Rod Locker Tubes

[SDoolittle]

Has anyone added rod tubes to an open rod locker? How did you do it? What materials did you use? I'm tired of untangling rods everytime I pull one out.

[KU_Bassmaster.]

I am about to pull the trigger on this.  Just need to get out to storage to take measurements.

http://www.customrodracks.com/

[Carrington]

why dont you just use stick jackets?

[flipin4bass]

I use rod socks, they're cheap and work great.

[SDoolittle]

why dont you just use stick jackets?

Because I would rather build the rod tubes.

KU_Bassmaster, thanks for the link, but I'm looking to build my own.

[Hot Rod]

I used a couple of the cheap white plastic cutting boards that are about 1/4 to 3/8" thick.  You can cut them easy enough with a sabre saw  to fit the rod box and a hole saw to facilitate the tube placement.  They cost about $5 - $10 depending on size.  I used a small one in the front of the locker and a larger one in the back.

The front one you can drill holes in it with a hole saw  the same diameter as the rod tubes you buy.  (I got my tubes from BPS)

I put one in my boat last year.  Didn't take too long and it works o.k.   I think I'm going to go to rod covers though because I can get more rods in there with just the covers.

[Jig Man]

I used a couple of the cheap white plastic cutting boards that are about 1/4 to 3/8" thick. You can cut them easy enough with a sabre saw to fit the rod box and a hole saw to facilitate the tube placement. They cost about $5 - $10 depending on size. I used a small one in the front of the locker and a larger one in the back.

The front one you can drill holes in it with a hole saw the same diameter as the rod tubes you buy. (I got my tubes from BPS)

I put one in my boat last year. Didn't take too long and it works o.k. I think I'm going to go to rod covers though because I can get more rods in there with just the covers.

I did that way also.  I did add golf clube tubes cut off and slipped into the front part.

[cart7t]

Stick jackets are the way to go.  Rod tubes merely limit the number of rods you can carry.  The jackets allow you to cram as many rods into the locker that'll fit and there's no tangling. 

[MonarkMcfaster]

I was thinking of adding tubes to mine but after researching it I believe I will be using some type of rod sleeves.

[5bass]

My boat came from the factory with the rod tube organizers. I promptly removed them. They were made from 3/8" plastic with holes drilled in it and the plastic tubes going out the backside.

The handle end was just a 2 tier plastic tray type thing with cutouts for the handles to lay in. Worked good but I needed to carry more rods than what the organizer allowed.

[Way2slow]

If you want to break rods tips, install the tubes. I've had three boats with the tubes and have taken them out of all three. The only way the tubes work is if you use rod sleeves to keep the tips from hooking together. Then, if you're going to use rod sleeves, whey mess with the tubes, they only limit the number of rods you can store in the locker. If you have a fully open locker, the rod racks might work. All my boats have had rod lockers where you slide over half the rod under the deck and the tips are pushed into a confined area. Even wrapping the line around the rods won't keep the tips for locking together and you WILL break rods.

Save yourself some heart ache and broken rods, get rod socks or rod sleeves that cover the whole tip and at least back to the reel. Then if you feel you still must have rod tubes, the rod will slide in and out easily.

Plastic golf bag tubes are the most common tubes used for rod locker tubes.

As for tangled rods, hook the lure/line back on the reel, then grab the line half way up the rod an spin the rod a couple of times, wrapping the line around the rod and the line through the guides. This will greatly help keeping the rods from getting tangled.