There are near as many choices in tackle storage options these days as there is tackle to put in them. A lot of great brands make a lot of great tackle boxes. But most run along a pretty common vein. This is not the case however with the Cal Coast Battle Box.
You hear terms like “game changer” and phrases like “went back to the drawing board” way too often when it comes to new fishing gear. These become cliches and rarely carry any weight simply because they are overused. And though I wouldn’t go throwing game changer around here, I can’t help but state that Cal Coast Fishing really did design the Battle Box from the ground up. They created a terminal tackle box that’s really unique and effective.
Though it’s design does lend itself best to terminal tackle, this box is customizable and could potentially carry all sorts of gear. With removable foam inserts and optional dividers, you could configure this box to hold some terminal tackle, some loose baits, soft plastics and even tackle like hooks and jigheads that are still in their original packaging.
But what I believe its primary function to be, is a great way to store terminal tackle where it won’t get loose and mixed up. With 17 small cylinders, one large cylinder a foam hook holder and a plastic heavy weight case with foam insert, this box has a lot of room for a lot of terminal tackle that will not move or spill. Even if you drop it with the lid open.
The cylinders, or “ammo cans” as Cal Coast calls them, are the most unique part of what the company did with their Battle Box. I’ve actually used pill bottles to carry terminal tackle like hooks and weights before, which is great for fishing from a kayak or from the bank. But Cal Coast really one upped me here with what they did.
These cylinders have a pop top as opposed to a twist-off top like a pill bottle would have. Simply squeeze the sides of the cylinder just below the lid and it will pop open. Inside you’ll find a white pull cord attached to a yellow foam plug. These plugs are used to hold tackle in place, so that things like tungsten weights don’t bounce around loosely in the cylinder and chip the paint off one another.
I have a few things that I like to keep on hand that didn’t really need their own designated cylinder. So I chose to use the plug as a divider and combined two groups of terminal tackle in to one cylinder. For instance, I put my bell weights in the bottom of a cylinder, then the plug and then my tails spins on top. So I can keep them separated but still easily access them.
I also opted to put a few bobber stoppers in each of my tungsten weight cylinders, instead of giving them a cylinder of their own. Now, when I need a weight, I have a bobber stopper right there with it ready to go. I also used the little foam hook holder to hold my painted jigheads, to keep them from knocking the paint off one another.
And I really like the small box with the foam insert for holding my punching weights, as many terminal boxes don’t have anywhere to accommodate these bigger weights. This little box will hold weights up to an ounce and a half. And I have a few weights in the 2-ounce range stored in one of the cylinders, with the plug holding them snug so they don’t bounce around and chip.
Cal Coast also sends two sheets of circular stickers that you can use to label what is in each cylinder. These are pretty handy and make it easy to keep up with what’s where. And as far as the overall build of the box itself, this one is as sturdy and solid as any other on the market. It has an effective waterproof seal and a secure three-point latch system that locks the lid down nice and tight.
For Cal Coast Fishing’s first attempt at tackle storage, I must say I’m quite impressed with the Battle Box. Terminal tackle is often the most important thing short of your fishing line when it comes to getting a fish into the boat.
If your hooks are dull and rusted, your weights are all beat up and you just can’t seem to keep up with anything, that will translate to poor efficiency on the water. But with a top of the line terminal tackle storage system like the Cal Coast Fishing Battle Box, you can keep everything orderly and intact, which means a few more casts and hopefully a few more fish on every outing. Stuff like that pays off in the long run.
