rod tubes

[nathangallagher]

Just wondering what everyone is using for a rod tube? I'm in need of one, just not sure whether to make one myself, or to buy one, any recommendations?

[Brock Arifovic]

Carmate for myself, it fits enough rod, it's tough, light weight, comfortable to carry & easy to load rods into.

[nathangallagher]

what does it cost and where can it be bought?

[Brock Arifovic]

Fish Head has them, just give Duncan a call, not sure on the price but he will look after you.

[Brandon Khoo]

It comes down to how many rods you need to be able to carry and how much you want to spend. The Carmate is expensive in comparison to most. If you're talking two to four rods, the Plano 35102 (I think that's the number) will do the job. If you need four to six, the smaller Bazuka is good. Carmate is good for anything for four up to ten although you can squeeze one or two more in if you really know how to pack it.

For eight to God know how many, the Plano Airliner is a monster!

[nathangallagher]

only need to carry 2 maybe 3 rods, i'll have a look around for the Plano you mention brandon. thanks

[Chris Young]

Nathan...I use the Plano tube and it does the job well mate.

[steve sims]

I use the Plano Airliner, fits heaps of rods without having to cram them in. On a recent trip my fishing partner took a Bozooka with too many rods in and discovered once we had reached the destination one of the guides on his only GT rod was buggered!! Probably more of a issue as to how they had been handled loading on to the plane.

[Jon Li]

Anytime I travel n use my rod tubes disregarding the brand ( Plano , Bazuka , etc. ) , I always wrap my rods with tee shirt at both ends and in betweens so they don't get damaged from hitting each other when being roughly handled by the airline baggage workers . I fill the spaces with lures too so there is little movements inside the rod tube .

The only time I had a rod mangled was when a truck ran over the tube with the rod inside but the courier service paid for the damage but not the whole rod's cost !

Jon . 

[nathangallagher]

Jon Li, what tubes do you use? Has anyone seen or had any experience with Profishional Rod tubes, a company based in Victoria?

[Brandon Khoo]

You should never assume that airlines will respect your rod tubes because I can sssure you then don't!

I always try to ensure that there is at least some cushioning around the rods in the tube so they don't cop the impact of any bump on the side. I've had three tubes broken or damaged in the past two years but so far, no damage to the rods (touch wood).

[Jon Li]

Jon Li, what tubes do you use? Has anyone seen or had any experience with Profishional Rod tubes, a company based in Victoria?

My favourite is still the Planos , the Bazuka tend to give problem with popping rods with the big stripper guide . Some of my friends are starting to consider RV-INNO rod tube , they can accomodate 5 Carpenter rods with handles inside but they are on the expensive side , around US$. 200+ each n come in orange colour !

Check this : http://www.rv-inno.com/html_pages/fishing_accessories.html

Jon .

[Matt Kilpatrick]

I always wrap my rods in bubble wrap (usually two rods per sheet) before storing them in rod tubes when travelling. The bubble wrap does take up a but of space, but considering graphite can be bruised quite easily, especially from the guides of another rod, I figure the loss of space is worth it. Does anyone else use bubble wrap? Matt

[Andre van Wyk]

Does anyone else use bubble wrap?

I find it useful from time to time....

 

Sorry, couldn't resist.

I must say I like Jon's recommednation of using t-shiorts etc to wrap the rods as space is often so limited on trips, especially if they involve a charter flight of sorts... being able to fit as much as you can into the rod tube, while having the added bonus of protecting the gear is a major plus.

I've used just a pure heavy PVC pipe with caps made for each end, and a handle pop riveted to it for years, and never had any issues... its tougher than sh*t and works like a charm!

[Greg Burt]

I do the t shirt wrap as well, plus a few poppers and jigs wrapped in cloths easy fit in the Plano airliner [not the wheeled one] which helps with baggage weight restrictions as the rod tubes are considered as 'Sporting Goods' instead of standard baggage [av 8-10kg]. I have only had one query when leaving NZ back to Aus when the check in clerk reckoned the T-Shirts weren't 'Sporting Goods' but let it through as 'packing'.