Fishing Pole Racks for Your Truck

Keeping your fishing gear clean, well maintained, and safely stored is key to your success as a fisherman. So often we think about keeping our equipment storage buttoned up on the boat, where things are likely to go overboard if not properly secured, or at home, where things can get pretty messy pretty fast if they don’t have proper storage. However, the way we transport our rods, reels, and other equipment from home to shore is just as important as where we keep them when they aren’t being used. In fact, it may be even more important to keep them safely stored in your vehicle because more likely than not, if you are heading out for a day of fishing, your vehicle is packed with other equipment that could prove damaging, especially to things like poles. Although rods can withstand a lot when in action on the water, they are surprisingly fragile when, for example, your cooler smacks against them in the bed of your truck. (Hopefully, this is a mistake you only make once, if ever). So keep your investment safe and install some holders in your car!

Like with a lot of gear like holders and racks, they can be easily bought or made. Most fishing outfitters sell some great options for racks, but you can also make them fairly simply with PVC. You can really go wild with the design; it all depends on how many poles you need stored, what kind of conditions you travel in, and what your vehicle is like. For the sake of argument, we’ll discuss three common ways you can set up pole racks on pickup trucks.

Behind the cab storage

This is a pretty common rack, found online and in stores. Mounted in your bed near your cab, it hold the rods upright (at a slight angle) for easy and safe storage. If you have any low clearance zones to deal with, this may not be your safest bet. But this is a solid way to store your rods and keep them safe from harm in most cases.

Along the length of the bed storage

If you’re one of those aforementioned fishermen who has to cover rocky terrain to get to your fishing spot, this option may be a good one for you. Your rack will run along the inside of your truck’s bed, along the long side of it. Although things could potentially still smack against it, you will at least rest assured that they are safe from any elements outside your vehicle.

Behind the bed storage

If you are traveling a short distance to your fishing spot, consider a rack that is mobile. These can attach safely to any truck with trailer hitch opening of about two inches and are great because they could be transported to different vehicles or a boat without disassembly.