Every fishing endeavor comes with its own set of limits that determines what gear goes and what gets sidelined. There’s the stuff we need to survive — like food, water and shelter. And because there’s fish to be caught, there’s a whole other spectrum of mandatories to solve before boats get launched and rods get bent. Yeti’s LoadOut GoBox makes sense of the mess, giving anglers a medium-size dose of smart organization that fits neatly into almost any adventure. It isn’t a tackle box — specifically. But it meets all the criteria in a big way. Inside my raft, which holds barely two humans and a dog, it functions as a deft dry box (bonus, it floats), with a removable caddy inside for stashing floatant, hemos, leaders, tippet and other fishing requisites. The middle divider forms a good-size berth for a lightweight shell and gloves on one side; while the other houses spare reels, fly boxes and an extra pair of shades. Inside the lid, a zippered mesh sleeve carries fly lines, licenses, snacks and all the “essential” tech I conveniently keep on mute while fishing. The whole enchilada can get heavy at full capacity, but that’s my doing, and the ergonomic side handles make it convenient to handle, no matter what ingredients I stuff inside. Bottom line, if you’re looking for a hardworking carryall for protecting precious cargo while in the water or en route to it, the Yeti LoadOut GoBox is a tackle box upgrade that’s hard to kill and well worth the price of entry.
-Geoff Mueller, author, editor and migratory gear geek