Joemalat.com

I try to go fishing every chance I can, and I’m not particularly picky about where I wet a line: the beach, a pier, my boat, or a friend’s boat. I fish for everything from pan-sized spot to speckled trout to tarpon and it would be impractical to carry all of the terminal tackle, rigs, and lures for a dozen different species and a variety of fishing opportunities in one tackle box. That’s why I started using a soft-sided tackle bag and small individual utility boxes to carry only the gear I need for a specific trip.

My gear is grouped into two separate categories: the stuff that is always in the bag, and the tackle that’s designed for a specific fishing opportunity.  The system works great.
The mainstays essential for any day on the water, from surf to boat are pliers with parallel action jaws that I use for removing hooks and cutting line and leader material.  I can’t imagine fishing anywhere without a pair of these pliers in a case on my belt.  There’s also a bait knife, fish scaler and razor-edged fillet knife, which I use only for cleaning fish.  
I also have a tape measure, several spools of mono, fluorocarbon, and wire leader material, a clean rag, a pair of stainless line clippers, and a pair of stainless steel scissors.  Most Outer Banks tackle shops sell these scissors, recycled from the poultry processing industry, for only a few dollars.  I use the scissors more than one might think, for everything from cutting strips of squid for flounder bait, to snipping line.
There’s a long nosed “hook-out” for removing a stubborn hook with minimum damage to the fish and me, sunscreen for my bald head, a stringer, tide chart, a copy of the latest NC Division of Marine Fisheries size and bag limit regulations, band aids, small file and a hook sharpening stone.  
I’ve added a couple items that might not seem typical in a tackle bag, but are very handy: a small pair of binoculars for spying on nearby anglers that are catching more fish than I am, and a small zipper-lock bag containing a dozen or so paper napkins and a plastic knife and fork.  The napkins are great for cleaning the salt spray from glasses or a camera lens, and the fork is just right for spearing that first Vienna sausage from the can. The fork also helps to keep the bloodworm and squid goop on your fingers from competing with the delicate flavor of the Viennas.  
This sounds like a lot of gear and slight overkill, but it’s not.  Everything I’ve just mentioned rides along in the outside pockets of the bag and I use many of the tools on each trip.
Another permanent fixture in the bag is a box filled with terminal tackle such as fishfinder sliders, small beads, hooks, swivels, and snaps in every size.  
The other mainstay is a “binder”, filled with clear plastic zipper-lock bags.  These bags contain pre-made leaders, and bottom rigs for surf, boat or pier.  
The remaining components of my tackle system are clear plastic utility boxes, stashed in the bag’s main compartment.  These all come and go, depending on my specific needs for each trip.  
As I need them, I draw from the inventory of utility boxes that contain tackle for a specific situation.  
Even with a few utility boxes there’s also room in the bag for a sandwich, a couple bottles of water, a point-and-shoot camera, and foul weather jacket.  I’ll also carry a few plastic trash bags.  The bags not only work for the obvious, but may also carry fish, ice, or extra clothes and maybe cover my gear bag or camera bag in case the boat gets caught in an unexpected downpour.
The contents of each box is noted clearly on the end and top and stacked on a shelf in my garage. When a fishing buddy calls with a spur of the moment invitation I can meet him at the boat ramp when he’s ready, and I have all of my gear in a single bag that can fit under his boat’s center console.  The soft bag is also friendly to any boat surface.