We all know we must do our part to stop the spread of COVID-19 virus. That means staying put as much as possible. We might as well spend that time doing something we all put off doing but probably is way past due. Now is the time to get our fishing equipment, lures and terminal tackle organized.

I’d venture to say that one of the biggest problems anglers have is too much stuff in your boat. For some reason, all of us seem to think we need 10 or 12 of everything. 😂 A good way to start is to completely unload every compartment and begin organizing piles of softbaits, hardbaits, wirebaits and terminal tackle. That means also going through any bulk storage boxes and containers. Once you have everything sorted begin scaling things back a little. Do you really need 12 bags of the same color lizards? Speaking of soft plastics, inspect any ziplock style bags to ensure they are sealed. Now would be a great time to re-organize plastics based on style, size and even colors.

Spend some time separating shallow, deep, and lipless cranks. A little tip for your hard baits and hook boxes is saving those little packages of silica gel that comes in a lot of shipments. Place them in your boxes to help absorb moisture and slow any rusting. Some TLC in your terminal tackle boxes organizing hooks, weights, swivels and beads is a great idea.

Spinnerbaits, buzzbaits, chatterbaits, jigs and spoons often suffer from deteriorated skirts and trailers. Those that need replacing do so or remove them from your arsenal.

Next remove all rods from rod lockers and clean any junk, trash of old lures that always end up magically in there. Any compartments for ropes, anchors, flotation devices etc. need to be cleaned and if needed sprayed with mildew cleaner, rinsed and dried.

Inspect under seats and other nooks for spent soft plastics, old hooks, and other trash. Take any tools such as pliers, screwdrivers, clippers etc. and clean and spray with WD-40.

Lastly, those battery compartments also need some housekeeping for any cleaning. Inspect battery terminals for oxidation, obvious wire problems or loose connections.

It may not stay organized for long but taking a few hours to clean and organize your tackle can make your day on the water more efficient and fun.

That's it for today. Stay safe, practice your social distancing, and get organized 😎. Be sure to check back in with us next week for more tips from our expert staff and pro staff around the country.