Am looking to buy a new plug bag. Just wondering which ones you guys like and which ones you didn't.

I bought the large Aquaskinz bag and it is sweet.

i just bought the small canyon bag for this season. Probably adequate for night fishing, but if you wanna carry a bunch of plugs i would go with something bigger.

I saw a bag, Shimano I think, recently that was decent for the money. It had eight plug slots. Two inserts with four each with a mesh type bottom. This was a surf type bag if that was what you are looking for.

The aquaskinz are real nice if you can afford one its an investement that should last you a while.

The other new one out there is the BW bags which are inexpensive. The tubes on the larger bag will hold pikies which is good.

I would definetely take a look at the Canyon bags at M&D's. You might want to check with Mike before you drive all the way down there to see what he has on hand. They have been selling well.

BW bags:kewl: :kewl:
great bag for the money-got mine at SWE for under $$30

I've got all 3 sizes of the Canyon bags. Other than the insert material being wimpy, they're good bags and the large one lets you carry all the plugs you'd ever have to carry.

That being said, my next bag is gonna be an AquaSkinz.

I think they all work well, it just depends on how much money you want to dish out.

-spence

Anybody have any recommendations for a surf bag that is the kind your wear around your waist that has inserts also. I have a Plano one that I like but has no inserts and sometimes hooks will get stuck into the fabric.

rwhilleim, plano sucks. i had one and have a problem with the hooks geting stuck in the bag.

reelchitty, if you have the money, spned on whatever you want. i would go for canyon and aquaskinz. i dont have a aquaskinz, but it looks viable.

I've been through quite a few of them.
Cheap ones, Bronco, Canyon, Van Staal, and now AquaSkinz.

Aquaskinz bags are the way to go. Durable as hell and laugh in the face of plug bag abuse.

The small Aquaskinz is what you're looking for. Retail for about $60 bucks.

Kadir showed me the new Aquaskinz bags at the shows, they are almost overengineered. They looked at the plugbag from the perspective of the serious mobile surfcaster and this bag is what they came up with. BIG inderts, redundant flap, good drainage, good storage, greta all around bag. And my next bag too .

I have got the small Aqua-skinz bag and it is great for those day excursions ch#^&#^&#^&#^&#^&g poppers and rubber and tins.....gonna have to get the big Aqua-skinz bag for my night fishing forays!:D

It is no secret that I am doing some marketing for the guys at Aquaskinz. There is a reason I chose to do this. The products are just well made and even more thought out.

I have at least 12 different Plug Bags, including the Canyon's, a Surcaster, BWs, Planos etc. The only Plug bag mentioned on this thread I have not owned are the VS. Every bag had differences and you have to evaluate the overall bags when making your decision. I like things about every bag I have owned and I hate things about each one also.

The best overall in my opinion are the Aquaskinz. They are by far the most durable and protective of your plugs. They have support / comfort features that no other bag has approached. Yes they are more money than all but the Vs, but these bags will become old friends. No need to worry about when the strap will finally let go or when the latch will let go and wash your plugs away.

I fished a certain very large sand bar on the south side of the Cape this week. I was wearing the small Plug bag on my Belt with the safety clip option also. As the tide cazme in my belt line was actually underwater. I had NO FEAR of losing plugs to a cheap latch opening. I had no distraction while wading in. This confidence improves fishing and safety. This more than justifies the difference between a decent Plug Bag and the Aquaskinz.

Aquaskinz...................................

Here are some of my thoughts based on my own USAGE EXPERIENCE.

My choices are AquaSkinz, The Surfcaster, and BW Sports. I wish I could say something about the Canyon bags, but I don't have any first hand experience with them.

1) AquaSkinz. These are really well thought-out bags. You'll spend more, but these things look like they're built to last. So far, the ones I have are holding up very well to submersive conditions. Two basic plug bags to choose from - a full size one and a compact one that can be afixed to your wader belt (ideal for really wet conditions and long walks). If you get the small one, make sure you have a non-stretch wader belt for best results. These bags were definitely built by guys who know EXTREME SURF FISHING. So far, I think the AquaSkinz bags are the "IT" surf bag for the most demanding anglers. The only critique I have so far is about the small one - the drainage is a little slow and the plastic buckle takes a bit of getting used to if you're accustomed to velcro.

2) The Surfcaster. This is also a great CLASSIC plug bag, the standard to beat before AquaSkinz (and I guess Van Staal) came out. Three rows for plugs, inserts for bucktails and tins, side pouches for spare spools and leaders and terminal tackle, and a top flap pouch that will fit leaders and tape measure and maybe even a short rope. I think the Aquaskinz have an edge over this bag in at least two respects: the Surfcaster plastic inserts are fairly heavy (you'll notice the weight after a few hours) and the Surfcaster bags won't accommodate large wood.

3) BW Sports. This is for the guy on a budget. Definitely a nice bag that will hold big wood and pliers and the such. About 1/4 the price of what you'll pay for the higher-end offerings. The one I have is holding up nicely after one season, but I will say it isn't as durably constructed as the AquaSkinz and Surfcaster plug bags. Not a bad choice if it's your first plug bag and you're unsure about making the $$$ commitment to plugging. I wouldn't dunk it or bang it around on a rockpile - I think this is perfect for the sand flea who doesn't get all that wet.

What about Canyon, Ben?

Don't have any experience with the Canyon bags, Joseph. I think MikeP had a post earlier on this thread about them.

I read it, but when I checked the aquaskinz, it looks good.

Canyons are a decent bag for the price. The inserts are thin plastic and can crack, and a hook can penetrate them when you lift it out. But they have big pockets outside for a spare spool or a jar of pork. They're also pretty light for their size, lighter than Bronco or Surfcaster bags.

You can cram a ton of schtuff into the big 21 compartment one. The biggest 4 can hold 4 darters, 3 of the big Habs needles, three Gibbs bottles or 3 metal lips. Even the smallest tubes along the front can hold doubles of small plastic plugs like Yozuri Crystals or Tobis, Mega Baits, etc.

Mike T has Canyons on sale I think.

I have it, a small surf version which costs me 34 bucks from Newport, RI. I cramed a 3 oz tattoo darter with a popper. It fits fine.

I jammed a crapload of plugs and gear into the plano bag.
for the first few weeks I knew exactly what was where. However, now everything is lost in the jumble. I will be emptying it out again and re-sorting before the weekend.

I have a small plastic box in the front zipper pocket filled with soft plastics and a few smaller lures. In the end pockets I have various bait rigs, hooks, shad darts, diamond jigs, mackerel jigs, high-low, fishfinder, leaders...

stuff I usually just have in the corner of the tackle box but want one or two if the urge or need hits.


Negative - I, too, find that at times hooks can work their way under the dividers or through the bottom mesh. This makes for very dificult extraction.


Worst of it all--- only the hook and steel leader method has worked for me. All the plugs AND their bag only catch one thing... fishermen.

Heres what was in it when I cleaned it out last September.

I've had a Surfcaster bag for years - it's bulletproof but heavy and I'm tempted to put way too much crap in it. Got it from Iron Mike for very short money.

The real bargain deal right now for $14.95 is the Flambeau shoulder bag available at any Wallyworld - it comes with 3 of the 3600 size boxes, but they could be swapped out to accommodate regular home-made storage tubes for plugs. Tough to beat for the money.

All that having been said, I'm gonna get a Aqua-Skinz bag (the small belt bag) very shortly - if it don't fit in it, it's not going along for a walk on the rocks. The SC bag can get heavy after a long nite -

This season I'm gonna travel light and quickly when needed - 'Skinz bag on the belt with Habs, Tattoo's, Mambos, tins and eel hooks, spare spool. That's it....

Well, that and a lunch sized cooler bag with shoulder strap for a dozen eels. :p

that the tubes each need a slot on all four sides so you can slide the hooks in them to A. hold them more easily and keep them from tangling up and B. it would allow the plugs to sit a little lower in the bag allowing you to put longer plugs in the bag.....I slotted mine so I can fit all of my Habs needles in there and still close the top.:D Thats not a knock, just something that could help the bag function better. I love mine and will be buying the large bag soon as I have many new Habs and Tattoo plugs that I must have with me at all times (not to mention all of my own new custom, handmade plugs):drool:

Great review FWW. I pretty much echo his thoughts. The *only* problem I have with the small aquakinz is that I think that a few of the slots for the jigs should be bigger. They are all small. You can't get a 3 oz bucktail lead head in the slot or a 4 oz kastmaster tin.

IMO quality of the Aqua skinz bag is excellent. And I like the big heavy but semi flexible tubes. These are simple the best bar none. I think the small bag is the best available for those 2 hour trips to run down to the beach or for when you want it all on your belt. IMO this is a must have bag.

THe surfcaster bag is a thing of beauty. I have the big one and like the big velcro setup. It holds a ton of stuff. IMO the surfcaster bags are more of a "system". you can purchase surfcaster storagebags with extra tubes to swap in and out just what you want. Again not a belt bag but when you want a lot of choice this is a great bag.

Either way you can not go wrong. But these two are the best. Neither are cheap. But they will last and work and you won't loos your gear when you fall down. I don't own any "zebco" bags so I would not be able to comment on them.