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Winter Storage For Soft Plastics


crankbait2009

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Hey all

When it comes to winter time, and you hanging your soft plastics up till next season.......How do you store them? I am trying to find a way to store mine so they are as flat as possible and remain "oiled" to prevent them drying out when not in use. My soft baits will not be used for a good 4-6 months from now.

I normally keep them in these type of pouches during the season when in use.

http://www.basspro.com/Bass-Pro-Shops-Tackle-Binder-or-Replacement-Pages/product/37107/39754

Is there a better ideal storage unit to ensure freshness?

Does anyone add oils or scents to them while in hibernation?

Any advice would be appreciated

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I just leave them in my tackle box in the bags they come in. With the exception of some of the gulp stuff in an opened package I've never had an issue with any getting dried out.

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I never take any of my plastics out of the original bag and during the winter I put them all in cardboard boxes just so it's all organized. I like to reorganize my tackle box and worm bags in the spring so that way everythings cleared out and I can put it in its own place.

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I keep them in their original bags, then organize them in several Plano XXL 7080 boxes:

I do something similar,but with Walmart plastic boxes. I've got around 9 of those and can get anywhere from 30-40 bags(depends) per container in them. They fit nicely on a little shelve in our spare bedroom(dubbed partly as my fishing room).

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Some time every winter, Walmart puts the plastic show boxes ( the ones with a hinged lid, so you can't lose it) on sale for around a buck a box. The next time that happens, drop a twenty or two on plastic boxes and your soft plastic storage issues are resolved. While you are there, remember to get a few packs of gallon and quart sized zip lock freezer bags. Sooner or later the original packaging of your soft plastics will rot, so you might as well be ready. Also, remember when you do this, sooner or later, you are going to need some more shelves. Rest assured that Walmart will have shelving on sale too, at some point. Home Depot occasionally has some great deals on heavy duty shelving. Don't set up your shelving in such as way so as to restrict access to your beer cooler or stereo. That's all for now, I've got to get ready to go to work.

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does anyone add any additional oil/scents to the packages while sitting on the shelf during the winter months?

I have for the heck of it but I don't think it will do much for you. Sometimes, more like all the time, the floor of my boat gets littered with used soft plastics. The boat gets a good cleaning a couple times of year but I've had stuff hide in the cracks over the winter. Those baits are as soft and flexible as the day I opened the bag. Really the only thing that ruins them is when different brands or colors come in contact with each other they can react with one another. A couple brands have powerful scents and I can still smell it. I've used those old, tore up plastics for trailers or experiments and they work. Some of the gulp, big bite and other biodegradable baits will dry out but the run of the mill soft plastic baits pretty much last forever.

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  • 12 years later...
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I keep most of mine in boxes.  Only a few are in original packaging.  I see no problem with them.

 

IMG_0551.jpeg

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On 11/27/2011 at 1:31 PM, BradH said:

I just leave them in my tackle box in the bags they come in.

Ditto ....

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I guess it depends what "winter" means.

 

Leaving soft plastics in my garage over the winter would be the equivalent of putting baits in the freezer for several months...

 

Does anyone store baits in their freezer? LOL 😆 

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On 11/28/2011 at 3:39 PM, Big-O said:

If kept in original packaging, low light, medium temps or a controlled atmosphere... They'll last a LONG LONG time :D

Big O

www.ragetail.com

This was the answer by the Rage Tail  inventor and designer in 2011,

and probably still is today.

:smiley:

A-Jay

 

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27 minutes ago, A-Jay said:

and probably still is today.

Whether it is or not - for the winter mine get pulled into the basement along with all my lures, rods and reels. Constant 68-degrees down there even in deep winter when outside it's -30.

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I've kept mine in an unheated unattached garage over the last 40+ years and never noticed any problems.  It gets well below freezing, but it doesn't seem to hurt them.

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I feel for those that have winter and can't fish year round. I was only down a few days a couple of times due to ice last winter. I didn't notice any issues keeping a supply of soft plastics in the car like always. I even fished when it was 15º when there was still some open water,  best I remember I threw a Zoom Speed Craw without issue.

 

Ice freezes up on your guides like that, and braid doesn't do well as it gets beads of ice on it, then it makes the worst birds nest you ever saw when it all comes off at once.

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I keep mine in the original packages.  Then they all get organized based on brand and bait type.

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