When Central Florida inshore angler Stephen Foster made the move from a 17-foot Ranger poling skiff to a 23-foot Skeeter SX230, he was surprised to find that the bay boat actually had less usable tackle storage, not more.
It offered far more storage overall, obviously, but on the smaller Ranger, a big bow hatch had provided a convenient spot for tackle right in the middle of the fishing action. On the Skeeter, there was plenty of storage in the bow, but not aft of the console, where Foster does most of his rigging on the bigger boat.
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Identifying the Dead Space
The obvious location to add storage aft of the console was underneath the aluminum-framed leaning post.
The boat had come standard with an 80-quart Engel cooler under the post, but there was a lot of dead space between the lid of the cooler and the bottom of the leaning post seat.
Foster decided that with some careful planning, that dead space could be turned into a highly functional tackle center. The dead space between the top of the cooler and the bottom of the leaning post seat was an obvious location for additional tackle storage.
Working on a Design
He contacted Boat Outfitters, where he was connected with project manager TJ Corcoran, and the two started working on a design. Foster wanted the tackle center to look “factory,” not like an aftermarket add-on. He also wanted to utilize every available bit of space. That meant, for starters, putting the Engel on a cooler slide.
With the slide, there was no need to leave room above the cooler to open the lid; it could be easily pulled out from under the leaning post for access.
The next step was precisely measuring the available space. Measuring was somewhat complicated by the fact that Foster wanted a two-tiered solution, with a bottom tier spanning the entire fore-aft depth of the leaning post and a shallower upper tier to make use of the space behind the seat of the leaning post.
Precise measurements were also important because Foster wanted just 1/4” of clearance around the box in order to maximize the available space. Ironing out the design required several emails and calls before Foster and Corcoran settled on a final plan. Then Foster used a Starboard sample chain to select Arctic White as a near-perfect match for the boat’s powder coating and gelcoat.
The Finished Design
The finished tackle center features three drawers measuring approximately 14” front to back, 7” wide and 5” deep. The width is a near-exact fit for Plano-style 3600-series tackle boxes and also happens to be the same width as the plastic envelopes that soft plastic lures like DOA, Z-Man and Gulp! come on. That allows Foster to store his plastics on edge in the packages like files in a file cabinet.
Above the drawers are two 6” deep bulk storage areas with drop-down doors. These work well for tools like pliers, fish grippers and braid scissors as well as spools of leader material. A small raised lip across the bottom of the doors keeps items from falling out. On top of the box, a keeper strip around the perimeter adds functionality by keeping items temporarily placed here from sliding off.
Installing the New Tackle Center
Installation involved removing the cushions from the leaning post seat and removing the drawers from the tackle center. This allowed the unit to be securely (and invisibly) through-bolted to the aluminum structure beneath the leaning post cushion. “It’s not going anywhere,” says Foster.