Gear

Inside Walters’ accessory box

Keep the small stuff easily lost in the boat in this handy storage box.

Posted on
Photography by
Craig Lamb
Starting in 2018, Patrick Walters has captured five B.A.S.S. wins and three Bassmaster Century Club belts in both the largemouth and smallmouth categories. 
Walters set a B.A.S.S. record for largest margin of victory (29 pounds, 10 ounces) with his 2020 Lake Fork win. 
Walters’ style of fishing favors a fast-paced tempo, and he must keep everything from snap swivels to rods and reels organized for quick access to stay in the game. 
“My boat is loaded with every size and type of gear, and when I need it during the heat of the competition, I’ve got to know where it all is,” Walters said. “It’s not about being OCD but instead staying in the game without missing a cast.”
Walters stores a catch-all assortment of small items in this storage container. “All the small stuff that doesn’t have a home elsewhere makes one in this box.”
If it fits in the box, it goes in: electrical tape, hook files, VMC Crossover Rings, pliers, nail weights, Spike-It Pens, bottles of dye, split rings, snaps, a lighter and more. You name it, he’s got it.
A frequently used tool — and one that can easily get misplaced inside Walters’ boat — are these VMC Crossover Pliers that make rigging Neko and wacky rigs a breeze. 
Walers is a lure tinker, so he likes to touch up baits to match water conditions and live bait favored by bass.
Spike-It Pens do the trick. Sharpie pens are used for marking line and signing autographs. 
Another tool that can easily get misplaced are files for hook points. “You can’t ever have hook points that aren’t sharp enough,” Walters said. 
Walters solved the problem with the smallest item that can easily disappear a boat, and one of the most important for lures.
Walters purchased these medicine bottles for keeping split rings organized and at the ready. 
Equally easy to lose and also vital for Neko and wacky rigs are these nail weights, also stored in the catch-all box. 
And there you have it. A simple box that is easy to grab and know the needle in the haystack is easy to find. No more madly sorting through bags and rummaging through a massive center storage looking for that much-needed split ring. 

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