangled in the seam are snap swivels. There are normal swivels in there as well, but they have slipped down into the seam, so you can't really get them.

The back pocket contains things that I need more rarely, such as an unused garbage bag in which to put fish (it dates back to 1982), unused lures in original packaging that I bought on spec when I was 22 and can't bear to part with (I'm 45 now), 7 lbs of spare pencil lead (I don't use pencil lead now, only slinkies), a sandwich baggie containing something that is grey, green and sort of beige that I really don't want to touch, and one wader gravel guard with a busted zipper. (I don't know where the other one is).

That's how I do it, what about you?

I use a waist pack I got at Sportco. It's actually a guide style hunting fanny pack. I am able to put all of my gear in it. Has multiple large and small pockets. I did have to reorganize some things and pick up some smaller style containers to hold things. Once I did this I noticed an extreme sensation...the pain being relieved from my back.

I would like to see Silver Hilton's truck and boat...

I too, have gone to a fanny pack instead of a vest. I cannot tell you much better I feel after a hard day of pounding the water. I can carry all of the gear I need and have greater mobility without that twenty pound vest hanging on my shoulders.

Some may think I was exaggerating. I just cleaned out my sled from fall salmon season. You know those carry totes you get at Lowes, that are about 16x16x24? I filled one with a combination of delta divers, flashers, spinners, lead, 20-40 lb line spools, and other assorted fishing shrapnel. The boat isn't clean, but I can now see the bottom of the side pockets again, and when I plug a plug out of the side pocket, it doesn't come with two pounds of other gear attached. But steelhead season is young - the natural condition will return.

The Explorer, on the other hand, is a lost cause. My wife accuses me of having the only garbage truck in the state with power seats. We no longer take the family anywhere in my car, because my wife if afraid of what will stick to her hand if she reaches into the back.

It's true, neatness is not my major strength.

My kinda' guy. I have a boat sitting beside the house that collects the various fall foliage and is home to many small rodents and a couple of cats. This is because I am too lazy to clean out the garage. The garage is full of unfinished projects dating back to when we bought the house. My truck is usually clean to the untrained eye. I am the only one who can reach under or behind the seat to fetch something, because I am a trained professional. Need a pen? There is at least a dozen back there under all the Schuck's receipts, candy wrappers, left over wire remnants, cd changer I need to take out, fix, or throw away, and other assorted medical waste.

Just so I didn't have to clean out the garage, I bought a boat cover. Don't get me started on my office, I don't clean it either because if I wait long enough, someone else always does it for me. You know, never enough time in a day.

Organized people are just too lazy to look for things.

I have an old beat up vest that has been patched together so many times, I don't think any of the original material is left.

Most of the pockets are too small to fit my hand in so they get torn everytime I reach into a pocket. It's in pretty good shape today, but by next Monday it will need 6 hours of Surgery just to hold lead.

I just throw everything in the bench. That way it's right handy. NEVER GET OUT OF THE BOAT! You saw that movie right?

Gutz

"NEVER GET OUT OF THE BOAT"

LOL

You got that right

I use my Fanny Pack and my Wader Jacket pockets to organize my gear. Much easier to get to my stuff. I keep the leader totes in the jacket pocket because they are light and the heavy stuff(lead), hooks, beads,spoons,etc. around my waist in organized containers. Be sure to carry only the things that you will be using while fishing. Leave the rest( unused or unneeded gear) in Tackle Bag in the vehicle or at home. My .02

I believe that the 2nd law of thermodynamics -"any ordered entity will eventually become disordered", applies to fishing vests, among other things.

I have used both vests and the tackle belts (fanny packs).

Tackle belts are by far more comfortable if you are on a spot of river where you can just dump everything on the bank. These are not very suitable to standing in the middle of the river and tying up. Hard to access stuff.

Vests are less comfortable to wear but it is easier to access equipment for retying while standing in the river.

Tip for bank fisherman: Have the lead you are going to use readily available in your vest. Put all your extra lead in the back pocket of the vest, this will prevent your vest from putting so much pressure on your neck. That is usually what makes vests uncomfortable for me. Or if you are carrying a bottle of water that also helps to counter balance the vest if you store it in the back pocket. Just don't carry a Snapple bottle back there, when they break it is sticky to clean up and that glass gets everywhere.

Lead Thrower people from goldbar dont carry water we carry a 12 pack of beer in a backpack and gear in the waist bag, when the day is done and the beers all gone use the backpack on the way back to the rig to pick up trash on the shore

ynotfish

AAAAAAAAAAAhhhhhhhhhhhhhh, that is where I went wrong.

Hhhhhhmmmmm, should I get a day pack or a full size mountain pack for my beer.

No, No, No! Put the beer in the boat. Stay in the Boat! No worries! :p

Well I just got the boat, I keep forgetting

I dumped the vest a few years ago and went to the tackle bag w/shoulder strap.

Its made a big difference at the end of the day since you don't have a ton of gear hanging on your shoulders as you walk 3 miles of river bank or stand in the combat zone for hours. I had a very heavy vest (15-17lbs.) in my 20's that I contribute to many of my back problems now that I'm in my 30's. You young steelheaders out there may want to think about that!

I think the Tackle Bags are alot easier to organize as well. Fenwick makes a nice tackle bag.

BD

I too have my gear in a carry on type bag. I probably have about 6 or 8 boxes of corkies, all sorted by color and size. I have another for swivels and beads, and yet another full of hooks. A big box of spoons, another with 60-80 plugs. I work from this bag into the vest selecting the corkie box that best seems to fit the condition. IF I do get out of the boat, I just cram that box into a pocket. The pliers, yarn and lead are always in the right spot in the vest. A pocket full of eggs and don't forget the leaders!

NO, NO... Beer in the backpack??? to hard to get to in emergency...

beer goes in the special beer hats with straw to mouth... just a sip away... ahhhh

to organize, i use film canisters for my yarn's, about 12 differants colors, you can drill a hole in the top if you want and jus pull and cut as needed, and use sumthing to smooth the edges of the hole, so your yarn doesnt get caught on it..another tip, i find if i spit on my knot when pulling it tight, i get a stronger knot , it dont burn or cause as much friction, anyone else do this? now if i can find sumthing to keep my pink worms from getting ripped thru so easliy, i tried a bead and that doesnt work for me..and i cant find any clear sequins..