Buzbe Swarm 28 Modular Tackle Bag Review

After my Falcon tackle bag finally gave out, it was time to find something new and exciting. I haven’t looked for new tackle organization in years, so I was eager to see what products were on the market. I went down to my local sporting goods store only to find the same ole tackle boxes and bags that have been around since I was a kid.

The only thing that really caught my eye was the Plano Edge products, but the single latch system felt awkward to me. Enter the Buzbe Swarm 28 Modular Tackle Bag.

These are my initial impressions of the Buzbe Swarm 28 Modular Tackle Bag. I haven’t actually used the bag fishing out on the lake. I intend to update this article at a later date after using the tackle bag for a full season.

Initial Impressions of Buzbe Swarm 28 Tackle Bag

• Heavy duty
• Premium
• Awesome looking
• Very impressive overall quality

My initial impressions of the Buzbe Swarm 28 Modular Tackle Bag were really good. The bag is constructed of a heavy duty reinforced puncture-resistance material that reminds me of what you would find on white water rafting gear. The Swarm 28 bag accommodates four Colony 28 Tackle Boxes, or you can configure it any way you prefer.

Buzbe claims the Swarm Tackle Bag is airtight and fully submersible underwater, keeping water out, and everything inside dry and protected. I have not tried this, but the seal on the zipper leads me to believe it’s true.

You do have to pull hard to open and close the bag, but that will probably loosen up over time with some use in the field. It’s to be expected with a waterproof zipper.

The tackle bag comes with a Hex-Slide triangle ring on the front that can be slid onto any of the yellow lines on the outside of the bag. There isn’t much information on this, but I can only assume it is there for attaching line cutters, pliers, keys, etc.

At the time of writing this, I didn’t see anywhere on the Buzbe website where you could purchase additional Hex-Slides, but that may be something they intend to offer. Who knows, maybe one is enough.

The Buzbe Swarm 28 tackle bag features a hard reinforced bottom to protect your tackle boxes from hard falls. It is also completely waterproof, so gone are the days of worrying about setting your bag down in water. One less thing to worry about.

What Does It Come With?

• (1) Swarm 28 Modular Tackle Bag
• (4) Colony 28 Modular Tackle Boxes
• Strap, sticker, zipper lube, and the nicest brochure I have ever seen!

The Buzbe Swarm 28 Modular Tackle Bag comes with (1) Swarm 28 Tackle Bag and (4) Colony 28 Modular Tackle Boxes. Each Colony 28 Tackle Box measures 14” wide by 9” deep by 2” tall when laying flat. Each tackle box features a yellow pull tab, so you can easily remove them from the bag.

The Colony 28 boxes are modular, which allows you to move the internal bins around for a custom layout that suits your needs. We will go into more detail on this later in the article.

You also get a nice strap, a premium catalog for ordering additional accessories, a Buzbe sticker, and grease for the waterproof zipper on the tackle bag.

Colony 28 Modular Tackle Box Breakdown

In this section, we get into the heart of the Buzbe Tackle Bag and breakdown the features of their Colony Tackle Boxes. Buzbe includes four identical standard Colony 28 Modular Tackles Boxes with the Swarm 28 Modular Tackle Bag.

Customizable and Removable Bins

All four of the Colony 28 Tackle Boxes included in my Swarm 28 Tackle Bag had the same bin configuration pictured above. Each bin is removable and can be repositioned using their customizable HEXLOK Grid System. The bins are high quality and what you would expect from a product at this price point.

HEXLOK Grid System

Each removable bin locks into the HEXLOK Grid System when pushed down. The grid system allows you to configure your tackle box in a way that works with your fishing workflow. You can move bins between tackle boxes, so they are all configured differently, or leave them the way they come if that works better for you.

The bottom of the Buzbe bins that fit into the Colony 28 Tackle Box have circles molded in that lock into the HEXLOK Grid System. This is what allows for the extensive customization and the ability to move bins anywhere you prefer.

Waterproof Seal on Lid

The lid doesn’t actually lay flat when you close it. It might over time, but when it's new, the lid sits up until you push it down and engage the latches. As you press down, you can feel the seal making full contact, and it is very snug. It is definitely one of the better seals I have seen on a tackle box.

Full Reinforced Lid Hinge

The Colony 28 Tackle Box features a saltwater rated 316 stainless-steel hinge pin that spans the full width of the lid. This provides great reinforcement and allows for a better seal when closing down the lid with the military grade latches.

Military Grade Latches

Each Colony 28 Tackle Box features two front facing latches that also use 316 stainless steel to secure the lid down tight. Their literature claims the yellow plastic latch is constructed of military grade glass filled nylon. They have a great feel when opening and closing the lid of the tackle box.

I previously used Falcon plastic containers to store my tackle, and they featured two latches on the front and two on the side. Getting into the containers became a chore over time because you would have to flip four latches every time you wanted to access your tackle. I wanted something more simple, and the Buzbe clear lid is rigid enough that two front facing latches work great.

Easy Pull Tab

Each Colony 28 Tackle Box comes with a yellow pull tab that allows you to easily remove the box of your choice. This is a nice premium touch that grants quick removal when working out of your tackle bag all day. On their website, they offer pull tabs in different colors for those wanting to differentiate their tackle.

Colony 28 Bottom

The bottom of the Colony 28 Tackle Box was designed with a raised lip that will sit down into the lid of another Colony 28 box when stacked. This allows you to stack boxes if needed and not worrying about them sliding around.

How I Set Up My Buzbe Colony 28 Tackle Boxes

I am certain this will change over time, but this is how I initially set up my Buzbe Colony 28 Tackle Boxes. I did not have all my tackle with me when I shot these photos, but you get the point. Furthermore, I will most likely update these photos once I use the tackle boxes and get everything situated just right.

Plastic Worms and Creature Baits

Because the bins in the Colony 28 Tackle Box are removable, it allows you to remove a bait the fish are hitting on and set it right next to you while you’re fishing. This gives you the same flexibility of having your plastics in their original bags.

I went back and forth on whether to keep my plastics in their original bags or in the Colony 28 Tackle Box. I prefer being able to open the tackle box and see everything in one shot. Plus, the Colony 28 boxes have good seals, which should help preserve the plastics.

Senko’s and Ned Rigs

I love fishing plastics because I enjoy the calm nature of slowly presenting a worm, Senko, or creature bait. It allows you to take a deep breath and enjoy the surrounding view, which is usually pretty great when you're on the lake. Like most fishermen, the weightless Senko or stick bait is one of my favorites to fish, while the Ned Rig has become a go to when looking for quick action.

Crank Baits, Jigs, and Spinners

I, personally, don’t fish many crank baits and jigs. Outside of using plastics, the spinner bait is my go to shiny object for catching fish. I would say spinner baits are one of the harder things to store in the Buzbe Colony 28 Tackle Box. You could lay them flat in the square bins where the jigs are pictured above, as they fit fine in there.

I currently use an older Flambeau tackle box to organize my spinner baits. It is not specifically designed for spinner baits, but I find that tackle boxes designed specifically for spinner baits take up far too much room. This system works fine for me as a recreational fisherman.

Overflow Baits

I would be remiss if I didn’t show any overflow boxes of fishing tackle. All fishermen have them, and it takes almost super human powers to keep things organized and to a minimum.

During the Buzbe reorganization of my tackle, I was able to get rid of and clean out old damaged lures, rusty hooks, and melted and discolored plastics that needed to be removed. It feels great to finally be organized again.

Terminal Tackle

My terminal is simple, as I mainly fish with plastics, either using a Texas rig or weightless. The addiction to buying fishing tackle can probably be classified as a disorder today, so many times I have to restrain myself from purchasing more.

All I end up with is tackle boxes laying everywhere, which causes me to lose sight of what’s important. I actually threw away four older clear tackle boxes after buying the Buzbe, which made things look much nicer. But, it sure is fun perusing the aisles at your favorite sporting goods store.

Labeled Colony 28 Tackle Boxes

I added some labels to the front of the Buzbe Colony 28 Tackle Boxes, so I could easily identify each box. The yellow pull tabs work great for quickly removing the box you need. I will probably keep all my pull tabs yellow and don’t necessarily see a reason for purchasing colored pull tabs since the boxes are labeled.

Size of the Buzbe Swarm 28 Tackle Bag

I took a photo of the Buzbe Swarm 28 Modular Tackle Bag next to a Yeti Hopper 12 cooler for reference. As you can see in the photo, they are similar in size. The Yeti is taller, while the Buzbe Swarm 28 is wider.

For some reason, I thought the Buzbe Swarm 28 Tackle Bag would be larger. I am actually glad it's not, as I feel it is the perfect size for what I require. The bag measures 15” x 9.9” x 9.7”.

I will mainly be using this bag in our 22 ft. center console boat, but I wanted something I could grab quickly when I head out of town to fish with my cousin. The heavy-duty bag is precisely what I wanted to help keep the hard plastic tackle boxes from getting damaged when traveling.

Where Do You Buy Buzbe Tackle Boxes?

Before making my purchase, I wanted to see the Buzbe product in person. I went online and searched the Bass Pro Shops and Academy Sports websites, and they were only showing a single tackle box. Not much of a selection. So, the best place to purchase Buzbe tackle bags and boxes is on their website.

https://buzbe.com

10% Discount

The Buzbe company offers a 10% discount if you sign up to their email list. I forgot to enter my discount code when I placed my order and immediately emailed customer service with the code to see if it could be applied.

The tackle bag shipped so fast that it was delivered to my home before customer service responded to my email over the weekend. They refunded the discounted amount after the order was placed, which I appreciated.

Conclusion

I bought my tackle bag outright and have given you an honest first look at the Buzbe Swarm 28 Modular Tackle Bag. I was not offered a free unit for review or compensated to write this article.

Furthermore, I also do not have a “Buy from Buzbe” button in this article that will earn me a commission when you make a purchase. Instead, I decided to write the article I wanted to read when doing research on whether the Buzbe Tackle Bag was right for me.

At the time of writing this, I have not used the tackle bag in the field. I am still in the process of setting it up, and hopefully, I can get on the water in the next week or so. First impression, the Buzbe Tackle Bag is one of the best-looking tackle boxes I have seen. Bravo to the Buzbe Team, as it’s obvious someone has put a lot of time and effort into launching this product.

Only time will tell how it holds up over time. I intend to update this article with my thoughts on the bag after I have used it for a full season. Enjoy your time on the water!