HERE is a tip worth considering.

It’s about your tackle box.

Really, it’s about the size of your tackle box and what you carry in it.

Are you one of those who go fishing with a tackle box that an Olympic weightlifter couldn’t get off the ground and a pole vaulter couldn’t jump over?

You know what I mean, a box with more in it than an average granny flat.

The fact is you do not need most of what is packed inside, and you never will.

Let us take a look.

Lures, plastics, tools, scissors, spare bungs, hook sharpeners, squid jigs, knives, hooks, swivels, a hand towel, measuring sticks for crabs and fish, marine park maps and the greatest “offender” of all – sinkers!

I have seen tackle boxes stuffed with more sinkers than could be used in a lifetime – enough to sink a battleship.

Apart from the inconvenience of lugging around the huge box, other problems arise.

If water finds a way inside you are in trouble.

This is when the fisherman’s enemy appears – rust! If the tackle box rolls over, it will take a day to sort things out.

I have a solution.

Before you go fishing, think about what fish you intend to target.

Say snapper, which is my target fish.

You may be thinking of whiting or flathead but, for the moment, let’s stick to snapper.

This is what I do.

Firstly, it is necessary to wear a shirt with a pocket. In that pocket you put your tackle box.

What? You question.

My tackle box is a pill bottle which fits snugly into my pocket and is available with the least amount of fuss when the need arises.

In the pill bottle I carry a dozen 6/0 or 7/0 hooks, half a dozen small sinkers (which I rarely use) and a couple of swivels for my mono line.

I use two rods and have never run out of fishing gear on a trip.

The tip is to think about what you really need and leave the rest in the garage.

By John ‘Stinker’ CLARKE