So what do YOU use for your long distance hiking treks

[Mr. Sandman]

Eben is right. Mesh bag is fine for eels for the night. No buckets. The only thing in my hands is my (1) rod, everthing else is on my belt or stays in the vehcile. I take a small aquasinz bag and a belt pauch (or a med bag) my mesh bag and rod. If I am going remote for a while (ie like a solo CH all nighter)...I wear a fishing vest that has saftey equipment...cell phone, whiste, first aid, space blanket, ect. All my leaders and goodies are ready to fish. No goofing around tying leaders on the beach at 2:00am when the bite is hot. Also, if you get a 50 will you take her? If so, better figure a way to hike this thing out before you get there. (make a carrier out of a rope and handle) so tuck this material someplace.
Think, and take your time.

[fishweewee]

1) One plug bag. Usually a large Aquaskinz or my trusty Surfcaster bag stuffed to the brim.

2) A fly fishing vest with two front pouches and a large rear pouch (like a backback but lighter). Front pouches will contain terminal tackle and leader and small things like soft plastics. Rear pouch might have a bottle of water, some snacks, a stringer rope, and a tape measure. If there's room, then a small scale, a small camera and my cell phone in a zip-loc bag. If I'm forgetful, I also carry a copy of a tide chart and pertinent regs in a zip-loc bag.

3) My flashlight is tied to a long piece of surgical tubing, which I can then carry safely around my neck.

4) Obvious to many, but I have my plyers in a sheath on my wader belt.

[tlapinski]

I used to use the mesh bags for my eels, but I found most of them would die as I walked along. Also, they would get all nasty from the slime getting wiped off in the mesh, and then it would pick up sand and just become a big mess. That and the fact that I would get eel slime all over my waders, jacket, or wetsuit.

Do you guys using the mesh bag ever run into them dying prematurely?

[partsjay]

I use 1 rod, this year I went down to an Army Navy store, they have all types of bags....some pretty cheap....bought a few different size canvas bags that have a belt loop...bought some tubing at home depot, cut to length,....thats it....just load them up on a belt, have 2 free hands and plenty of storage for everything....

[Joe]

I'm going to use my intern Bart - have him drop me at the waters edge and then valet park.

[tynan19]

Originally Posted by Joe

I'm going to use my intern Bart - have him drop me at the waters edge and then valet park.

[rizzo]

What works best for me is a soft sided cooler pack with a zipper top. You can fit up to 15 eels inside one, just make sure to have some some of ice to keep them cold and occassionally flip it over to drain out excess water or eel slime. I like to bring plugs with me and usually limit myself to 4 that i store in the front zipper pouch of the soft cooler bag. Plastic water bottles can help keep them seperated. I also attach a hook file to the cooler.

From here i wear a belt with pliers and a scale on it. Occassionally i'll bring water in a 500ml bottle attached to my belt. Leaders can be stored in a plactic bag in your dry top.

[Slingah]

eels, plugs, Marlboro's & gum

don't take your cell phone.....I almost lost mine tonite

catch fish.....have fun

[piemma]

Plastic mayo jug with holes punched in it. Attach a piece of mono to the lid. Throw a few eels in and some ice and make a loop of some rope to string the bucket on your wader belt. Eels will last all night and you can move at will.
I've used this system for 15 years and it works well.

[Saltheart]

Mostly I use a small jig bag. its about 4 wide X 8 long X 4.5 deep. A long wide shoulder strap. I also carry my pliers in my back pocket where I can get them easy.

For the beach I carry a plug bag and a pail for the eels.

[PI guy]

Sorry for hijacking this but IMO the best eel bag is one of those old school cheapo trout bags with the metal straps sewed into the two sides of the opening to keep it closed (doesn't actually work to keep it closed so use one of those big black paper clips to do so). Your eels will stay lively in here as long as you give it a dunk every now and then and you don't have to worry about their slime being scraped off cause the bags have nylon inside.

[Krispy]

They can dry out in the mesh bags, but Im usually near water when fishing , so they get dunked every 45min/hour. Its convenient, because its clipped to the belt.

Id rather do the soft cooler bag w/ ice than a jar

[CANAL RAT]

get a mid sized plug bag with a pocket in the front with pre made leaders,pliers,camera and extra spool filled with line. use one rod so choose it wisely. you can use a mesh bag with a draw string or a cheap soft side cooler with a lunch pack freezer block to keep your eels cold keep a wet rag in the bag to keep them moist. wear breathable waders. wear a head lamp and keep and spare bulb and set of batteries and a small back up light in your plug bag.

[NIB]

U have to keep it simple or the trek will become to much work.Ditch has the right idea on the plugs u have to consider the conditions first.then u can limit ur selection IE: bright moon light dark moon dark.I never crried a spare spool as getting spooled is not a option.I stuff a extra light in the bag.rubbers jigs the usual plugs pliers all go in the bag.eels go in a tuperware drink container.with holes made for a rope.most times i don't use eels.another important thing is a six ft piece of rope to drag a good fish out if u need.A long walk with a heavy fish is no fun.of course u could always just let em go.

[Vermonter]

I use one of these when hiking a good distance and dont want to have to backtrack for anything. Mine's an older model, has an rubberized interior.

http://www.manhattanportage.com/cata...roducts_id=110

[JoeP]

Chest pack under my surf jacket that holds an 8" by 10" Plano or other box for Yo-Zuri's and other lures and holds all my soft plastics, hooks, leaders, etc.

Then the small Aquaskinz or small Canyon belt bag on my wader belt (or both) with my pliers & knife on the belt.

Then teaser rigs and leaders in the pockets in my surf jacket.

Carry one rod and you are hands free (except for the rod) and don't have a surf bag hanging off you and bumping & swinging when you walk and fish.

[spence]

I love the small Aquaskinz bag on the belt. It hold all my leaders and teaser rigs (all pre-tied), spare emergency light and other knicknacks. Pliers are on the belt...this way I can swap plug backs and still have the stuff I'll need regardless.

Things like the cell phone, keys and money clip go in a cargo pocket of my shorts.

I've got a big OR waterproof bag that holds everything else. It stays in the trunk of my car, and I just take it with me if I'm in someone elses buggy. Sometimes I'll throw it over the shoulder and drop it when fishing less travelled areas.

-spence

[Bronko]

A 10 tube surf bag (bronco/canyon/aquaskinz) that holds plugs/tin and rubber slung over the shoulder. A good knife...good pliers...headlamp... some water and a couple of power bars.