Okay, here’s my story about building a fishing rod holder for my pickup truck:
So, I’m a big fishing guy. Love getting out on the water whenever I can. But I got this pickup truck, and it’s a pain to just toss my rods in the back. They slide around, get tangled, and I was always worried about snapping one. Plus, windy days or hitting some bumps? Forget about it. Those rods were flying everywhere. It’s kind of a safety thing, you know? I didn’t want to whack someone with a rogue fishing rod.
I looked around online, saw a bunch of options, but nothing really jumped out at me. Some were just plain flimsy, like they’d fall apart if you looked at them wrong. Others were okay, but they didn’t seem like they’d really hold up to the kind of use I put my gear through. I even tried a few of the cheaper ones, and let me tell you, they were a waste of money. They either slid all over the place or couldn’t handle the weight of my rods, especially when I had a few rigged up and ready to go.
And let’s talk about brands for a second. When it comes to rods, I’m usually a Daiwa or Shimano guy. They just make good stuff, you know? Got a rod from each for pretty much any kind of fishing I do – lake, river, even the beach when I get the chance. So, I needed a holder that could handle the good stuff.
After messing around with a few duds, I decided to just build my own. Figured I could make something that was exactly what I needed. First thing I did was grab some PVC pipe from the hardware store. That stuff is tough and pretty cheap. Then I got some U-bolts, the kind you use to clamp pipes together. Measured out the length of my truck bed, cut the PVC to fit, and then started figuring out how to mount it.
I used the U-bolts to attach the PVC to the sides of the truck bed, near the top. I spaced them out so the rods would have plenty of room and wouldn’t be banging into each other. Drilled a few holes in the PVC for drainage, because you know, rain and all that. I also added some foam padding inside the PVC to protect the rods a little more.
Here’s the basic setup I ended up with:
- Two lengths of PVC pipe, running along each side of the truck bed.
- U-bolts securing the PVC to the bed rails.
- Drainage holes drilled into the bottom of the PVC.
- Foam padding inside the PVC to cushion the rods.
The Result
Man, this thing works like a charm! It’s super sturdy, doesn’t budge an inch, even when I’m driving on rough roads. My rods are safe and secure, no more tangles, no more worrying about them getting damaged. It was definitely worth the effort to put it together myself. I should have done it sooner, It would have saved me a lot of headaches. Now it is the most convenient fishing companion for my truck. I guess I should start sharing my DIY plans with other anglers.
