Ready to pack up for the summer and store your fishing rods?
The best way to store fishing rods in your garage is by cleaning them, replacing the spool, and keeping them off the ground and away from sunlight. As long as you keep the temperature and humidity in check, your fishing rods should be safe in your garage.
If you’re looking for some garage fishing rod storage ideas, you can find them all below.
Let’s get started.
Should You Store Fishing Rods in the Garage?
If you’re looking for a place to store your fishing rod, the garage is a great place to do so. It is however important that you take the necessary steps to ensure that your fishing rod lasts as long as you do!
Keep your fishing pole clean and dry
When you come back from a fishing trip, you’re going to want to rinse down your rod. You want to get all of the excess salt, dirt, and debris off of your rod so it’ll stay fresh and rust-free.
If your garage is known for getting humid, then it may make sense to get a garage dehumidifier to prevent the cork within your fishing pole from rotting over.
Put a fresh line on your spool
If you’re putting away your fishing rod for a few months, putting a new line on your spool can prevent corrosion. If saltwater is left to dry inside of your old line, it can cause damage over time.
You’ll also be ready to go as soon as you’re ready to start fishing again!
Put lubricant on moving metal components
You can use a spray-on lubricant to get down into the moving part. Put a little bit where the handle meets the reel and where the arm meets the shaft of the reel. You can also take the handle off and spray the bearings within the reel. This will prevent rust buildup over time and keep your fishing rods ready to go.
You can also utilize anti-corrosion spray and coat your reel as well for extra protection. You can wipe down your entire fishing rod as well with the spray to ensure your fishing rod is protected from the environment in your garage.
You can check out this video going into great detail about how to lubricate your fishing rod for long-term storage.
Loosen up your locking nuts
Set your drag loose as well as your reel seat. You want them to be loose so you don’t end up with a corroded overfishing rod.
Keep the line loose
If you keep the line tight, you may warp your fishing rod. Keep it loose to prevent any damage.
Keep your fishing rod out of the sunshine
By keeping your rod out of the sunshine, you prevent it from being exposed from harmful UV rays that can warp your fishing rod.
Keep your fishing rods off the ground
By keeping your fishing rods off the ground, you prevent them from getting wet and damaged. You can find a variety of different storage options to keep your fishing rods safe in storage.
3 Ways to Store Fishing Rods in your Garage
1. Fishing Rod Rack
This super simple fishing rod will keep all of your fishing rods safely stored in your garage. It holds up to 16 rods and reels and it doesn’t take up too much space either. What I like most is that if you’re an avid fisherman, you won’t have to spend a ton of money to store all of your rods.
It’s easy to put together and doesn’t require any tools to assemble. It also has padded slots on the base plate to protect your rods for long-term storage. You can choose between original, camo, and barn wood finishes depending on your preference.
For such a bargain price, it’s hard to find better than this option for storing fishing rods in your garage.
2. Vertical storage rack
If you’re wondering if you can store fishing rods vertically, yes you can! It’s a great space saver and this rack holds up to 11 rods. If you don’t have much space left on your garage floor, you can solve that problem with a vertical storage rack.
Installation is easy and you can decide to install it on the wall or even on the ceiling. You can adjust the spacing to fit any shaped rod you have and deep grooves to hold everything in place.
It’s interchangeable as well, so if you decide you want to store your rods horizontally, it can switch with no problem. This is another bargain way to store your fishing rods for the long term.
3. Fishing Rod Tackle Cart
Avid fishermen require avid storage solutions. This tackle box will hold everything you own without any problem. It can handle 12 freshwater rods and has 3 shelves for all of your tackle boxes. My favorite part about this storage solution is that it has casters so you can move it around your garage with ease.
The carbon fiber base is a nice touch and it’ll keep your fishing rods safely secured. The powder-coated frame is also crafted to resist scratching over years of usage. Your rods will be clipped in place and they won’t be moving around when you roll this bad boy around. It’s also water-resistant to prevent damage.
I love that this tackle box will free up precious space in your garage with an all-in-one solution. You won’t have to keep your tackle box on your workbench any longer, keep everything in one place ready to go.
A purchaser mentioned that the casters had some issues holding up and another said that the rod clamps had issues staying tight. I think that while some had issues with theirs, there are plenty of people that are happy with how organized their garage became after using this storage solution.
What to Avoid When Storing Fishing Rods in Your Garage
- Don’t store your fishing rods without cleaning them
- Avoid not lubricating your rods before long term storage
- Don’t leave the line too tight
- Keep your fishing rod out of sunlight
- Don’t keep your fishing rod in your garage if it gets super hot or cold
- Don’t store your fishing rod on the ground
Final Thoughts
As long as you clean your fishing rod, replace the line, keep it out of sunlight and/or extreme heat/cold and off the ground, it should be perfectly fine being stored in the garage long term. If you can’t however control the temperature or keep it off the ground then it may be a good idea to bring your expensive fishing rods inside.
Looking for more garage storage solutions? Check them out below:
