What makes you cover or not cover your rods?

[huZZah]

I have never even owned a rod cover. My Granddad that taught me to fish never had them. Fished 60 years. Kept his stuff in his garage. Never even owned a boat so they were always exposed. 
 

Am I missing something?  Or should I even care?  I’m curious what you think currently. I don’t even see them in pro videos much anymore, not that it says much.

[MN Fisher]

I've never covered my rods - but when I'm not on the water, they're in the garage.

[LCG]

I use them for a few reasons. It helps protect the rod blank which is more prone to breaking than fiberglass rods. It also helps protect the guides and line as well. Also the rods don't get tied up together if you bundle then. 

 

I also use covers for my reels. I like to protect my stuff when not in use or in transport. 

[jimmyjoe]

   I don't use them. If, for some reason, one of my rods would be damaged, I want to be able to see it right away, not later when I take the rod cover off. Just me.                        jj

[Russ E]

Not sure what you are calling a rod cover.

I use rod sleeves/socks whenever I put my rods in the rod locker of my boat.

It protects the eyelets from breaking when sliding in and out of the rod tubes.

other than that I don't see a use for them.

[Jig Man]

I don’t have a choice in my port side locker.  If I didn’t use rod socks I would be tearing up guides all of the time.  I also us them in the starboard side as I pile rods in it and the socks keep them from getting tangled.  
 

I have several duplicate setups.  I use the same color socks to help me quickly identify them.

[RDB]

1 minute ago, Jig Man said:

I don’t have a choice in my port side locker.  If I didn’t use rod socks I would be tearing up guides all of the time.  I also us them in the starboard side as I pile rods in it and the socks keep them from getting tangled.  
 

I have several duplicate setups.  I use the same color socks to help me quickly identify them.

^^^Agree^^^

Socks and reel covers are cheap and they do provide protection...I can’t see a reason not to use.  The only time my rods and reels are not covered is when they are on the deck.  Take care of your stuff and your stuff will take care of you.  I just sold 2 NRX rods for $50 less than I paid, and that was after 3+ years of use...because they were well cared for.

[optimator]

10 minutes ago, RDB said:

^^^Agree^^^

Socks and reel covers are cheap and they do provide protection...I can’t see a reason not to use.  The only time my rods and reels are not covered is when they are on the deck.  Take care of your stuff and your stuff will take care of you.  I just sold 2 NRX rods for $50 less than I paid, and that was after 3+ years of use...because they were well cared for.

This. I figure with what I spend on rods 6-7 bucks on a rod sock is cheap insurance.

[Michigander]

Rod socks in the rod locker, every time. I don't need bumps in the road smacking my graphite sticks together and putting stress fractures in them.

[Johnbt]

I have neoprene rod sleeves for my Conquests and covers for my best reels. I don't have rod lockers or a rod rack in my truck. The rod sleeves are $10 to $14 of insurance when I'm bouncing down a rocky road or backing the trailer over a bank into the water.

 

The other rods and reels? I baby them a little, but I won't miss them when they're gone.  

[Deephaven]

Anytime they could tangle, subjected to being in a tube in a moving vehicles or I have to carry a bunch of them they get wrapped.

[A-Jay]

Stick Jackets for me. 

Protects the blanks & guides going in & out of the rod locker.

 

And I use them for vertical storage during the hard water season.

A-Jay

 

[Bankc]

I never use them.  But I use two piece rods and fish from a kayak.  I do, however, use reel covers to keep the dust out of my reels when they rest in the holder in the garage.

[Columbia Craw]

I have a rod sleeve for every rod and a neoprene cover for every reel. My buddy broke the tips of three rods in one season.  None after sleeves.  The reel covers keep reels cleaner and prevent damage during runs in rough water.  My club partner makes his own and saves a ton. They run about a buck each and can be cut to length for longer rods.  When I see a  Steez with boat rash for sale in makes me cringe.

[walleyecrazy]

If the rod isn’t currently being used I put a sleeve on it. It’s a little bit of cheap protection for what can be a quite expensive piece of equipment. Plus the way I store my rods in the house is horizontally hanging from the ceiling, and the rod sleeves help keep the guides from catching on the rod holders then I put them up there. 

[Armtx77]

I use them and reel covers to keep them from getting banged up. You start factoring in the costs of rods and reels, it just seems like a low cost, low impact way to get added life out of my gear.

[MyKeyBe]

They're $4.00 at Walmart so why not use them. The biggest benefit to me is you can get them in bright colors. I fish a local park quite a bit and may hike a mile or so through the woods. Makes the rods easier for people around me to see them. I'd feel kind of bad if I ever poked someones eye out on accident.

 

And no, I would have no problem doing it on purpose! ?

[Bluebasser86]

I use them most of the time my rods aren't in use. Cheap insurance to keep rods from getting more dings and nicks than they would otherwise. They're a must when putting rods into a rod locker. I use certain colors for certain rods so I know which one to grab just by looking for the color of rod sock.

[Bankbeater]

I never use them. When I get back from a fishing trip the rods go in the basement.  Most of the time they will need to be cleaned to get dried vegetation, mud, or other gunk off of them.

[redmeansdistortion]

Most of my rods (CDM and JDM) came with covers so I use them.  I also use cases for my reels.  My system isn't good for those who like to keep multiple rods on hand, but for me that usually has one or two setups at a time, it works out well.

[moguy1973]

Yep, they are a must for rod lockers of any kind.  I have tubes in my rod locker and rod socks make it much easier to slide the rods in without getting the guides hung up on the edges as I slide them in.  Also if I take all my rods I just put them in the area under the tubes and it keeps the rods from getting all tangled up with one another and makes it easier to pull them out of the locker.

 

I never used them prior to owning a boat.

[fishwizzard]

I always use them, both for protection and increased visibility during transport.  

[Deleted account]

Nope, in the words of Ivan Drago "If he dies, he dies..." Cue Survivor

[waymont]

Every time I transport any rod outside of my house they are in a sleeve, and they only get removed after they are in the boat.

[huZZah]

3 hours ago, moguy1973 said:

I never used them prior to owning a boat.

I’m getting this vibe from all the responses. I don’t feel like I’m being wasteful or disrespectful or something anymore.