Skidplate's Version of a Watertight Tackle Box

I've had a bunch of positive comments on my dog food tacklebox.  So here are a couple pics:


This is made with a Vittle Vault by Gamma. Check around your local ranch supply and pet stores to find the size that works best for you. I believe I spent around $30 for the bin and most of the other parts I already had from other projects. (nylon webbing, stainless hardwear, padeyes) There are many other links on the web about using these and Pelagic on here has a good write up about one he built as well.

Not seen on the pic is inside I have some basic loops to organize some of the smaller gear and a tether to keep from losing the lid. Soon to come is a holder for my bonker and another for my fish grips that I just need to install. It'd also be great to mount a track/rail or camera boom along the top ridge.

I've found is that it does a great job of keeping the salt off of gear. (Once something gets salty, do not put it back in the box.) However, I won't take it on all of my outings since I just don't need that much stuff all the time. Which is why I want to make another smaller one. 

That's a pretty sweet little box you've got there. Is that the 15lb box? They are currently $18 on Amazon. That's a heck of a deal. I might have to borrow this idea for my own Ling Ling, Herro box.

That's a pretty sweet little box you've got there. Is that the 15lb box? They are currently $18 on Amazon. That's a heck of a deal. I might have to borrow this idea for my own Ling Ling, Herro box.

Their classification system is weird. It is the 30lb box I'm using. The 30# designation is for how many pounds of dog food it can hold. It's also classified as an 8 gallon with Gamma. http://www.gamma2.net/vittles-vault-30.htm

The 40 is very popular with kayak guys due to the angled neck but it seemed a little too large for what I wanted. Careful with ordering online, shipping was pretty steep everywhere I looked. The 15 can be picked up from Petco or Petsmart for ~$20 and it's usually on sale. The main drawback is that the mouth is quite a bit smaller and won't fit the larger Plano boxes. But, I still want to make one with that size.

Yeah, I didn't think the box weighed that much  . It looks like a slick way to store gear, though. I may end up adopting this build. I need more rod/net storage for my Revo and this would be perfect.  I never really liked the milk crate thing because it looked cheap and my gear was always wet.

"Wet fishing gear" = oxymoron 

how "water tight" is it after you start poking holes in it?  Are you using goop or anything?

I wouldn't mind changing out my milkcrate for one of these.  seems like the extra buoyancy would keep your kayak from rolling all of the way over (if it's closed) but be might be really hard to flip your yak if it's open and fills with water.

any experience with this?  might be a little cold right now to go test it.

Skidplate, how wide is the mouth.looks deceiving on my phone.some of those vertical screw on 3 rod holders with some industrial Velcro around the sides couldmake it very modular.

I have a Hobie Adventure, which is a very wet ride. My milk crate, everything in it,  got soaked from the bottom every time out. 

So I got the angle necked version of the vittles vault (kind of pricey at $40+ at Petco).
I like it - now I have a convenient dry place to store things and don't have to rinse salt water off everything at the end of the day.
Only downside is that the size of the opening restricts you to medium sized tackle trays, etc.  The opening is about 9" diameter.

I'm not sure if this has been mentioned already, you can get the gamma lids for plastic buckets also.  They're available at Home Depot, I have only seen them in black there.  I have used them on 3.5 and 5 gallon buckets for storage of fasteners for work.  Not sure what other size buckets are available.

How many beers will it hold?

seems like the extra buoyancy would keep your kayak from rolling all of the way over (if it's closed) but be might be really hard to flip your yak if it's open and fills with water.

any experience with this?  might be a little cold right now to go test it.

I imagine it doesn't make much of a difference in terms of secondary stability, compared to the shape of the hull. There are different stability curves for different hull shapes for instance: http://www.guillemot-kayaks.com/guillemot/information/kayak_design/kayak_stability

I see Petco has  free shipping for some of them.

http://www.petco.com/product/9799/Gamma-Vittles-Vault-Stackables.aspx?CoreCat=FamilyCrossSell

real popular for live bait wells

how "water tight" is it after you start poking holes in it?  Are you using goop or anything?

The lid has a gasket and I have not experienced any leaking from the holes I've put into it.

seems like the extra buoyancy would keep your kayak from rolling all of the way over (if it's closed) but be might be really hard to flip your yak if it's open and fills with water.

I haven't found any issues with the kayak rolling. Just take your eyes off the surf for a minute and you'll roll right over.   luckily it rolls right back over just as easily.  I haven't yet rolled with it open, so it's hard to say. I'm guessing if you had a bunch of rods strapped to it vertically, that would change things more than just having it open.

Skidplate, how wide is the mouth.looks deceiving on my phone.some of those vertical screw on 3 rod holders with some industrial Velcro around the sides couldmake it very modular.

Without putting a tape on it, I'd guess the inner diameter to be around 12". Let me know if you want an actual. If you wanted to screw rod holders onto it that would work as well with good backing. It's rotomolded just like most of our kayaks.