Flambeau Tackle Station: Can this be your mostly used tackle bag?
 

Total Score: 7.08

Introduction: One thing every angler has in common is that they all have lots of gear ranging from crankbaits to fishing tools, and are always in need some sort of storage.  Nowadays there are all types of tackle storage.  Some may still be carrying hard tackle boxes while fishing, but trust me on this one, carrying a soft tackle storage bag is much easier to handle.  I had the opportunity to test a modular tackle storage system from Flambeau on my trout and bass fishing trips.  
 

Impressions: Like many anglers, I too have multiple tackle boxes and bags.  The amount of my fishing lures has increased tremendously.  When I first saw the Flambeau Tackle Station I knew I would make good use of it in the field. The Tackle Station caught my eyes not because of the price, but it was the many zippers on the bag.  "Now how come this bag has so many zippers?", I asked myself.  Soon after a few minutes of careful examination some ideas popped into my head on how this tackle bag would be useful to me while fishing.

1. The versatility allows me to use this bag for both bass and trout fishing.

2. Since most of the storage compartments unzip from one another, I can carry just the right amount and not have to drag along dead weight.

3. The size of the bag and utility boxes can hold most of my frequently used bass lures along with my tools, food and water, etc...

4. The lower portion of the bag would work great for trout fishing while wading.

Just by looking at the price one would know that this bag might not be as well constructed as the more expensive tackle storage systems.  The overall material of the Tackle Station is actually well made, but there are some weaknesses I will be pointing out during my tests.
 

Tests: Since the Tackle Station appears to be pretty modular I had to see if I could actually use the multiple applications.  So I took the bag for my first test run.  I loaded the tackle bag with a selection of bass lures I needed for the fishing trip.  The five 4006 Tuff 'Tainer utility boxes allowed me to neatly organize my crankbaits, jerkbaits, poppers, weedless tournament frog, hooks, weights of all sizes, and much more.  The 00330 spinnerbait box also allowed me to carry my large collection of spinnerbaits.  And there were the plastics.  Can't leave home without those.  The Tackle Station came with 10 polybags that I used to organize the different types of plastics.  

The bottom storage compartment fits four 4006 Tuff 'Tainer boxes and one more at the very top of the bag.  This allows quick access to the container that held the frequently used lures.  When I reached down and took one of the four boxes out, I noticed something that bothered me a lot.  When one or more 4006 boxes were taken out of the bottom compartment, the weight from the top caused the bag to sit on top of the other two remaining boxes in the lower portion.  1) By not having a rigid framing of some sort, putting in the other two utility boxes required two hands, or some frustration trying to wedge in one corner of the box to get the rest in.  2) The stability of the standing tackle bag was now leaning one direction and the bag might fall over depending on how much weight you have in the upper compartments.  
 

The four six inch packs attached to the side of the bag held my plastics nicely in the polybags provided with the Tackle Station.  The top two extender packs can be unzipped and attached to your belt for quick access to the frequently used plastics.  This was useful when I was throwing only plastics, but wanted to switch between colors, sizes, and styles without having to walk back to where the bag was located.

When I went trout fishing I carried only the bottom portion of the Tackle Station along with the 2003 Tuff 'Tainer box that held my favorite trout lures.  The Flambeau tackle storage bag is constructed with water resistant rip-stop material that provided some water shedding while wading in the stream.  This kept my necessities like food, tissue, and other non-water resistant materials dry, as long as I do not fall into the water.

Other features on the bag are the mesh pocket for wet storage at the bottom portion, an adjustable shoulder strap, a fishing line dispenser, and a waterproof bottom with boat-grip feet.  I have to say the boat-grip feet is a good idea, but the material it's made out of is poor.

One more note to add to the weaknesses.  The tackle bag is made with only one zipper opening from the side.  When I opened my bag while wading in the stream, some of my stuff almost fell out of the bag into the water.  If there were two zippers per compartment, then I would be able to open the bag from the center and not lose anything.

Ratings:

Pluses and Minuses:

Conclusion: The Tackle Station W4005ST is an incredibly modular system.  Many other tackle storage bags are one piece and you have to use the entire bag every time you go fishing, but not the Flambeau Tackle Station I field tested.  I am able to use what parts I need when I need it.  The zippers provide a quick and easy way for someone, even a child to take apart and put back the different compartments in a few seconds.  The Tackle Station seems to have many good points, but there are also weaknesses that appeared like the bottom compartment being frameless and the poor bottom material.  Overall this tackle storage system works well and I will be using it on my future trips until it breaks.

Have fun and keep on fishin!