Anglers have more gear and tackle options than ever before, but the real game-changer lately has been tackle storage. We’ve already ranked the best tackle boxes at Wired2Fish, so this time we’re diving into the best fishing bags and backpacks. Tackle management has come a long way.
Get rid of those Ziploc bags. Every lure should be in a tackle tray designed for the exact type of lures you’re throwing. I’m not talking about just the fastidious anglers out there; it just makes sense for anyone to have gear organized so it’s easy to both find and use.
I’ve also learned that mobility is everything. The number one mistake new anglers make is trying to bring everything with them. Instead of hauling my entire garage, I use a tackle bag or two to bring on the boat or kayak. Or a friend’s rig, for that matter. Some anglers keep everything in their boat — and that’s fine — but most anglers I know have too much tackle and too little storage space on the boat.
So, it’s no surprise that more and more companies are selling clever designs and creative storage to bring tackle along your next fishing trip. Keep the entirety of the gear at home on the shelves, then grab exactly what you need and load up a bag, backpack or even sling. Whether you’re hopping on a friend’s boat or trekking through a creek, a backpack really excels. And when I’m making a quick trip to the lake, especially on my kayak, that’s when I’ll fill up a tackle bag. Let’s take a look at our list of best fishing bags and backpacks.
Our Favorite Fishing Bags and Fishing Backpacks
- Best Soft Tackle Bag – Plano Weekend Tackle Bag – BUY NOW
- Best Fishing Travel Backpack – Columbia PFG Wild Cast 34L Backpack – BUY NOW
- Best Hard Shell Tackle Bag – Daiwa Tackle Bag – BUY NOW
- Best Full-Size Backpack – Evolution Fishing Largemouth Backpack 3.0 – BUY NOW
- Best Compact Tackle Backpack – Plano Weekend Tackle Backpack – BUY NOW
- Best Boat Bag – Mustad Boat Bag – BUY NOW
- Best Finesse Bait Storage – Z-Man Bait BlockZ Soft Bags – BUY NOW
- Best Value Tackle Bag – H2OX Ethos – BUY NOW
- Best Full-Size Waterproof Tackle Bag – Buzbe Swarm Bag – BUY NOW
- Best Sling Pack – Tackle Warehouse Sling Pack – BUY NOW
Best Soft Tackle Bag
Plano Weekend Tackle Bag
Plano calls it the Weekend bag, but I use this tackle bag every single day. With its beefy zipper that I know won’t bust apart, I load it with tackle trays. And it stays dry when sitting in a bit of water with Plano’s Molded Water-Proof Base – which is important in freshwater, but really important in salt. There’s the large main compartment, but also three side pockets too. Tool sleeves in the back hold your pliers without you having to open any zippers at all. I don’t always use a tackle bag, but when I do this is one of my favorites. You can expect quality construction from Plano, and it shows with this latest offering.
Best Fishing Travel Backpack
Columbia PFG Wild Cast 34L Backpack
Columbia markets this bag as a fly fishing travel backpack, but I think it works for any traveling angler. I barely fly fish at all. But I use this backpack as my main carry-on for the plane. What really sticks out are the zippered mesh compartments inside the main compartment. Also, there’s a soft sleeve inside for your laptop. Then you have a rod tube holder, a soft spot for your sunglasses, and it’s obvious how anglers designed this bag. I haven’t had any issues with the backpack after a year of traveling with it. Plus, it’s comfortable to wear. Although it can handle some water spray, I don’t push this backpack to its limits in nasty weather.
Best Hard Shell Tackle Bag
Daiwa Tackle Bag
This tackle bag from Daiwa has a bit of rigidity to it. It’s basically a giant, zippered white tackle bag to hold whatever you want in it. So are you storing spools of line, tackle trays, hard baits or clothing in it? Yes, it works well for any of that stuff. I’ve been using the bag to lug all my tackle to and from my launched kayak in one single trip from the truck. Plus, its collapsible EVA walls allow it to flatten out and store in some small tucked-away spot. I could definitely see this bag as a good option for pier anglers, too.
Best Full-Size Backpack
Evolution Fishing Largemouth Backpack 3.0
This is that full-size backpack for any angler who takes a ton of gear with them, especially when walking on foot to get to that fishing spot. Walking along a river, around a lake or pond, or even down a sandy beach with a bunch of gear to haul? This is the backpack for you. Yes, it might get a bit heavy. But this third-generation tackle backpack holds a ton. Inside, there are plenty of pockets and trays as a modular system. Outside, it sports a side slip pocket capable for rod combos, two more storage pockets, a plier holder, plus three 3600 Drift Quiklatch trays.
Best Compact Tackle Backpack
Plano Weekend Tackle Backpack
Personally, I trend toward this smaller tackle backpack compared to some of the larger options out there. It’s the grab-and-go solution for anglers who refuse to be anchored to a single spot. Built with a molded waterproof base, it stands tall on wet docks or muddy banks without soaking my gear, while the heavy-duty 600D polyester and oversized zippers block the outdoors. Inside, the main compartment comfortably fits up to three 3700-series StowAway boxes. On the outside, there’s tool sleeves for your pliers, a dedicated water bottle pocket, and a daisy-chain system for clipping on extra gear. In many ways, it’s similar to the Weekend tackle bag, but I can easily throw this one over both my shoulders.
Best Boat Bag
Mustad Boat Bag
The Mustad Boat Bag is not new, but it has withstood the test of time. While the bag is simple, what I’ve always used it for was bringing gear onto and off my boats. In particular, when I wanted to bring electronics screens off the boat for the night, I loaded them in here. A second option for this Mustad bag is to serve as a ditch bag. Keeping items for boating emergencies like a PLB and VHF radio, signaling devices, and basic life-support essentials fit perfectly in this bag. It’s just a tough, waterproof bag with sturdy handles and zippers, so it will last on the boat in a storage hatch.
Best Finesse Bait Storage
Z-Man Bait BlockZ Soft Bags
Made specifically for Z-Man plastics that have to be stored away from other plastics, the Bait BlockZ have become my go-to for the smaller packs of soft plastics. For real, Z-Man baits will deform other baits they touch over time. Z-Mans don’t fare well either with other soft baits. This is a soft bag that acts a lot like a hard storage bag. It can be configured for a long row, left to right, or shorter two rows or three layouts. We set up one as a three-row system to hold finesse plastics and packs of jigheads. Jigheads and hooks go in the top portion of the bag. Keep the Bait BlockZ at the house like a file cabinet of finesse soft plastics, which often come in smaller packs that are perfect for this soft storage bag.
Best Value Tackle Bag
H2OX Ethos Soft Tackle Bag
This is a big bag that comes full with five 3700-size H2OX tackle trays. The H2OX Ethos Soft Bag features lots of storage options with 3 big outside zippered pockets, plus an inside waterproof pocket on the inside of the top flap. In the meat of the bag, five boxes fit in total, supported with a heavy-duty shoulder strap. You can load this bag to the brim and transport a lot of tackle to your boat, in your truck, on trips, and beyond. If you’re looking for an all-in-one tackle bag, this is the one we recommend, as it’s very reasonably priced for its size. Academy upgraded a bunch of its in-house tackle under the H2OX line. Besides tackle bags, H20X also has rods, reels, lures and a host of other freshwater gear priced extremely well.
Best Full-Size Waterproof Tackle Bag
Buzbe Swarm Bag
This is one of the driest waterproof tackle bags we’ve ever fished with. The zippers are durable and sealed to stay bone-dry in this heavy-duty, virtually indestructible bag. The material itself is unique. It’s hard to describe but it feels like a rubberized plastic that is not rigid, but also won’t tear from day to day abuse. It’s some of the toughest but still soft material we’ve seen in a tackle bag. We’ve loaded it down with some heavy boxes, and it maintains both shape and waterproof ability. The zippers are a little tough to zip one-handed, but that’s because they are so tight to keep the water out. So it’s one of those give and take things.
Best Sling Pack
Tackle Warehouse Sling Pack
The Tackle Warehouse Sling Pack is a great price, holds a bunch of gear, and is very well laid out. Take it fishing on kayaks, wading creeks, fly fishing, bank fishing, boat fishing, BFS fishing, and bluegill fishing. This pack has travelled across plenty of states, too. It’s made to hold two 3600 boxes, but handles smaller pencil-type boxes too. Throw in bags of plastics in the hard shell front pocket and throw those small boxes in the big compartment. This bag also has useful accessories like a plier holster with velcro, a water bottle pocket, a carabiner clip to attach tools to, and small zipper pocket for quick access things. A definite highlight of the sling! You can wear it in the front and still access the big pocket to go through your tackle. This bag does that because it was made to double as a hip pack as well.
What To Look For In A Tackle Bag
You want to find a bag that’s easy to organize your tackle, with quick access to everything. At home, I treat tackle like Tupperware — small boxes in bigger boxes in bigger bags, in bigger crates, etc. But with a tackle bag, plug-and-play the gear you need to go fishing. Especially if you travel a lot and or share boat trips with other anglers, having that dedicated “go bag” is a lifesaver.
You could and should have different tackle bags for different types of fishing that necessitate different tackle. A sling pack is handy for quick trips, or specific types of fishing like Fly Fishing or Bait Finesse System (BFS) fishing. If you’re going on a long trip or you want to start a modular system, then a bigger bag with lots of tackle trays is a good way to start. A big backpack can also work. These bigger bags can go on a kayak, in your boat, and in your truck easily.
What To Look For In A Fishing Backpack
A backpack is most useful if it’s on the smaller side, or at least not too heavy. If I’m wearing a backpack, it usually means I want to be mobile. I want the fishing to be simple. I have a handful of baits I think will work, and I’m going to stick with them. Imagine walking along a shoreline with three tackle trays in your backpack full of heavy sinkers and jigheads? That’s going to be a short trip.
Don’t get me wrong, you can bring a lot of soft baits if you think the fish will be picky. I used to wade fish along different rivers to get to spots that were hard to reach from a boat. In the state I was in, as long as I was out in the water, I could walk past private shorelines without issue. You better believe I was packing light, but also bringing as much as I could. It was quite a hike from my truck.
A good tackle backpack should have smart pocket layouts, storage for different size tackle trays, be easily accessible, but also rugged to withstand a lot of abuse. If it checks all those boxes, plus has quality zippers that won’t easily break, you’ll probably be happy with it.
What To Look For In A Waterproof Dry Bag
The biggest thing about a waterproof dry bag for fishing is reliability. How is it sealed? Will it last? Will it quickly corrode? And how much water can it handle? Some bags protect from rain showers while others can be dropped into a lake.
Honestly, on the boat, I’ll likely use a dry bag with zippers. On a kayak, I’ll stick with a roll-up dry bag that’s smaller and more lightweight. It all boils down to materials, seams, and how the bag seals. Waterproof zippers, zip locking enclosures, or even velcro and roll top snap clasps can all effectively keep water out of a dry bag. So you should pick based on your needs. Use a fishing bag or even a backpack that is completely waterproof. Or select a roll-top dry bag if simplicity is what you prefer.
Why Trust Us
We are fortunate to test more tackle than many people will see in a lifetime of fishing. We have personal experiences with hundreds of tackle boxes, tackle bags, and other tackle storage solutions. We also have longstanding relationships with most of the top brands in tackle storage management, so we are able to source products for testing.
We are in the field fishing and testing weekly. We travel all over the country to fish and film so these bags experience a lot more places than just our local lake or river. We try to balance the absolute best made, with the best materials, with the best affordable options.
Personally, I am always on the lookout for that next great thing. With how many different types of lures available today, I’m always looking for that next tackle bag with the latest ingenuity. Decades ago, tackle backpacks weren’t a thing and we didn’t have tackle trays specifically for lipless cranks, jerkbaits and jigs. Back in the day, we’d lug around a single, giant hard tackle box as tall as an apartment. Today, companies continue to design and adapt to what anglers need.
