Transporting Rods Long Distances

[AManWearingAHat]

Question for the brain trust. Ill be transporting several rods in the 6"6' - 7" range in the near future.

I've got a Yakima clamping style rod rack mounted to my roof rack. Just a couple of questions.

Should I invest in rod socks for additional protection?

Do I need to worry about tips bouncing around / breaking during the drive?
Tip forward or rod butt forward? Does it matter?

Thanks and sorry if these are dumb questions. Im just trying to keep my investment safe.

[DomQ]

Rod sleeves are a must!!! Use some hand towels to stop them from sliding around.

[Deephaven]

I carry mine in the cab.  Have 2 hanger holders spaced out and they sit on top of those.

[softwateronly]

I'm following because I don't know.  The 2 likely candidates for damage is hard braking and a constant rubbing during the drive.  My intuition says...

 

-All rods should be laid out together and bound together.

-I would use beach/bath towels wrapped throughout the grouping in a spiral, preventing blanks from rubbing on each other.

-The tips would naturally stagger, and I would pay close attention to separating each with part of another towel

-I would load the rods butt first and press into another rag/towel

-I would "backfill" the tip section in the hauler to prevent any linear sliding during acceleration

 

Rod sleeves might remove the need for the spiral wrapped rag.

 

scott

[GaryH]

Socks are a definite. 

[Hulkster]

i put each rod into a rod glove, and bundle them all together using pipe cleaners tied. 

 

then they go in my plano 9 foot rod tube thing. for long car trips. my musky rod is 8 foot so i have a rod tube that extends to 9 feet. 

[Deleted account]

Long distance like a couple of hundred, or a couple of thousand miles?

Snowboard carriers have been the standard for larger rods for a long time. For fresh water rods, we put them in those bazzooka rod carriers, or an equivalent DIY PVC tube, pool noodle, or just old t-shirts or the like to bundle together, and bungeed to the rack. You can get a lot of casting rods in one, fewer spinning ones. 

[Derek1]

You can also put them in the rod tube the that they get shipped to you in. You can fit about 4 of them in it. 

[Alpster]

Several years ago for a BassResource road trip, I transported about a dozen rods from NJ to Pickwick about 1,000 miles one way on a trailer behind my motorcycle. I used a flannel sheet to wrap them so they wouldn't touch one another and put them in a "Plano" rod carrier. Tied them down to my trailer, got rained on several times, but absolutely no damage.

[Alpster]

Also, it dawned on me that I just moved 1100 miles to FL and packed my rods the same way. This time in the back of a tractor trailer (moving company). Still no problems.

[AManWearingAHat]

Cab is out, have too many passengers. The rag suggestion is a great idea to prevent sliding. Definitely going to use that. 
 

the ride is a few hundred miles.

[throttleplate]

i break down my 2 piecers and put rubber bands on each end and put them all together rubbing on each other in the trunk and make sure when i shut the trunk nothins gonna get crushed.

 

Last saturday wife and i hit 4 different lakes bank fishing, i dont waste my time putting them in diapers, my rods are all grown up and show no signs of premature aging.

[rtwvumtneer6]

If the rods are exposed at all, the handles should point toward the front of the vehicle.  The drag on the rod sock is enough to fold the rod in half.  Thankfully we saw this through the sun roof before any damage was done.  

 

Be sure your socks/sleeves are secure, and if you find the ones I left behind (somewhere between lake erie and Pittsburgh on I-79) please return them. ?

 

 

[Darth-Baiter]

Long distance. Assuming luggage and other people.  I take the reels off and put everything into a travel tube.  I’ll tie it to the roof.  Add a cable lock. And an industrial sized zip tie.
 

Rod socks?  I finally ordered some a few days ago.  I’m over the rod tangle.  I have the RodMule coming as well. 

[AManWearingAHat]

So plan is, I’ve got 8 long rods that are going up top in the clamping carrier. Butt pointing forward into the wind, all in rod socks. 
 

The shorties and the broken down and rubber banded two piecers are getting wrapped in a towel, and secured in the bed. 
 

down the line I’ll probably just get a dedicated locking hard case for rods.

[AManWearingAHat]

Addendum, local Cabela's had the Plano guide tubes on sale.  Problem solved. 

[kayaking_kev]

I have the Rod Mule by Cal Coast, holds 10 rods, and has a arm sling for easy transport from truck to boat. Just use rod sleeves and reel covers. It takes up little space for holding 10 combos.

[Deleted account]

20 hours ago, rtwvumtneer6 said:

Be sure your socks/sleeves are secure, and if you find the ones I left behind (somewhere between lake erie and Pittsburgh on I-79) please return them. ?

LOL.

We cycle through roads near the main launch at the Potomac River in MD. I've never bought a rod sock sleeve thing, but have about 20 in my garage. The group knows not to wait, I just fold it in my pocket and do an interval to catch up. Had to explain what I was doing the first couple of times. 

[throttleplate]

here is how i travel with my rods, i am not worried about scratches. When lake jumping banks i put them in take them out many times in a day.