I’ve been using the Buzbe Fast Flatz Bait Bag XL for most of the year and now that summer is here and folks are spending a lot more time on the water, I wanted to write and publish this review because this has become a big-time item for my wife and me. We live on a very popular lake and with the Atlanta crowd coming down a lot on the weekends, we normally park the bass boat in the shop and take some slow sunset cruises on the pontoon boat with my in-laws. The problem is, however, my sweet wife looks like a dang pack mule trying to walk down to the dock with all of our gadgets, gizmos and sunscreen she makes me wear.
We’ve been together quite a while and we’ve tried it all; cute little designer bags, soft-sided coolers, plastic baggies and grocery sacks. If you’ve tried any of those before, you probably haven’t been too impressed with ’em. We weren’t, at least.
This unassuming little bait bag, however, has been awesome for us. Whether I’m throwing a few packs of Senkos or Trick Worms in it to hop in the boat with a buddy or throwing our sunset cruise essentials (pictured) in it, it has become a must-have item for us this summer. Hang with me for a minute or two and I’ll explain what we like so much about it.
It’s definitely weatherproof
Our favorite thing about the Buzbe Fast Flatz Bait Bag XL is how weatherproof it is. I’ve tested a whole bunch of storage products that claim to be waterproof that leave a lot to be desired. This particular bag, however, features water-resistant YKK Aquaguard zuppers to provide a secure closure. Now, I haven’t dunked it in the water because cell phones and wallets are a little expensive but this bag has certainly endured its fair share of summer thunderstorms and the occasional rogue wave during a busy weekend afternoon. It’s also nice being able to throw all of our stuff into a small bag while leaving all the bulky gear on shore.
Puncture resistant and a hassle-free zipper
You can put just about anything you want to inside this bag. Personally speaking, my wife and I put our cell phones, snacks, mobile chargers, wallets, any paper documents and sunscreen in it most often. But as I stated earlier, I will also throw a few baits in here on the occasion I get a short-notice invite from a friend to fish after work. You can put scissors, hooks or anything else sharp inside this bag without worrying about puncturing the fabric or transparent window. You definitely don’t have to baby this bag. Throw it in a boat compartment and go have fun.
I’ve also really liked how well the zipper functions. That might sound a little lame at first but I’m sure you’ve dealt with a poorly functioning zipper on fishing gear before. It’ll get caught up in stuff, let water in, get snagged on fabric and when you finally get mad enough and yank the zipper in an attempt to get the compartment shut, the dang thing will break and you’re out 20-something bucks.
The Buzbe Fast Flatz Bait Bag XL has a really solid zipper that doesn’t snag whatsoever. You won’t find yourself messing around with it and struggling to close the bag. It operates correctly the first time, every time.
Compact and easy to store
The Buzbe Fast Flatz Bait Bag XL isn’t very rigid, which means it’s fairly collapsible and easy to store whenever you don’t have your gear inside of it. You can fold it to roughly the size of a piece of notebook paper, so when it’s not in use you can keep in a boat compartment, your truck or in my usual case, my wife’s purse. We’ll hang out at the lake house on shore and right before we get on the boat, we’ll shove our stuff inside the bag. When we get back on shore, we’ll empty the bag, put the stuff bag in our pockets or bags and fold up the Buzbe Fast Flatz Bait Bag XL and it takes up virtually no space.
Even when folded for an extended period of time, we’ve noticed absolutely no damage to the seams or integrity of this bag which is a big plus in our book.
Final impressions
This is one of those products that can have a bunch of different uses. I can shove baits into it one day for a quick fishing trip and on a summer weekend when my bass boat stays parked, we can throw our “fun gear” in it for an evening on the water. We have a few beach trips coming up and you can bet we’re going to have the Buzbe Fast Flatz Bait Bag XL packed and ready to use. It’s going to be an awesome way to keep sand, salt and whatever else out of our phones and other electronics. I can also keep my fishing license in it while I’m down at the beach trying to catch a big snook.
For the level of protection this bag provides, it’s an excellent investment in our humble opinion.
The Buzbe Fast Flatz Bait Bag XL is available at TackleWarehouse.com.