There are (incredibly) those who think fishing is nothing more than casting money into the water. Those of us who love it are of a different mind – but we aren’t trying to waste a dollar either. Experienced anglers know it’s smart to winterize your boat, rods, reels and lures – and plan a tackle box rust prevention strategy for storage too while you’re at it.

‘Gone Fishing’

Fishing has become an increasingly popular sport and hobby in recent years. The 2018 Special Report on Fishing by The Outdoor Foundation that in 2017, nearly 50 million Americans partook in recreational fishing in and along the country’s shorelines, riverbanks and boats. Collectively, these amounted to more than 885 million outings. Although statistics aren’t available for 2020 yet, there is every indication even more people have caught the fishing bug, particularly with so many looking to the outdoors while searching for ways to get out of the house during the pandemic.

Long-time fishing enthusiasts sometimes need a reminder that tackle box rust prevention takes a little effort. But those who are brand new to fishing especially may not realize how susceptible their gear is to corrosion. Simply put: Anything that is metal has the potential to corrode when it comes into contact with water/moisture and air. If you don’t store your tackle box properly, you could find an expensive lesson come spring.

Rusty tackle not only costs money, it can cost bragging rights or even a trophy. Stories abound of anglers hooking a large catch – only to be crestfallen because a rusty lure wouldn’t hold their prize. It’s a painful lesson in the importance of taking care of your lures. This is especially true in the winter, when it’s too cold to be out on the water and you’ll soon have to place your tackle boxes in storage.

Doing a proper job of this requires using vapor corrosion inhibitors, which protect metal components from the damaging effects of air, moisture, fluctuating temperatures and dust.

Winterizing Your Tackle Box

To prepare your gear for storage and ensure tackle box rust prevention, first get all your tackle gear in one area so you can clean and lubricate all items at the same time.

The exact process will depend on what your tackle is made of, but thick piece of cotton and a lubricant spray should work fine. If you you’re dealing with rods or reels with a lot of caked-on gunk, you ay need a mildly-abrasive kitchen scrubber or a toothbrush with stiff bristles. Take the reel off the rod to make sure you can clean off all those hard-to-reach nooks in the real seat hook and locking threads and around those locking knurls. The idea is to get rid of all those deposits that built up over this past season. Only once they are thoroughly cleaned, dried and lubricated should you put them back together.

From there, you can utilize one or a combination of our rust prevention products.

Zerust Tackle Box Rust Prevention Tools

Zerust offers several tackle box rust prevention tools for those who want to keep their pricey rods, reels, hooks and lures in top shape. Some of these include:

• Plastabs. These products are light, thin squares that use vapor corrosion-inhibiting (VCI) technology in the plastic that forms an undetectable layer around metal surfaces in enclosed areas that protect them from rust and corrosion. These are perfectly sized to fit tackle boxes, super simple to use and last up to two years.
• Rust Prevention Vapor Capsules. These easy-stick capsules release harmless, odorless vapor into the bait or tackle box or other storage container to protect electronic components from rust or corrosion for up to two years.
• Drawer liners. These PVC rubber liners have the VCI woven right in and can be used inside tackle boxes, closets, on shelves or truck boxes. They can be cut to size and protect your fishing gear from rust and corrosion for up to five years.

All Zerust products are odorless, non-toxic, long-lasting, affordable and effective – guaranteed. If you have questions about the right rust prevention tools for your tackle box and other gear, we can help.

Contact Zerust for more information on tackle box rust prevention by emailing us or calling (330) 405-1965.

Additional Resources:

2018 SPECIAL REPORT ON FISHING, The Outdoor Foundation

More Blog Entries:

Saltwater Fishing Reel and Tackle Box Rust Prevention Tips Ahead of Spring Break, March 14, 2019, Zerust Tackle Box Rust Prevention Blog