Earlier this winter on a cold and rainy Sunday, I became oddly inspired. I’ll be the first to admit I’m not always the most organized angler in regards to my tackle management, but I decided it was time for a much needed change. I got a wild hair to break out the label maker, empty my boat and start everything from scratch.
During this long and tedious process, I decided to utilize my new Plano WaterProof StowAway 3740 box for my terminal tackle storage. I’ve used lots of different boxes in the past—and most of them were pretty good—but not exactly what I was looking for. It takes a pretty stout box to withstand the weight of tungsten, lead, hooks and swivels.
I’ve now been using this box for well over two months and have been quite happy with its performance. After dozens of fishing trips, several rainstorms and a few pond fishing trips sprinkled in-between, it has proven to be an excellent and practical storage solution.
Here’s what I like most about it.
- Keeps everything separate
- Moisture stays out
- Keeps its shape
- Nice price point
Your stuff won’t mix together
You spend an entire day labeling, perfectly categorizing and organizing your terminal tackle collection. Your fingertips are sore from constant pricks and your eyes are bloodshot but man, oh man—what a sight to behold. It’s so darn beautiful you almost hate to take it fishing.
But then—bless your precious heart—the minute you turn your box sideways to store it in your boat or tackle bag, you hear the ultimate sound of dejection. A sound to which no man, woman or child should ever be exposed. You don’t even want to look, but you have to. It’s time. The proverbial music must be faced. You lift your tackle box back out of its compartment, woefully and reluctantly lift the latches with trembling fingers and there it is. Your worst nightmare. The fruits of your labor have indeed been spoiled. Your modern-day Mona Lisa has turned into a heterogeneous mess.
If you’ve fished long enough, it has happened to you. And it stinks.
Fortunately, however, the design of the Plano WaterProof StowAway 3740 box prevents such tragedies. It features plastic inserts like many other storage systems, but the inserts fit perfectly flush with the bottom of the lid when closed. This gives your terminal tackle absolutely no wiggle room. You can shake it, flip it or anything else you can think of—your stuff won’t go anywhere. It stays right where you originally put it.
The plastic inserts have also stayed in-place without bending, warping or popping out. I’ve used boxes in the past whose inserts will “gap” at the bottom, especially in rough water, and allow smaller tackle such as split rings, swivels and hooks to slide underneath and become mixed with the rest of your gear. I haven’t had a single problem with the Plano WaterProof StowAway 3740. The inserts remain totally intact regardless of how rough you might be on your equipment.
It keeps water out
Aside from excessive heat, moisture is certainly your tackle’s worst enemy. I store my boat outside most of the time, which means my gear is frequently subjected to the elements. Even when my rig is covered, condensation builds underneath and can wreak havoc on my tackle. I’ve had it happen in the past and I promise—it’s not any fun.
This box has a Dri-Loc O-ring seal on the inner lip of the lid which does an excellent job at keeping my terminal tackle dry, even in absolute downpours. I’ve fished a few rainy tournaments and while I’ve had to set some of my tackle boxes in front of a box fan afterwards, the tackle inside of my Plano WaterProof StowAway 3740 has remained completely dry to the touch. There has been no detectable moisture whatsoever.
It took me a few fishing trips to get used to the three-latch system, but I don’t even notice them anymore. When you close these latches, they’re not going to randomly pop open when jostled in your boat or tackle bag because of its two-part hinge. You’ll hear it “click” and feel it compress the internal O-ring each time it closes, so there’s no question whether or not it’s completely sealed.
The latches are also fairly easy to close, but I could possibly see an issue for folks who might deal with arthritis in their hands. You do have to apply a bit more pressure than what you’re probably used to, but I feel like it’s a necessary “evil”—if you could even call it that—in order to ensure a watertight fit.
No bending or flexing
Terminal tackle is heavy—all of that tungsten and lead adds up pretty quickly. This often makes thinner tackle boxes flex and warp over time which, of course, can lead to a poor seal and irritating latch issues.
As I’m typing this, I’m sitting at my desk trying to bend and twist this box every way imaginable and it’s not happening. It’s easy to tell that the Plano WaterProof StowAway 3740 is constructed of much thicker plastic than many other boxes. Both the lid and sides hold their shape quite well and feel extremely sturdy in your hands.
Not as expensive as I expected
I only paid $9.99 for this box and was pleasantly surprised to receive such a quality tackle box, to be honest. I’ve seen a bunch of much more expensive boxes over the years, so I figured a company might have to cut some corners to maintain such an attractive price point. As it turns out, however, I don’t have a single complaint about this product. It does what I need it to do and it’s the least of my worries when I’m on the water.
I would imagine that most anglers could spend $100 to purchase ten of these boxes and have themselves a really slick, dependable tackle storage system. I only own one as of right now, but an additional bulk purchase is definitely in the plans once my fishing schedule dies down a bit.
If you’re looking for a practical way to store your fishing tackle—hooks and weights especially—I’d recommend looking into the Plano WaterProof StowAway 3740. It has been a great purchase for me.
The Plano WaterProof StowAway 3740 is available at TackleWarehouse.com.
