There’s not anything much worse than the gut-wrenching feeling of arriving at the ramp or fishing spot and finding out your one-piece fishing rod is no longer in one piece. Whether it’s the rolltop slamming on your rods, miscalculated overhead clearance, or just slamming the door on your rod tips, most pickup truck owners have learned a lesson or two the hard way. Owning a pickup gives anglers a ton of options to stow and transport their precious gear, but this also means there are even more ways to snap your favorite pole before even hitting the water. What are the different types of rod holders, the pros and cons of each, and which is best for the style of fishing and truck type?
Inside the Cab
The easiest and probably safest way to travel with freshwater and inshore rods is by simply passing your rods in the passenger side door, resting them on the console inside of your truck, and keeping them in the vehicle. While efficient, this is not always feasible especially if you have passengers in the car or if you only have a single cab. And it’s also not risk-free; you’ll need to be careful not to jam the tips of your rods into the back or roof when placing them in, and also be mindful about shutting the door on rod tips.
Vertical Pick-Up Bed Rod Racks
Next up are vertical truck bed rod racks. These will work with any spinning, baitcasting, or conventional rod, however, these are best suited for offshore rods with gimbals. These are by far the best option for bent butt rods as well, which take up a lot of space in the cab. There are tons of options out there from DIY PVC racks to custom aluminum welded racks. Some of these racks are telescopic and removable while others are welded onto the toolbox or drilled in. Just be mindful of the clearance overhead, or tree branches, drive-throughs, and parking garages can make for a nasty surprise. Picking a rack with an angle will provide a little more clearance. Also make sure to select a rack that has good support and an indent for the reel seat.
Roll-Top Workarounds
Trucks with a roll top on the bed are more limited when it comes to vertical rod racks. If you mainly use freshwater, inshore, and fly rods, a cheap yet effective option is using a foam mount on your tailgate to rest the rod tips in. These usually buckle onto the tail gate or are adhered on. If you have a roll top make sure to buckle it down to prevent it from unraveling and snapping your rod tips (I learned this one from experience—buckle it down even if you just have a short ride!)
Roof Rack Fishing Rod Storage
If you have roof racks on top of your cab or if you have a camping shell on the bed, using roof rod racks is a great way to store them horizontally and out of the way. There are tons of racks made for storing rods on the top of your truck or vehicle, ranging from tubes and hard molded cases to simple foam mounts. Some of the hard molded boxes even have locks on them, which is super handy if you’re on a road trip and worry about leaving rods unattended. This is also an excellent option if you like to keep rods on hand, safe and protected, at all times wherever you go.
Surf Rod Hitch Racks
Anglers who regularly travel with long surf rods and drive on the OSV beach zone tend to gravitate towards heavy duty vertical hitch rod racks which go in front of the front grill or back bumper. These are great if you fish the surf often and transport long 12’ or 15’ surf rods. Most of these are aluminum and super heavy duty to withstand corrosion.
Final Fishing Rod Protection Tips
If you’re stuck with dropping rods into the bed of a pickup, always remember to lay them down butt-forward. If they’re tip-forward and you suddenly hit the brakes, the tips will smash into the front of the bed as the weight and momentum of the reels pole-vaults them forward. We’ve seen four or five rods get ruined at the same time this way. And whether you’re in a pickup or a car, always remember: do NOT lean rods up inside of an open door for even one second. This is another scenario where we’ve seen multiple rigs destroyed in one fell swoop, when a gust of wind caught the door and slammed it shut on the rods.
Next time you are about to throw your rods into the bed and hope you don’t hit any potholes along the way, consider investing or making a rod rack to provide some peace of mind. There are endless options of racks to buy as well as numerous DIY routes you can take. Regardless of how you choose to travel with your rods and reels, it’s never a bad idea to cover your reels with neoprene covers and rods with rod socks. Putting a cover on your reels will prevent them from rubbing against each other or the bed of the truck, and help keep out grime and rain. Similarly, rod socks add a little piece of mind against scratching the blanks or snapping the tips of your rods.
There are plenty of ways to transport your rods and there is no one correct solution, it just comes down to choosing a method that will accommodate the rods for the types of fishing you do and protect them during transit. Hopefully, one of these methods will do the trick for you.
-By Ian Rubin