Fanny Packs vs. Backpacks

By Ian

   The age old bankbeater question remains: How do I organize my stuff. Most of the of bank fisherman I now have abandoned the traditional suitcase-type take box, for a variety of reasons. They are clumsy, and for someone doing a lot of walking/fishing, you need to bend over a lot to pic up your stuff. The fact that you need to grab them by the handle is also a problem, since many bank fisherman prefer to carry two or more rods. 

    Bank fisherman prefer to travel light, and while a tackle backpack can carry a lot of stuff, running around with it can be tiresome. Not to mention the fact that it's big, so it takes up a lot of space. Personally, I prefer to carrying a few go-to lures, and don't need that much tackle space for a backpack. But for a real gear junkie, I can see why using a backpack is a good idea. You can also carry lunch, water, and sunscreen in a backpack. There are some big fanny packs out there, though. Since you can only fit so many pocket sized tackle boxes in a fanny pack, I prefer to put multiple items in a single compartment, like 4/0 hooks with 1/0 hooks, to save space, or hollow body frogs with other hard baits. Another problem with backpacks is that you need to take it off and bend over before you can get something, while with a fanny pack, you can just reach down. 

   Finally, you get to cost. I can easy find a nice fanny back under $5, and you can add a few dollars to account for a few pocket sized tackle boxes for it. A nice backpack costs around $20, but after you buy the big take boxes to fill it up, the price becomes higher.  

  Personally, I like fanny packs, but if you want to carry a lot of stuff, you may need a backpack.

Tight lines

-Ian