# Rod rack question



## jasonr (Mar 23, 2009)

Ive been looking at better ways of transporting my rods to and from fishing areas. Laying them in the bed of my truck is not something I want to keep doing so I though about getting one of these...

http://www.gregsbaitshack.com/scripts/prodView.asp?idproduct=964

and mounting it in the bed so they all stick up behind my back window. Id like to keep the front of the truck nice and open so I dont want a front rack unless I have no other option.

Anyway here is my question. On the way Home the other day, driving through the midtown tunnel, I noticed the height restrictioins for the big rigs. 13'6". Obviously thats not going to work with having 12' heavers mounted in a rod rack. 

Have any of you guys had problems with over passes or tunnels while transporting rods in a rack?


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## jobxe327 (Aug 7, 2007)

i only put my rods in the front rack or any rack standing up when im fishing i dont run more than say 5 miles or so with them up and dont go over 35 or 40. dont know how far your going but if you stand them up watch low power lines and bridges etc.


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## jasonr (Mar 23, 2009)

Well thats what got me thinking. The woman and I are going to Hatteras again this year during the summer and her family will be down there the same week. Since I have a truck Im sure Ill get stuck dragging more crap down there than I need for her family and dont want my rods getting all beat up in the back of my truck.


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## jobxe327 (Aug 7, 2007)

once im on hi ure pretty safe just be careful i stay around rodanthe and buxton and have never hit anything but i got 2 rod holders angled back for heavers and the rest longer than 10 i lay in the bed. i think ure safe around buxton and rodanthe though. have heard of some hittin trees towards frisco.


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## Wreck7 (Nov 28, 2009)

I made a rod "transporter" out of 6 inch pvc. I have to drive at least 3 hours to the beach but you can drop chairs,coolers,big rocks whatever on it and it's fine. I can break down and cram my 6,9 & 10 foot rods in there. I just put my reels behind the seat till I get there.
On the down side it's heavy and I don't know how much the stuff costs because I picked it up as scrap from work. Plus you have to put your reels on and get set up while everyone else is already fishing.


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## Ranger Fishing (Jan 9, 2010)

Use 3 or 4 inch PVC pipe . Cut to length with rods apart. Glue a PVC cap on 1 end On the other end , glue a clean - out with a screw off end . Throw your rods anywhere & then forget them . We have transported ours like this for years with no problems . You can put 2-3 rods in each case.


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## tjbjornsen (Oct 31, 2009)

You are stuck with the age old conundrum of transporting rods safely, ease of access when you get to the beach, not having them on the front of the truck and not having something permanent mounted to your truck.
I solved those issues with what you can see in the pictures attached, but granted, I have an issue always wanting my cake, and eating it too...
And I don't mind spending entire weekends cutting and drilling and making s**t up and then remaking it all over again when i find out that whatever hair-brained idea I came up with just does not work.
I came up with this stuff because I often camp when down at the beach, and didn't want the rods cluttering up the back of the truck when not at the beach. And I wanted a place for the rods to be at night where they could be locked up, and at least require a decent set of tools to break into the rack and steal them from. (Unfortunately I was on a trip when one of my buddies lost 8 rods and reels to someone that came along and helped themselves to them about 10 minutes after we had checked into our rental in Avon. That has left a lasting impression on me. Plus I'm from Jersey, and I don't trust nobody! ;-)
And I also wanted it to come off of the truck when i was not down fishing.
I never liked traveling with the rods in the upright position on the front or back of the truck. I do it coming or going to the sand, but for driving long distances the rods go in the rack on the roof. 
For your short term storage and trasport issues I might look into one of those carriers that mount into the reciever hitch at the back of the truck, and then just bolt what you are looking at, or something similar, to it. PVC, Zip Ties, Angle Aluminumn and a rivet gun are all your friends! 
If you poke around here and elsewhere I'll bet you come up with a lot of ideas.
I've seen some very nice racks that guys have built that just mount into the stake holes built right into the corners of the bed on your pickup.
Hopefully something here might give you some ideas on how to solve your riddle...


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## Shooter (Nov 14, 2004)

http://i496.photobucket.com/albums/rr328/Surf_Fishing_Guru/truck6.jpg


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## skunk king (Mar 25, 2008)

Put a roof rack on the truck and get a pair of ski racks. Something like this Yakima Ski Rack

They lock, transport great, and you don't need to worry about the drive-threw, power lines, trees, etc or rubbing circles in the grips. I just use my rear rod rack as a sand spike and to hold my rods as I'm baiting them.


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## jasonr (Mar 23, 2009)

Shooter said:


> Oooohhh. That's what I'm talking about!


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## vze88qaf (Jun 12, 2009)

My truck has a slots in the bed. I slide a 2x4 cut to length and attach 1 1/2 inch pvc pipe using metal conduit straps. It works great for my rods. Ill try and post a picture later today.:fishing:


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## vze88qaf (Jun 12, 2009)

http://www.pierandsurf.com/fishing-forum/album.php?albumid=512


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## Orest (Jul 28, 2003)

*Might try mounting*

it an angel to get clearance. Have the rod pointing so of backward in the bed.







jasonr said:


> Ive been looking at better ways of transporting my rods to and from fishing areas. Laying them in the bed of my truck is not something I want to keep doing so I though about getting one of these...
> 
> http://www.gregsbaitshack.com/scripts/prodView.asp?idproduct=964
> 
> ...


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## Fishman (Apr 23, 2000)

How about this.

http://www.rodsaver.com/04_rodsaver/VRC.html


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## jasonr (Mar 23, 2009)

vze88qaf said:


> My truck has a slots in the bed. I slide a 2x4 cut to length and attach 1 1/2 inch pvc pipe using metal conduit straps. It works great for my rods. Ill try and post a picture later today.:fishing:





vze88qaf said:


> http://www.pierandsurf.com/fishing-forum/album.php?albumid=512


That wont work because I have some rods that are 1 pc. and 10' so it wont work when driving through the tunnels or going under overpasses.




Orest said:


> it an angel to get clearance. Have the rod pointing so of backward in the bed.


That may work but I think it may have to be a pretty extream angle.


Fishman said:


> How about this.
> 
> http://www.rodsaver.com/04_rodsaver/VRC.html


I have a truck not a SUV so no worky for me. If I had a cap and a sliding rear window that would work great.

Thanks for all the ideas guys but so far it looks like Shooters post is the best solution for me so far. That way I can keep em all together with reels on and ready to fish.


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## Fishman (Apr 23, 2000)

jasonr said:


> That wont work because I have some rods that are 1 pc. and 10' so it wont work when driving through the tunnels or going under overpasses.
> 
> 
> 
> ...


This will work on a PU truck


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## jasonr (Mar 23, 2009)

Im not seeing how. haha 

There is no way the rods would fit in the cab of my truck.


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## skunk king (Mar 25, 2008)

jasonr said:


> Thanks for all the ideas guys but so far it looks like Shooters post is the best solution for me so far. That way I can keep em all together with reels on and ready to fish.



Check out mine again, it's pretty much the same thing, but using a roof rack over the cab instead of the bed racks to hold the ski rack. And yeah, it kicks ass. I drive a quad-cab and so have more roof than a regular cab, but even that should provide a good enough base to support the rods.


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## Fishman (Apr 23, 2000)

jasonr said:


> Im not seeing how. haha
> 
> There is no way the rods would fit in the cab of my truck.


Are the rods one piece or two piece? You can always brake the rods down if they are two piece and if they are short enough they won't have to fit through the rear window. Just mount the straps to the side of the bed of the truck.


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## jasonr (Mar 23, 2009)

skunk king said:


> Check out mine again, it's pretty much the same thing, but using a roof rack over the cab instead of the bed racks to hold the ski rack. And yeah, it kicks ass. I drive a quad-cab and so have more roof than a regular cab, but even that should provide a good enough base to support the rods.


Yea that would work also however I wonder about how much a 10-12' rod would bounce around and clearance with the reels to the roof. Do they stay up or end up falling to the sides once in the rack? I have a 2500 ram mega cab so lots of roof area.



Fishman said:


> Are the rods one piece or two piece? You can always brake the rods down if they are two piece and if they are short enough they won't have to fit through the rear window. Just mount the straps to the side of the bed of the truck.


Some are 10' one piece thats the problem. My heavers are 2 pc.


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## skunk king (Mar 25, 2008)

jasonr said:


> Yea that would work also however I wonder about how much a 10-12' rod would bounce around and clearance with the reels to the roof. Do they stay up or end up falling to the sides once in the rack? I have a 2500 ram mega cab so lots of roof area.


I carry 13 foot rods on it with no problem. Casting reels aren't an issue. For spinning reels, I place them so the reel hangs off the rear of the cab. If you don't(with a 3000 class or larger), they will rub. And they stay in place once the top is closed. The lips of the rack is rubber. So they grip the rods well without damaging them. I make my own rods and have a lot of money invested in them, so keeping them in good shape was one of the biggest motivators in going this route. The only thing I've seen that I would like better is using one of those interior roof racks inside a suburban or truck camper. But since I have neither of them, I went this way.


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## jasonr (Mar 23, 2009)

Thanks skunk. Looks like I'll end up going that route then


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## Shooter (Nov 14, 2004)

Yall are just mad because he liked my idea the best 

Plus I have my back rack lower than the front so I can get the rods in and out with no problem and when ya aint usen the rack they just slide out of the holders.

Now everyone stop being player haters


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