Originally posted on April 22nd, 2012 on WormInACan.com.
As a kayak fisherman, I don’t have the luxury of storing my rods in a rod locker for transport. I’ve been trying to develop a better way to transport my rods than throwing them in the back of my truck.
I found a tutorial from Palmetto Kayak Fishing that uses a Berkley rod holder attached to a Thule Xsporter which worked great for long trips. The only issue I have with it is it takes a good bit of time to secure all six of my rods it in it if I just heading down to my local lake.
In an attempt to make a rod holder that fit my Mazda B2500 truck (same as a Ranger), I came up with the following design. I really like it so far. I documented the process, but let me know if you have any questions.
Materials Needed
- Planks – A little less than 4ft; I used 1.5×11.5 scraps I found in the scrap pile of a homesite
- Wood Screws (4) – 2.25in
- Rod Tubes (3) – I used Marine Raider individual tubes from Academy; You could make these yourself from PVC, but I prefer the premade tubes.
- Roundhead Screws (6) – 1.5in
- Ball Bungees (3)
- Eye Bolts (3) – I don’t have a size on these since I had them in a wall mounting kit; Just get the smallest you can that will prevent the bungee ball from sliding through.
- Cup Hook (3)
Step 1
Cut the first plank into a 17inch section. I used this length, because it allowed the feet of the rod holder to fit in the grooves in my truck bed to avoid wobble.
Step 2
Cut another section of the plank diagonally to create two pieces with the same angle. You should now have 1 complete leg and one leg with the correct angle that needs to be cut to height. Use the 1st leg as a template to create your cutting line, and cut the second leg to height.
If you have a large miter saw, it is a cinch to get the angles you need. My miter saw blade was too small so I simply cut it with a skilsaw. My rod holders had to have the correct angle to go over the truck bed, but no hit a kayak extending over the Thule rack. To get your angle, you can use a compass, create a cardboard template or “eyeball it”.
The measurements of my feet are roughly 2.5in on the short side and 7.25in on the high side.
Step 3
Attach the 17in plank to the feet using the wood screws.
Step 4
Attach the rod tubes. The easiest way is to attach the two tubes on far ends 1st, using the edge to get the proper spacing. Then draw a line at the midpoint of the plank (8.5in) and drill your holes for the center tube on the line.
Step 5
Attach the eyelet bolts beside the rod tube holders and pull the ball bungee through the eyelet. For the far end tubes, attach the eyelet to side/end of the plank. For the middle rod tube, just attache it directly to the top of the plank.
Step 6
Attach the cup hooks to the other side of the rod tube on the bottom side of the plank. The location will depend on the amount of stretch your bungee has to secure your rod. You can see in the pictures how I secure my baitcasters and spinning rods. I attach an additional cup hook on the top of the plank that works better to secure my spinning gear.