Modern fishing seatboxes are some of the most customisable items of tackle available, with a whole host of accessories available to make a box your ultimate fishing station. What started out as odd attachments to hold a brolly or a side tray has transformed into a variety of attachments for almost anything you could conceive.
Some of the best seatbox accessories have become such a staple it is hard to think how anglers managed to fish without them. Products like feeder arms, side trays and keepnet bars, to name a few, are attached to nearly every seatbox in the country and make our angling so much neater and more efficient. Whether you need an attachment to hold your pole secure, somewhere to position a clicker, or a roost to hold your top kits and rods, they are all now available.
The best seatbox accessories at a glance...
• Best Seatbox Keepnet Bar - Matrix 3D-R Extending Tool Bar Pro - View offer on Total Fishing Tackle
• Best Seatbox Pole-Safe Product - Preston Pole Safe Combo - View offer on Total Fishing Tackle
• Best Seatbox Covered Sidetray - Nufish Aqualock Side Tray - View offer on eBay
• Best Seatbox Pole Support Bar - Map Reversible Pole Support - View offer on Total Fishing Tackle
Regardless of your preferred angling style, should that be high level match fishing or simply an angler out for a day’s pleasure fishing, if you use a seatbox, chances are you will use an attachment on it in some form or another. Here is a guide to some of the best seatbox accessories currently available…
Best seatbox side tray
www.total-fishing-tackle.com
The easy-to-fit Preston Innovations Venta-Lite Hoodie Side Tray will keep your bait in tip-top condition for the duration of the session. Held in place by a solid clamp, it’s super-simple to take down when not needed, and four handwheels make removal easy for those trips when you feel it is not required. The hood will keep all your bait perfectly dry whilst still allowing it to be as accessible as it would be with a normal tray, a must have feature if you're fishing all year, no matter the conditions.
The perforated tray also allows water to drain through really easily and in conjunction with the hood it will help keep bait cool in the summer, ideal if you're using live baits like maggots or soft baits like meat than can be affected by heat. The tray is available in two sizes, small and large to cover every eventuality.
Pros
- Vented to keep bait cool.
- Hood provides shelter from adverse weather conditions.
Cons
- Might be a little large for some anglers.
- Available in three sizes, these trays will fit all round-legged 36mm seatboxes on the market, providing vital protection for your bait, rig bits and any other essential items.
Best seatbox keepnet bar
www.total-fishing-tackle.com
The Matrix 3D-R Extending Tool Bar Pro is an essential piece of kit for any match angler visiting venues that require multiple keepnets. The bar provides a neat solution to securely position large amounts of keepnets in an easy to reach location. When every second counts during a match, the last thing you need to be doing is staking nets out or having them poorly positioned, this tool bar eliminates all of that and if you leave knuckles on your nets they can be locked into place in next to no time, allowing quick and efficient swapping of nets. You have the option of adding XL arms to the bar to hold even more nets if required.
Thanks to the specially designed inserts the toolbar can be attached to 25mm, 30mm and 36mm legs, so it doesn't matter who manufactures your current seatbox, if it has those diameter legs, you can use this bar. Extra knuckles can be bought separately to attach other accessories.
Pros
- The best way to attach multiple keepnets to a seatbox.
- Knuckles provide a simple and efficient way of attaching nets.
Cons
- Quick release can get a bit stiff, so make sure it's clean and free from dirt.
- Designed to fit 25mm, 30m and 36mm legs, this bar allows up to four keepnets to be easily positioned in front of the angler. Snap lock connectors mean nets can be quickly released when you’re weighing in.
Best seatbox umbrella arm
www.ebay.co.uk
The Maver Signature Double-Braced Umbrella Arm is the best way of securely fixing your brolly when the ground is impossible to get a spike into. The double braced arms add extra stability to the brolly when its positioned, so even if the weather is a bit windy, it will remain stationary. The brolly spike is slid into the hollow tube and fixed via a screw, doesn't get much more simple than that. The arm is made to fit legs of 25mm, 30mm and 36mm in diameter so most boxes on the market can accommodate it.
The length of the arm means your brolly pole can be positioned far enough from the box so that it doesn’t get in the way, yet close enough that you don’t get wet. Be careful your box doesn’t take off in windy weather, mind!
Pros
- Double braced for stability.
- Ideal when the ground is unsuitable for a brolly to be positioned traditionally.
Cons
- The screws are a little close to the leg when fully tightened, which can make undoing them tricky at times.
- A robust and super-secure attachment for your umbrella. Fits 25mm, 30mm or 36mm legs.
Best seatbox budget feeder arm
www.gooutdoors.co.uk
Feeder arms come in a host of sizes and strengths, and the Nufish Feeder Arm is a great example at a superb price. This model will fit almost any box, and is fully adjustable thanks to the knuckle located at its base. It allows you to fish the rod low to the water when on big reservoirs or have the rod positioned towards the sky when fishing fast flowing rivers, it is the only arm you need if you visit a variety of venues.
The arm is also telescopic, to give you extra length options should you need them. Whether that's for extra stability on longer rods or to make sure you can keep as much line out of the water as possible on a river.
Pros
- Fully adjustable feeder arm.
- Great for a variety of venues and styles.
Cons
- Would benefit from an extra arm for added stability.
- A 360-degree multi-locking nut ensures you’ll always get your rod at the correct angle. Included inserts mean the arm will fit 19mm square, 23mm rounded or square as well as 25mm, 30mm and 36mm round legs.
Best seatbox pole-safe product
www.total-fishing-tackle.com
When spending thousands of pounds on a pole you need to keep it safe and secure, and the Preston Pole Safe Combo is a simple and cheap accessory that will make sure that expensive carbon investment stays out of harm's way. It has the best of both worlds in terms of a soft sock to hold larger sections as well as a tulip-style grip to safely lock number 4 sections in to prevent them moving when the rest of the pole is on the roller behind.
They remove so much worry and doubt when pole fishing its little wonder they are seen attached to so many anglers seatboxes since their release. Thanks to the quick attachment fitting, they can be attached to any existing Offbox knuckle, so you can choose to have them on a short or long arm depending on your preference. They can be left on the box or removed quickly at the end of a session. There is also a threaded section to allow you to screw it into a bank stick or knuckle if you wish.
Pros
- Superb way of keeping your pole safe.
- Easily attached and removed.
Cons
- They weren't brought out sooner.
Best seatbox pole support bar
www.total-fishing-tackle.com
When fishing at range, balling in or fishing on rivers the MAP Reversible Pole Support can really help take the strain of your pole away from you. The foam bar is reversible, so you can choose to use the side with the grooves in for ultimate accuracy or when it's windy for extra stability. The smooth side is ideal when fishing at speed or following a float downstream on a river. The arm also benefits from raised ends to prevent the pole blowing off the end in particularly windy conditions, a great addition to stop damage occurring.
The bar is extremely stable when it is attached to the seatbox and is designed to fit 30mm and 36mm legs.
Pros
- Extremely stable.
- The reversible support makes it really versatile.
Cons
- You have to get the 30mm or 36mm version to fit your box.
Best seatbox roost attachment
www.total-fishing-tackle.com
When you have multiple top kits setup, you can secure them safely in the Matrix 3D-R Extending 8 Kit Tulip Roost. The tulip grips have just enough tension to grip the top kits or a no4 section without causing any damage to them, this will prevent them blowing into the lake if it is windy or them sliding just out of reach causing you to have to get up to retrieve them.
Once attached to the box, the two fixing points make it super stable and the rest will accommodate upto 8 top kits. The slightly extended arms are great, as they push the kits just out from your box so that the landing net handle, which many have positioned between the box and leg, will not damage them when netting fish.
The bar is also extendable to allow it to fit any length of box and it will fit legs of 25mm, 30mm and 36mm, so most seatboxes can accommodate one.
Pros
- Secure way of holding top kits whilst not in use.
- Very stable.
Cons
- A larger version would be good.
Best seatbox covered side tray
www.ebay.co.uk
Very popular amongst feeder anglers, the Nufish Aqualock Side Tray is the ultimate side tray for keeping your bait out of whatever the elements can throw at it. Constructed from high quality PVC with reinforced seams, it is 100% waterproof, and thanks to the lid, with its piston arms, the bait can be shut away and accessed really easily. The arms ensure the lid won't collapse, it has to be physically pushed down to close. The whole tray is recessed into a solid aluminium frame to ensure it remains stable and lasts. Clamps ensure it will fit on boxes from 25mm, 30mm and 36mm round as well as 19mm and 23mm square legs boxes.
The tray is large and will accommodate upto 6 x 3 pint bait tubs with no issue, with room for other items like stop watches and drinks too. There is a clever little pouch attached to the underside of the lid for storing hooklength spools, discorgers or whatever you like, a really well thought out feature.
The plastic material allows the tray to be collapsed down for transporting to and from the bank. If you do a lot of fishing, especially in all weathers, this side tray is worth a second look, as it provides superior protection to anything you store inside it.
Pros
- Fully waterproof.
- Superior protection for your bait.
Cons
- Might be a little cumbersome for some anglers depending on preference.
Best seatbox clicker attachment
www.total-fishing-tackle.com
The innovative Preston Offbox Triple Clicker Counter is a really useful item for match fishing, especially on venues that have strict keepnet limits. The counters help you keep a tally of what weight you have in each keepnet, ensuring you don't go over, which could cost you dearly if you get disqualified.
This attachment comes with three colour coordinated clickers that can be kept within reach, so you can have three nets monitored at the same time, ideal if you have a seperate silvers nets or need to start a new one. The clickers are really robust, and the oversized gripped buttons are easy to click, even in the cold, or with really wet hands.
This item is so incredibly useful it's hard to imagine fishing without it. Clickers have been around for ages in match fishing but they were handheld, generally cheap and prone to breaking or being dropped in the water. This negates all those problems and is a must have accessory if you fish matches. Fits 23mm, 30mm or 36mm legs and all inserts come supplied with the unit.
Pros
- Perfect for venues with strict net limits.
- Helps keep tally of upto 3 nets at once.
Cons
- The dials could be slightly larger for those with poorer eyesight.
Best seatbox accessory for versatility
www.fishingrepublic.co.uk
In terms or versatility in seatbox accessories there aren't many that offer as much as a Preston Offbox Double Ripple Bar. There is a reason they are attached to 90% of the seatboxes on the bank and it is because you can do so much with them.
The soft foam outer is great for resting larger pole sections against when not in use, you can use them to rest landing nets on, or even buckets of groundbait when you are sat in the water.
Whilst it may seem a simple product, the best generally are. The ripple bar also has two screw threads in the upright sections to allow you to add butt grips, pole socks, tulips, clickers and rod rests, in reality it will take anything with a screw thread you feel necessary to attach into it. The attachment will fit 25mm, 30mm and 36mm legs and is available in a short and long version.
Pros
- Incredibly versatile attachment.
- Soft foam outer protects pole sections.
Cons
- Screw inserts could be slightly better.
Best seatbox attachment for convenience
www.tackletidy.co.uk
How many times have you knocked over your drink on your side tray or knocked your phone in the water off your sidetray? Well no need to worry anymore. The Tackle Tidy seatbox cup/phone holder solves those problems.
3D printed in 9 different colours you can have an attachment to match your colour scheme be it the seat box colour or to compliment your luggage. Available in 3 configurations, as a singular cup holder as a dedicated phone holder or incorporate both cup and phone holder in one attachment.
The attachment will fit all leg diameters with the supplied insert and is available as a fitment to locate in the quick release attachment of popular seatbox attachments like Preston's Cam Lock and Matrix 3D-R Quick release systems.
All dimensions can be adjusted to suit your particular needs.
Pros
- Available in 9 colours
- Keeps valuable mobile phones safe
Cons
- May not be useful to some anglers
Best setabox attatchment to stay organised
www.total-fishing-tackle.com
Preston Offbox accessory tray is specifically designed to house those products that typically get lost or clutter up your side tray. Perfect as a cup and phone holder, and ideal for holding disgorgers, loop tiers, pellet banders, plummets, scissors etc. Typical items of tackle that can easily get lost on your side tray.
Its dimensions are 34x11x8cm including knuckle and can perfectly sit between the sidebox and the side tray giving you easy access
Pros
- Perfect for storing regularly used items that can get lost on your sidetray
- Designed to hold drinks secruely
Cons
- Not suitable to sit on the side of your seatbox where access to draws is required
What to look for in a seatbox accessory
With so many options to choose from it is hard to decide what the best seatbox accessories are, although personal preference plays a big part, as what one angler sees as life changing, another will dismiss as unnecessary. The main thing to consider is if the accessory will attach to your box, because if it doesn't, then no matter how good you think it is, it's practically useless to you.
The style of angling you enjoy will dictate what sort of accessories will make your life easier. If you regularly fish matches then a keepnet bar and a clicker are almost as essential as the keepnets themselves. They will make the process so much more efficient and tidy, whilst reducing the risk of you or your net being disqualified. Similarly, if you use a pole, somewhere to support it when not in your hand is crucial to prevent damage occurring to it.
A good side tray is a must as far as we are concerned, it enables you to have everything you need like bait and catapults to hand. Regardless of whether you fish matches or just go pleasure fishing, if you use a box, the whole process is made far easier with a side tray. Choose a good, solid design that can accommodate everything you need it to and it will be the best purchase you make after the seatbox itself.
Glossary
Side tray: A plastic or metal tray designed to fit onto the leg of your box to accommodate bait boxes and terminal tackle.
Ripple bar: A foam covered bar with ridges, ideal for resting tackle on.
Pole sock: A soft sock shaped item designed to hold pole sections securely inside .
Roost: A bar, often with foam or plastic grooves in to hold top kits when not in use.
Clicker: A small item that registers a single number per click of the switch located on it. For example, 30 clicks will equate to 30 shown on the dial. Good for estimating the weight of fish.
Keepnet: A long net, usually between 2m and 4m that is used for retaining fish for short periods of time before they are released.
Frequently asked questions on seatbox accessories
How do you change the inserts in a seatbox attachment?
This is a very simple process that allows you to get your attachment to fit the leg on your seatbox. If the insert is incorrect, simply unscrew the fitting until it is loose enough to pull out. Swap this with the corresponding insert to fit your box and its ready to attach to your seatbox.
Can you use a different manufacturer's accessory on your seatbox?
Most manufacturers are aware people use different items of tackle and as such make their products so they can fit the majority of seatbox legs out there. As a rule, most modern seatbox legs will have either a 25mm, 30mm or 36mm cylindrical leg, so most attachments are made to fit either or all of them. They often come with inserts that can be quickly swapped to allow the instant fitting of an attachment on a different sized leg.
Why is a feeder arm better than a bank stick?
A feeder arm is a better choice than a bank stick on modern commercial venues because you are often fishing from platforms. Everything is secure and easily to hand with a feeder arm, so you aren't stretching dangerously near the water to get your bank sticks in to tough ground. Like most accessories, it is designed for comfort and simplicity.
Author Dan Webb first became involved in angling journalism in 2015 and has worked as Tackle Tester at Angling Times since April 2021. He is a fanatical all-round match angler and former England Youth International.