How do you transport your fishing rods?

That works real nice if you have a $5-600 Transporter rack installed to fasten them to.

 

That's pretty bad. I just lay mine in the bed. I need to copy this set up though.

 

throw in bed. that or i just set em in the passenger floorboar, and let the tip stick out the pass. window or to the back of the cab. either way works, just doesnt require havin to build something!

 

its not alot of weight so slap a few 2x4 together and make two uprights and you can do the same thing as I did....I just have the TracRac because I have kayaks and lumber I carry and have a few more mods in mind for it....but you certainly do not need the $400 Tracrac I have.

 

Now that I have a locking bed cover in my truck, I decided to carry a fishing rod with me at all times. I'm a pretty serious fisherman and work on the coast. I'm about 3 miles from the "Redfish capital of the world" Mosquito Lagoon and I know tons of good spots to fish from shore.


My 5 foot bed isn't big enough to accommodate my favorite rods. So, despite my hatred towards 2 piece rods, I went and picked one up for this particular purpose. I break it down to two pieces and rubber band them together.

I moved my tie down cleats to the front row (to keep the rod out of the way) and rubber banded it to the cleats. Then put one around the handle of the reel to keep it from smacking against the bed.
It looks pretty cheap/ghetto, but it works for now until I can find a better way to store it. Maybe I'll custom cut some bungee cords or something




When I set out to go fishing and bring 4 or more rods, I'll have to find something better than just laying them in the bed. In my old truck I could set them on the back of the wheel wells and lean them on the tailgate. Unfortunately that won't work on the Taco since the wheel wells are connected to the front of the bed.

 

I hate 2 piece rods too, So I went and got a collapseable rod to keep in mine all the time. I really only fish for trout, so I use a lot of light or ultralight rods, and the the collapseable is an ultralight. That probably wouldnt' work for you since you're fishing for redfish, but I just thought I'd throw that out there.

 

http://www.flyfishusa.com/rod-mounts/rod-mounts.htm
try these

 

the other reason I went with a completely enclosed casing is two of the 3 other guys I fish with have hand-made (made by them) bamboo rods and like my snow skis I do not want the rods exposed to the elements (rocks, limbs, road debris, salt, etc) while driving....also allows you to go down trails and NOT worry about overhanging limbs ripping your rods up....I do like pdopy3's idea for the spinning rods though....I may add similar brackets to the bed.

 

reels sit against the back of bed, angled over the wheel well, typically with a bungee to hold them pressed against the bedside, hooked to my two mounting things on the rails. It cost about .75, i think.

 

Yeah... She rides, standing up in the back, holding onto my rods. She ties my spinner baits and crank baits on too....... Pinch!! Oh shi$, I just woke up...


Jim

 

What bed cover do you have?

 

Has anyone came up with any new ideas? I have recently purchased a couple nicer rods (to me) and im concerned with damaging the 7 footer that rests on the bed during transport.

 

I usually use two bungee cords. Stretch them between the bed cleats. I put the butt and reel behind the first bungee so the pole lays on top thenwith the second bungee and a set of two cleats near the tail. That bungee sits over the top of the pole near the top.

 

Thanks man, pics would be appreciated!

 

Hell yeah. I can prob build off that idea. Thanks man

 

I found it's the easiest way to transport and not get tangled to shit. that's my 7ft freshwater jig rod. I am always worried about breaking the tip off.

 

I hear ya. Thats my concern. I recently had an All Star rod break during a fairly light snag. It broke right where it was scuffed from leaning on the tailgate during transport. Im not saying thats what caused it but it damn sure didnt help. Luckily i got it from Academy and they took it back. I love that place. They would take back a diaper full of shit if they sold them!

 

Granted that rod in the pic is like 30 bucks, I don't mind a fish breaking my rod. I sure don't want it broken because of stupidity like the last one. Totally an accident and wasn't due to transport or anything. Dumb kid got me and him tangled. He kept reeling and when he couldn't reel anymore , he yanked. My pole snapped in two and ended a very unproductive miserable trip.