Storing Fishing Rod in Trunk

[thefishingone]

My mom has a 2002 Chevy Malibu,  I wanted to get a Abu Garcia Silver Max baitcaster with a Berkley Lightning rod that was 6ft. My question is if I bend my rod a little to fit it into my car trunk wouldn't it break after a while? And how do you fit your 6'6 one piece poles in your car trunk if you don't have trunk or a SUV. Just a Mid Size care.

[TruflShufl]

The 2 ways I've found to do it is fold down the backseats if thats an option OR put the reel side of the rod in the passenger side floorboard with the rod tip in the backseat/rear deck.

Done both in my 93 Accord  8-)

[Long Mike]

If that car is the only transport you have, then I suggest you buy a two-piece rod.  Problem solved.

[thefishingone]

All the good baitcaster combo's and good rods are all one piece now.

[Sam]

Tru hit it on the head.

However, if you cannot put the back seat down then I suggest putting the handle on the top of the back window shelf and let the rod sit across the passenger's seat.

Just be sure to secure your bait so you will not get the hooks in the upholstery.  Beleive me, I know about getting the hooks in the upholstery.

Please be careful not to let the rod tip stick out of the window and then forget it and raise the window.  Done that before, too.

Also, be sure that the rod tip is not in the way when you close the driver's door.  Almost have done this.

My wife lets me do this and if my wife lets me do this then you can do it, too.

I now have an SUV and she has a Jeep so no more problems.

And I carry two spinning and one baitcaster setups plus my tackle box in the SUV at all times.  

[Grey Wolf]

6'6" rods don't fit it car trunks. Six ft. rods don't either. The back seat is your best choice.

[Joe Boss]

Don't ever leave a rod bent or even lean it against a wall for any length of time it could damage it.

I would fold down the rear seat. My little econo-box car has a rear seat that folds down in 2 places. Even with my son's car seat in the back I can fold one half of the seat down and fit my one piece rods through the trunk.

[.RM.]

Storing Fishing Rod in Trunk...Warning!!  

Placing a rod in a car trunk in the summer time (anytime actually), and storing it there with a bend. Will set that bend into the tip if left for any long period of time.

If you want to know just how warm it gets in the trunk of a car place a meat thermometer in the trunk. I have measured the temps in trunks at around 200+°, I have measured temps on the black lined beds of truck at the same temps and more, I have measured the temps in the rod lockers on a boat (stored on the trailer) at well over 200°, while on the water into the upper 100° mark...these higher temps will cause major problems in a rods blank (the blank fibers turn liquid at 300+°) no matter the maker or price of the rod.

One more point, it doesn't matter whether the rod is a 2 piece rod or a 1 piece rod, "never store the rod in an oven"...

As far as travel you have received some great info on ways to carry a rod.

Just my .02¢ as a rod builder.

Tight Lines All!!  

[SimonSays]

I also fold my seat down and stick them through the trunk.  I bought a rod tube and just stuck that through.

[thefishingone]

The seats in my mom's car can't fold down. Would it be okay if the rod was slightly bent for at least a full day or two?

[Joe Boss]

Two posts above yours, The Reel Mechanic  says it all.

A day or two at 200+ degrees sounds like a bad idea.

[Tokyo Tony]

Reelmech, what if there's no bend in the rod at all? Then is it that bad for the rods to stay in my trunk? I have 4-5 rods in my trunk all the time unless I'm rigging them, fishing them, or on my way to fish them. It doesn't get that hot in CT, but it still gets pretty hot.

How about the winters?

Mind you, I am very careful with the line tension, so the rods are perfectly straight.

Your insight is appreciated  

[.RM.]

Tony,

I have seen rods brought to me (DG Rod Works) for possible repair that were stored in the new tube storage systems on some boats, and they were twisted bad. I mean these were G-Loomis® GLX's and the guides looked like they had been spiral wrapped the rods were that twisted 4 of them. I told the owner to expedite them from G-Loomis® they were replaced.

I have seen rods stored in tubes laying in the beds of trucks, in the trunks of cars. None of which held up to extreme heat, all had some kind of damage.

I really can't say what your rods could do, I know that when I had my boat I removed all of my tackle (rod and reels) every time I parked it at the shop.

I would take a temp reading of the trunk your storing them in when the sun is at it's highest point and on the car. If it is over the 100° mark I would say something is going to happen over a long exposer time frame

Also as far as line tension, even if I were storing my rod/reel in my rack I remove the line and just wind it up onto the spool. With no line through the guides there is no chance of line tension. Rods fare better if they have no weight on them and are stored vertically.

As far as winters go freezing temps are not good on graphite rods unless they are the composite styles that are use as ice fishing rods

I don't have a whole lot of experience in that arena as here in Wichita when the temps get that cold everyone is thinking deer and beer and i'm buried up to my elbows in reels.

Hope this helps a little..

Tight Lines!!!  

[Tokyo Tony]

Thanks for the info Reel Mech - until today I had forgotten that I asked the question  :