Building a self drying, stackable plug storage system
Building a Stackable "Air Dry" Plug Storage System
The materials list four our project is very simple:
- Filing crate ($5.00 at Walmart or $6.99 at Staples)
- PVC rain gutter downspout ($8.00 per 10' length at Home Depot)
- Acrylic sheet to fit bottom of crate.(Not necessary if you use Staples crate)
Once you have your materials, the first thing you need to do is cut the plexiglass to fit the bottom of the crate.(*If you are using a solid bottomed crate, you will not need the plexiglass.) It doesn't need to be tight, it only needs to act as a floor so your plugs will not hang up on the bottom of the crate. (You will not need to drill any holes for drainage)
The first thing you need to do is determine the length of the plug tubes. I cut mine to 3 different sizes. 7", 6", and 4" for the really small stuff. I cut the tubes easily with a band saw but you can use a hacksaw as well. I want my plugs to stick out of the tubes about 1" to make them easier to grab.
Here's the video of the process followed by step by step instructions with pictures if you prefer written instructions: *The video goes into more detail.
(I apologize for the low sound levels on some of the segments. I'm working this out and will have it fixed the next time. Thanks)
Now, Here's the step by step.
You will be able to squeeze 23 tubes into a filing crate if you orient them as shown in the photo below.
I didn't like how low the 4" tubes were in the crate so I cut some 2" spacers out of some 4' drain pipe I had laying around. I them cut some plexi to fit and made a raised bottom to stack the 4"tubes on. This brought them even with the 6" tubes.
Now I wanted to be able to store some other items that I use when I fish. The staples crates have some holes that I fill with a wooden dowel glued in with epoxy. These make great mounting brackets for accessories.
I mounted a 2" strip of plexiglass across 2 mounting points and I'm going to store my Luretubes on this strip so I wont forget my eel skins!
Now I'm going to mount a stainless eye bolt on the side so I can store my Boga grip.
Next, I want a way to store some bucktails in the crate. I use some leftover plexiglass and make an insert for one of my tubes.(I can store 12, 1oz bucktails in one 7" tube)
Note the tab I left at the top so I can grab the plexiglass card and easily get to my bucktails.
Now I need to find a way to store some sluggo's or some rubber swim shads. I take a 10" piece of drain pipe and I glue an end cap on each side. Now I cut the pipe in half lengthwise and that leaves me with 2 trays that will be perfect for rubber baits.
After installing 2 bolts in each end cap, I can drop the tray right in the top of the crate and it will slide out of the way when I need to get some plugs.
The best thing about this system is that it can be rinsed down with a hose and everything will drain within a minute or two. The crates can then be stacked and allowed to dry on their own because they are open to air circulation even when stacked. This makes it easy to rinse our plugs & gear & put everything right away! No more waiting for everything to dry!
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