I have a large size Plano tackle box I take with me. So when I was in Sandy Point State Park the other week, somehow a few shrimp I used as bait slipped out of the bag and few among the many things I have inside. Knew that just something was wrong that day. I caught fish after fish, and it just seemed too perfect. 

 

So the past days have kept me busy. For the whole week, I didn't check on my box. When I did today, it was crawling with..... maggots. 

 

I silently cursed and since I had to leave, scooped out the shrimp by hand. Since I had some salt at hand, decided to dump a nice load in the box, sealed it, placed it in the unpleasantly hot shed and left. Any tips on how to remove the maggots? I'm don't want a tetanus or anything. Also, any tips on cleaning the gear? After some trips, some of my stuff always smells funky. Do you regularly clean your gear after every trip? Thanks. 

bleach the hell out of it then rinse with a hose and soak in water. repeat as needed.

bleach the hell out of it then rinse with a hose and soak in water. repeat as needed.

Think about doing it tomorrow. Can't believe my luck. 

Other than being disgusting, I don't think maggots can hurt you.  Put on some rubber gloves and get the water hose out.   Why did you put salt into your tacklebox?

Other than being disgusting, I don't think maggots can hurt you.  Put on some rubber gloves and get the water hose out.   Why did you put salt into your tacklebox?

Salt dehydrates them. Since the shed is unusually hot, and I removed their food, I was thinking they would bedehydrdated.

Doesn't Bear Grylls eat them  

That sucks, I doubt there's much you can do to get rid of the smell other than give it time. I've had some bad experiences like that. Once I had 2 asian carp jump in my boat and fall down behind the batteries. I didn't find them for almost a week after my boat had been sitting in 100 degree heat, the flies buzzing my boat should have been an obvious sign in hind site. Couldn't pick them up, they just fell apart when I tried and as bad as they smelled before, it was 10X worse after I started messing with them. 

 

I forgot a half dozen green sunfish in my livewell once after a night of flathead fishing. Just as bad and basically had to stick my face down in the livewell to reach them so I could really enjoy the stench. Glad I don't have a weak stomach.

Long story short, I added salt to the tackle box, took out any gear, boiled the gear in water, and dried them. Now I am waiting for the maggots to die.

Live bait?? Fresh live bait.

I empty my tackle once a year and soak it with a mild dish soap. My lures get in the pool too. It removes any foul oders from using scents.

You might try packing it full of baking soda (like two boxes) and letting it sit for a while. Baking soda absorbs odors pretty good, that's why people keep open boxes of it in their fridges.

Spray out the bag with a hose. Then take some baking soda and a little bit of dawn dish soap and some water to make a paste. Work said paste down into the effected area and let it sit for a few minutes. Rinse it out with hydrogen peroxide. The chemical reaction of the baking soda and peroxide works for skunk spray, maggoty shrimp decay should be no problem. Once you're all done you might want to spray it out with the hose again just to get the white residue out.

I'm supposed to clean my tackle box??   Who knew?

 

To get rid of the odor, try baking soda ans activated charcoal. Mix it together and pour generous amounts in the tackle box and close it up for a few days. repeat as necessary. 

Sometimes, fresh air and sunlight will work too.

 

Tom

'round here, they sell 'em in bait shops.  Even come in several colors.

I'm just waiting for them to desiccate. Insects live an insane period of time without food and water. Guess I wait and scrub it out. Really annoying is that all my lures have the smell, and the coating is off an old crank bait. They also messed up my Hoo Rag, and I had to chuck it. 

Maggots turn into flies?

You can also dump kitty litter over everything and/or bury things in the kitty litter to remove the scent.  Though if the plastic smells like "that maggot smell" I'd probably just go buy a new Plano because that smell makes me nauseous.

Still waiting for the little maggots to die. Any otherways thancatlittle andbaking soda that can help my nose?

Turn lemons into lemonaide:  Save them and then use them this winter for ice fishing.  Or, let them grow up into flies and then just let them fly off.

dish soap.!

Pour them on the ground and scrub your taklebox

..... Why are you waiting for the maggots to die? They're just maggots. They won't hurt you. Dump them out in the yard and clean your tackle box man.

After you try any/all of the ideas above, let it sit open outside in the sun for a day. UV rays kill most anything. Including smell producing bacteria.