Rod Maintenance/Storage

[Siebert Outdoors]

How do you guys care for your fishing rods and store them?  I searched on this topic and nothing came up.  I see alot of posts on reel care but nothing really on rods.

I store my fishing rods without the reels standing upright on a rack out of the way.  

[roadwarrior]

I know that is the way you are suppose to store them, but I don't remove the reels. I have a fishing room with a vertical rack for storage and display. I do loosen the drag on the reels, but otherwise, they are ready to go.

[Catt]

Mine stay cocked, locked, & ready to rock  

They are strapped together with 2 Velcro straps, standing in their own little corner with my tackle boxes and a packed overnight bag.

[MALTESE FALCON]

I STORE MINE IN A VERTICAL RACK WITH REELS ON AND DRAG LOOSE.

[Lard_Bass]

Any issues with using a horizontal rack?

[senile1]

I'm like most everybody else.  Mine are always vertical, reels on, and drag backed off.

[Grey Wolf]

I've heard that rods stored horizontally will have a tendency to warp . I personally don't know because I store all my rods in a vertical position.

[.ghoti.]

I built an el cheapo rod rack along one wall of the garage. The rods are stored vertically, held in place by little elastic hair ties. For the winter, all the reels are in two cases, stored in the house. I leave the line on the reels until I've cleaned and re-lubed them.

That's how I keep track of which ones I've serviced. During the season, I leave the reels on the rods, stored vertically, with the drags backed off.

A horizontal rack would be ok for two piece rods. With one piece rods, a horizontal rack would likely leave you with a permanent bend set in the rod.

Cheers,

GK

[Guest DavidGreen]

Lard_Bass,

Any issues with using a horizontal rack?

Depending on the distance between the two holders.

Meaning if you have the two holders positioned so that there is a fairly long distance between them and the rod is a light power (wispy style) rod there could be an issue with some bend set. If you have a horizontal rack and mount it so that when you look at the rod blank and see no sagging or bending (without reels mounted) you should be fine.

I personally only use the vertical rack in my shop for displaying my finished customs.

For long stretch storing, my personal rods are hung from covered hooks by the tip tops without reels attached.

Tight Lines!!!

[RoLo]

I go back to the old Split-Bamboo Fly-Fods (and homemade lemon-wood straight bows).

If you leaned a bamboo pole against the wall during the off-season, by the trout opener in April, the blank would take on a set.

In those days, I faithfully stripped the reels from the rods and hung each rod on a screw-eye by the tip-top guide.

Well today, I no longer own any split-bamboo rods but essentially deal with high-modulus graphite. I've reached the age

where even in the absence of ideal care, all my rods and reels will probably outlast me. Enjoying my newfound selfish attitude,

I now expect my equipment to take care of me, rather than the other way around. ;D

All kidding aside, today I store my rods exactly as Roadwarrior described. Although our dens make look somewhat alike,

RW's arsenal can be distinguished from mine by the number of Loomis rods versus the number of Shimano Tuna Takers.

I'd offer him two Tuna Takers for one Loomis, but I know he wouldn't bite

Roger

[lubina]

A piece of advice which I learned in the hard way.....seal your cork handle.!!!!!

[Bud]

I don't store mine.  I use them at  lease once or twice eack week all winter.  You can't catch fish sitting on the couch.