In the past few years, I’ve become pretty big on tackle organization. I grew sick and tired of digging through my boat and sifting through plastic grocery bags filled with random tackle whenever I needed a specific bait. It was making fishing—which is supposed to be fun—too stressful for my liking. So I buckled down and adopted a more organized strategy.
This revelation has led me to experiment a lot with numerous tackle storage systems. Now that I’ve morphed into a more orderly angler, I’ve learned a lot about the features I prefer when I’m purchasing tackle boxes.
For the past several weeks, I’ve been using the Flambeau WP5012 Double Deep Adjustable with Zerust. I’ve used it in my bass boat and brought it along for some fun afternoon pond fishing trips and it has proven to be a practical way to store my fishing tackle.
If you’re in the market for a few new tackle boxes, there are a few things you should know about this particular model.
- Waterproof
- Zerust works
- Deep design is convenient
- Three-latch system offers peace of mind
Keeps water out
Moisture is fishing tackle’s worst enemy. It’s strange to say that since—you know—it’s made to be used in the water. But in regards to storage, excess moisture should be avoided at all costs. I have ruined a lot of good fishing lures and hooks over the years by unintentionally exposing them to the elements. Rust, splitting, cracking and chipping will all lead to wasted money and irritation. Take it from me.
I’ve gone to great lengths to personally test the watertightness of the Flambeau WP5012 Double Deep Adjustable with Zerust. It features an O-ring seal which is specifically designed to keep moisture away from your stuff.
It’s been raining like crazy for the last few weeks in my area, so in the name of experimentation, I sacrificed some of my favorite crankbaits, put ‘em in this tackle box and left ‘em in one of my boat compartments during two days of nonstop rain. I run a 1999 bass boat and store it outside and I can promise you one thing—the lids aren’t watertight anymore. There’s always a thick layer of condensation inside of the compartments after a heavy rain.
When I removed this tackle box from my boat, I was thoroughly impressed by how dry my lures were. To be more specific, they were totally dry with absolutely no moisture to speak of. This gives me peace of mind that when I’m fishing tournaments or guiding trips in inclement weather, I won’t have to painstakingly air-dry my tackle or take a hair dryer to it.
I’ve also poured and sprayed water directly onto the Flambeau WP5012 Double Deep Adjustable with Zerust in an attempt to recreate a worst-case scenario. It happens to anglers all the time—we’re organizing tackle, we get distracted and accidentally leave a few boxes on the deck of the boat and of course, it rains. The box did its job wonderfully and my redneck-esque experiments have given me a lot of confidence in the watertightness of this product.
Does the Zerust stuff really work?
Okay, so here’s the deal with Flambeau’s Zerust technology. The blue dividers that are included with the tackle box are said to emit a harmless vapor that forms a protective layer around metal surfaces. It’s molded directly into the plastic and designed to protect any metal such as hooks and split rings, for five years.
So here’s the all-important question: Does it really work?
I have several Flambeau boxes with Zerust dividers—I’ve used them for many years. Throughout this time, I have never encountered any issues with rust. It might come across as snake oil to the more skeptical anglers out there, which I understand, but I’ve found it to be really darn effective. I’m not going to tell you that all of your tackle will rust away if you don’t use it, because that’s simply not the case. But the occasional rust issues I’ve encountered over the years don’t seem to occur in these boxes. That’s purely my personal experience.
Another important issue I feel I should address is regarding the scent worries of the Zerust dividers. I can’t smell a thing, even when I press ‘em against my big, ugly nose. I’ve been blessed enough to win several big tournaments using hooks and lures that have been stored with Zerust. So again, purely judging by my personal experience, they’re scent-free. If they do have a small trace of scent, the bass haven’t seemed to mind thus far.
The double-deep design is quite convenient
The Flambeau WP5012 Double Deep Adjustable with Zerust is roughly twice as tall as most traditional tackle trays. Everyone has their own specific preferences when it comes to fishing tackle storage, but I’ve grown quite fond of this deeper design.
If you’re familiar with my articles, you know I love to crankbait fish—and I’ll admit, I’m a bit of a hoarder when it comes to my plug collection. Shallower tackle boxes don’t quite cut it for me because I can only fit three or four small crankbaits in each compartment. Any more than that and the lid will warp and barely close, exposing my collection to moisture.
So I’ve started using this deeper Flambeau box for crankbait storage and I really like it. I can fit a bunch of crankbaits into each compartment and still have plenty of room to tightly secure the lid. I think it’d be an excellent box for bulky deep-diving crankbaits as well if you remove the vertical dividers, so I’m planning on buying a few more boxes for this application.
I’ve also spent a fair amount of time thinking of different ways to utilize this box. If you were to remove the dividers, it would be a convenient way to store excess spools of fishing line, first aid equipment and of course, the all-important toilet paper roll. Let’s be real—nobody likes wet glob of TP when nature unexpectedly calls.
Sturdy latches that stay shut
There are few things more heartbreaking than when one of your tackle boxes pops open, spilling your beautifully organized tackle all over the ground. It can cause a grown man to shudder in disgust. It stinks. I can’t stand it. Did I mention it’s horrible?
The Flambeau WP5012 Double Deep Adjustable with Zerust has three latches that close tightly and stay shut. They’re made of pretty thick plastic, so I haven’t noticed any bending or warping while operating them. Also worth noting is their ease of use—they close and open easily, so you can get to your gear quickly and efficiently.
Final impressions
I’ve really enjoyed using the Flambeau WP5012 Double Deep Adjustable with Zerust so far. It has proven to be an excellent way to store part of my large collection of crankbaits and I can see it being a useful storage option for several other things. At $12.99, I think the price is quite reasonable, especially after using it.
The Flambeau WP5012 Double Deep Adjustable with Zerust is available at TackleWarehouse.com.
