Fishing is in my blood and anyone who knows me knows how much I love it. Even my dad’s friends say I would fish in a bucket if I had nowhere else to go and they aren’t too far off. But all this fishing means I can be pretty hard on my gear. At the beginning of tuna season I started to notice my regular backpack I use for fishing couldn’t hold all of the tackle I needed for my various adventures. So I began checking the local tackle shops as well as seeing what other guys were using, hoping to find a good replacement. I was looking for a lightweight durable backpack specifically made for fishing that could hold all my tackle as well as water and snacks. I wanted something that wouldn’t be too heavy since I would be taking it down some long trails. I kept looking and looking for that durable and lightweight backpack that I wanted but couldn’t find one that was right for me. I told my Dad what I was looking for and he said we should look at SKB Cases. Dad uses SKB cases to transport his firearms in and they are extremely well built and durable.
Well, it turns out SKB now makes fishing gear. They now have a full line of tackle boxes, rod holders and reel cases. After checking out all their new offerings, I settled on the perfect one for me. It’s called the SKB Tak-Pak Backpack Tackle System. It’s 19’L x 13”W, water resistant and has a lifetime warranty! My dad said we should definitely give this backpack a try. So that’s what we did.
My dad ordered it and gave it to me as a Christmas gift. I couldn’t have been more excited to get it and couldn’t wait to put all my tackle in it. This pack held all the tackle that I needed it to, including my water bottle and snacks with room to spare. The first time I tried it out was at my neighbor’s pond. The backpack felt super light when I was riding my bike to his house. I wanted to give the pack a good test so I put more tackle in it than I needed. The shoulder and chest straps were comfortable and easy to adjust and cinched down nicely which kept the tackle box from moving around while I was riding my bike.
The next time I took it out was at Lake Dixon in Escondido, CA. This tested its weight because I had to hike to my spot. My fishing spot consisted of rocks and uneven ground. The backpack did not tear like my other ones, even after dragging it across some rough boulders. This backpack is made of 600 Denier cross dyed fabric with a water resistant coating. The bottom of the backpack comes with a waterproof boot that assists with keeping moisture out as well as keeping the pack in an upright position.
I also like to go on longer overnight deep sea trips for bigger game fish such as yellowtail and tuna. I was able to swap out my lighter freshwater gear for my big game yellowtail and tuna gear with ease. The shelves inside the backpack made it easy to swap out my storage boxes. Inside the larger zipper pocket on the front of the backpack are four shelves and four utility tackle boxes. The shelves in the backpack are secured in place by Velcro and are easily adjusted to fit your personal needs. I have even stored some of my reels on the shelves. There is an additional pocket on the front of the tackle box that holds miscellaneous items such as pliers and loose tackle. Then there are three additional side pouches to hold additional items such as power bait, fishing line, stringers, rod holders, bobbers, etc. In addition to the 3 side pouches there is also a top pouch that contains an included lunchbox or you can take it out and store more tackle.
Overall I love this backpack. My dad was right when he told me that SKB Cases made outstanding products and they definitely got it right with the Tak-Pak Backpack Tackle System. Something tells me I will be using this one for a long time.