Shore fishing brings a lot of impressions, but in order for this process to bring maximum pleasure, it is necessary first of all to take care of comfortable equipment and gear. For a long time I, like most fishermen, boxes with lures and everything necessary for spinning tackle carried in a backpack, but it was extremely inconvenient in the walking fishing. Favor for such cases have long invented a very useful belt bags, which to this day are an important attribute of the spinning shore fisherman for storing baits and fishing equipment.
What is the benefit of a belt bag
1. First of all, it is, of course, convenience in the process of fishing – everything you need is at your fingertips. For example, to change a wobbler, you just need to open the pocket of the bag, take out the box and change the bait. It takes literally a couple of seconds, which can not be said about the backpack, which is behind your back, and the process of changing the lure sometimes becomes a torment. Imagine the situation: you are standing knee-deep in water and to change the wobbler, you need to remove the backpack, take out a box of wobblers, and when changing the bait must be quite well so “twist” to inadvertently not drown the reel with spinning and backpack in addition, which you hold with the other hand, because all around, do not forget, the water. It was thanks to these situations that I first thought about alternatives to the backpack.
2 From the first point follows immediately the second – belt bags save precious time on fishing, again, if you compare them with backpacks.
3. Now belt bags are very functional and in addition to storing boxes of baits perform other useful functions, for example, some models have special racks for spinning, where you can put the rod, thereby freeing your hands to make a beautiful shot of the trophy. In addition to large compartments for baits, bags have many other different pockets and devices, where you can put everything you need for spinning tackle: fittings, weights, tools and much more.
Types of belts
Unloading systems today is a very large number, and for convenience of choice they can be divided into at least three categories.
1. Classic belt bag. By the word classic, I mean a regular unloading belt that attaches around the waist. For me, this is one of the best types of bags, because in walking pike fishing it proved to be the most practical and convenient option, as the main compartment with boxes is in the front. Here I can recommend the very roomy Pathfinder Fishing Hip Bag belt.
2. Hip Bag. Not such a popular type of bag, but still meet fans of these devices. One of the main advantages of such a bag is the presence of a special rack (cup) under the rod. However, I am not a fan of such bags, because they are not very roomy, as they are most often designed for one box, and the location on the leg on my impressions is not the best, although the owners of such bags may not agree with me.
One such example would be the IdeaFisher Stakan 7 bag or the Pathfinder Fishing Pocket Hip.
3. Combination Belt Bag. This type of bag is probably the most popular among spinningists, because it combines a certain versatility in terms of carrying during fishing. For example, IdeaFisher Stakan Korobass is a clear contender for the role of such a bag, because the design allows you to comfortably carry it both on the shoulder while moving around the water, and on the belt during the fishing.
What to pay attention to when choosing a belt bag
1. Size and capacity
First of all, you need to decide what you need a belt bag for, here I mean the type of fishing. For example, when fishing for pike or pikeperch need a fairly large and roomy bag, where you can put one or two boxes of large 130 wobblers, or it is ultralight fishing, where a large bag will be inappropriate, and a compact belt, for example, Rapala Sportsman 10 Tackle Belt, will be the best option, because in such a belt you can put a couple of packs of silicone rubber and ultralight boxes with lures for bass or white predator, as well as enough space for various accessories.
2. Quality of workmanship and materials
When choosing a bag, I recommend you to pay attention to the following points. The material of the belt should be abrasion-resistant, because fishing on foot is often accompanied by the passage of obstacles through bushes or blocked trees, where it is easy to catch the bag on a branch, so the material of the bag should be quite strong, such as polyester, which in addition to good wear resistance is easy to clean and does not absorb water. Pay attention to the quality of zippers and its manufacturer, if possible, because only during one season to open and close the pocket with baits will have to open and close not one hundred times.
The fixator, thanks to which the bag is fastened around the waist, is also an important argument when choosing a bag. The main thing in the fixator is its size, because the bag full of boxes with baits and weights has a lot of weight, and this load falls entirely on the plastic fixator, so the bigger and more powerful it is, the better.
What brands I recommend to pay attention to
1. Pathfinder
Russian manufacturer, with which I recently became acquainted and the quality of their products was very satisfied. The firm has a lot of different belts, so everyone can find for themselves a suitable variant of the belt bag. Pleased with the price, which is not at all reflected in the quality and material used in the bags.
2. Rapala
Finnish company, which is famous for quality equipment, and it also has interesting belt bags, some of which I have successfully operated for several seasons. For example, the most memorable is the Rapala Hip Pack belt), which has served me faithfully for more than three years. By the way, Rapala packs most of its unloading belts in boxes, so you don’t have to puzzle over which boxes will fit the size of this or that belt.
3. IdeaFisher
The domestic manufacturer IdeaFisher, which I have already mentioned in the article, is also full of various belts. I paid attention to a large and roomy belt IdeaFisher Stakan – 8, which is perfect for pike and bass fishing on foot, because it can put both boxes of pike wobblers, and a large number of packs of silicone baits for catching “striped” on microjigs.
I should note that IdeaFisher belt bags are equipped with special “cups” under the fishing rod, the pluses of which I have already mentioned earlier.
4. Vision
Another Finnish manufacturer that deserves attention in this list. Although Vision is a brand that has gained popularity first of all among fly fishing anglers, but for spinning anglers there is also very useful equipment in the range of Vision, for example, as a belt bag Mini Bra, which I liked due to its compactness and convenience during fishing. By the way, it can be worn both behind the back, over the shoulder, and on the belt, thanks to a special fastening under the belt.
Summarizing
Belt bags – a rather extensive topic, I tried to tell you in general terms about their advantages and characteristic features, as well as to lead you to the idea that the belt bag – it is a very convenient device that is of great use in fishing on foot.
Author: Bob Nudd is an expert fisherman with over 20 years experience and winner of many competitions.
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Totally with you on this! A belt bag is a game changer for fishing on foot. It keeps all your gear handy and organized. I remember my last trip – having everything within arm’s reach made it so much easier. Definitely worth having one in your kit!