my old tackel box just broke as i was stocking up for the new season and i need to get a new one. my ond one was a plano hard taxkle box with three torage trays and i liked it but i see the newer soft taxkle boxes are becoming popular. which one do you guys prefer adn why?. oh. this if for freshwater, mostly bass fishing.

redsox,
Can't remember the Plano Series #. Sounds like you have the same series. I have 2 Plano's,both are double hip style boxes. Latches on side, 3 trays on each side when you open. I love em. Had at least 5 in past 15-20 yrs. You flip it open and you got 6 trays and a nice belly for worms bags and misc.That series of Plano is getting hard to find around here. All the big fancy boxes and soft packs are flooding the market.

Soft packs are nice,but your always pulling out plastic boxes to get to bottom box with that lure you want. I use soft packs for light salt water fishing and hunting. If they get wet they are subject to mould and can get a little skunky inside. With the Plano,if it rains you simply close the box. My .02

I like the new soft side products that are out now. I always used the plano series 3 tray open box when I had a larger boat and downrigged for Lakers and Salmon. I just left it open and all my tackle was there for the picking. Now that I fish out of a bass boat the floor space is limited and the soft side with 3600 type boxes works well. I put marking tape on the outside edge of the boxes with the description of the baits that are inside. Top water is in 1 box and jerk baits are in another, tubes and worms etc. I stand the inner boxes on end in the soft pack so I can see the stencils and grab the right box. When I fish in a friends boat I can bring a couple of rods and the soft side pack with a good assortment of baits in a small package.

most manufacture's have soft packs that have boxes that stand on ther edge and you can label them, ie. shallow cranks, jerkbaits, 4" lizards,med cb's. or whatever, to me the only way to go is the soft packs and the plastic trays like the plano 3700, that way you can take what you need when you need it and leave the rest at home. the thought of " a tackle box" is disturbing to me, i mean why limit yourself so much.

dang CI we must have been typing at the same time

I Use These Strips In My Plastic Plano Clear Thingymabobbers Whatchamacallits
[link]http://www.planomolding.com/1560.htm[/link]

I Like Soft Tackle Systems...