It is the worst case scenario. You have stopped for food or gas on your way to a fishing trip. Unbeknownst to you, your rods and tackle were stolen right out of the bed of your truck while you weren’t watching. If you are like anyone, losing rods to theft does more than just ruin a fishing trip. It costs hard-earned cash, time, and frustration to replace the stolen rods. Luckily there are ways to protect your fishing gear from theft, and ensure your fishing investments are safe.
Lock Your Fishing Gear in a Boat Rod Locker
Locking your fishing rods in a rod locker and tackle inside of boat storage compartments is a great way to ensure gear is safe if an angler owns a boat. While some boats come with preinstalled handle locks, some boat storage compartments do not. There is, however, an easy fix for locking boat handles that can be purchased aftermarket and installed relatively easy. For some anglers though, especially off-shore anglers with long rods that can push 15’ in length, a rod locker simply may not fit every rod. Smaller boats made for inshore fishing and kayaks also generally do not come with rod storage so choosing another, safer transportation and security method may be necessary to keep your gear safe.
Buy Insurance
While it may be overkill, some fishing gear is expensive enough to warrant buying a small insurance policy. Some so expensive that each fishing combination could run upwards of $1,000 depending on the rod and reel. There are homeowner insurance plans, as well as boat insurance that will cover fishing gear and fishing rods. Every insurance policy and insurance company will be unique and it is important to check specifically with your insurance to get a policy that cover for what you need but it may be the peace of mind you need to keep your gear safe from theft. Keep in mind though that there may be a deductible and your gear may not be expensive enough to warrant an insurance policy, especially if there is a simpler solution.
Lock It in Your Car
Depending on what type of vehicle one has, how an angler transports their rods can be very different from another angler. It may seem obvious to some to lock your fishing gear in your car, but with the variety of roof rail rod holders some anglers opt for an out-of-the-way rod transportation solution. However, in doing so rods are easily accessible to theft and it may be a better idea to choose a transportation solution inside your vehicle to prevent it.
Car and SUV owners can lay down back seats or install an interior roof rod holder. While, it may be inconvenient and in the way, an angler that owns a truck may place rods diagonally in the passenger’s seat to ensure they are locked safely inside. It could become a hassle, however, to remove rods from the bed of a truck for every stop to a fishing destination and the ability to do so depends on the cab size of a truck.
Locking Truck Bed Rod Holders
For most fishermen, the easiest way to transport rods is in a truck bed or in a truck bed rod holder. However, a great number of anglers face the dilemma of having an open truck bed that makes their fishing gear and fishing rods susceptible to theft. For the most part, having rods in your truck bed is when most theft occurs—be it at home parked in the driveway before a fishing trip, just stopped for gas, or leaving spare rods in the truck bed at the lake.
The best way to protect fishing rods with a truck is to use a secure truck bed rod holder system such as the Portarod. The truck bed fishing rod holder is held in the bed with tension and is easily installed in any truck bed. For security to protect your rods from theft, the system can be outfitted with specially designed Portarod Locks. The Portarod locks are made from heavy duty, rubber coated steel body for strength. The lock system is a combination lock that eliminates the chance of forgetting a key, which for busy fishermen is a huge benefit. A locking truck bed rod holder, like the Portarod and Portarod Locks, is a quick, convenient, and safe system for protecting and transporting fishing rods in a truck bed.
Truck Bed Toppers and Covers
While it may be a pricey solution to protecting your fishing gear, for anglers with a truck bed, buying a truck bed topper or cover is a reliable solution to not only protecting your fishing rods and gear but also anything you wish to put in your truck bed. If going the truck bed cover route, it is important to note the vast number of options both soft and hard that covers. If purchasing make sure to look carefully as not all will lock. Some covers are just to hide what is in the truck bed but to really protect your fishing gear look for models that come with locks to secure your gear.
Hard and semi-permanent affixed truck bed toppers or campers are one of the most expensive solutions, but are also reliable at keeping your fishing gear safe. There are a variety of kinds both in the new and used market, but by going with a used topper it could help cut down on costs. Keep in mind though, installing a truck topper or cover could greatly limit the size of fishing rod that you can transport and the cost may outweigh the benefits. Though if your truck already has one, it is a great way to protect your fishing rods.
Loosing valuable fishing gear to theft is unnecessary, but with these tips on how to protect your fishing gear from theft you can avoid it all together and have that lucky fishing rod for many years to come.
