Everything But the Kitchen Sink

Men have been bad-mouthing women for a long, long time about all the stuff they routinely carry in their purses. By the same token, I've had a sneaking suspicion for a while that the vast majority of us bass anglers should step back and take a hard look at everything we lug around in our tackle boxes/bags, as well as what we keep in those storage compartments on our boats, before making such a judgment.

I figured we might find that we're really not all that much different. To cut to the chase, I felt it's entirely possible we both might be guilty of carrying around "everything but the kitchen sink."

My decision to write this story came after I saw a laundry list of what some of the pro bassers routinely stash aboard their rigs. Here's a sampling from that list: first-aid gear, over-the-counter medicines, lip balms and sunscreens, flares/flags/reflectors, tools, electrical and duct tape, WD-40, line and lure conditioner, spare props, jumper cables, extra rainsuits, changes of clothes, polarized sunglasses, and, of course, a roll of toilet paper (in a Ziploc bag for protection from the elements). Some even carry spare trolling motors in the rod locker. And that doesn't even address all those rods, reels and lures.

Having seen this list certainly cleared up a lot of long-standing misconceptions I've had. I always figured I was one of only a few who ever kept medicines onboard their boat during a fishing day. Now, though, I learn that I'm just keeping good company with the majority. Who would have ever thought?

No story like this would be complete without knowing why the parties involved do what they do. When I researched why women cram so much stuff into their purse, I came up with one female writer who suggested the following eight reasons:

     * Women like having things they don't need.

     * They also like having important things at their fingertips.

     * Just in case they need something, it's there.

     * Just in case the just-in-case stuff doesn't work.

     * They're messy and disorganized (e.g., my wife really took some strong exceptions to this particular item).

     * They never know when they'll need to save the world.

     * To fill the space, so it won't look empty.

     * It keeps them sleek and hides flaws (e.g., my wife's response to this one was, "What the heck is she talking about?")

When I looked into why bass anglers carry so much gear in their tackle boxes/bags and their boats, here were some of the typical responses:

     * Just in case we need it.

     * So we're prepared for the unexpected.

     * To keep us on the water, make us efficient, and, hopefully, keep us safe.

     * It's better to have it and not need it, than not to have it and need it.

Don't know about y'all, but I see enough similarities here in these two sets of answers that, from now on, I think I'll probably be a little more hesitant to rush into condemning women for packing so much stuff in their purses. From this perspective, it appears we all share the same bad habit.