ice rod bag

What is everyone using to transport or keep their ice rods in. I have the striker transporter bag, I love it, but i have broken my tuned up fusion 3 times in this bag. I let out extra line so that when you slide it in the tubes that the ice rod doesn’t bend. I also have a frabill hard sided box but i dont like to carry two bags or boxes with as my transporter carries all my ice fishing lures. Just wondering what you guys are using out there. Thanks for any comments

It sounds like your striker transport bag has no love for you. I have a couple of different ones but I am not a big fan of them. I normally keep them in my truck with my extra rods. My ice shuttle will carry 7 rods and that is what I bring into the portable with me. I find that cases are too big to have in a portable ice house. You need your buddies lap to open them most of the time. I am looking at getting the Scheels Outfitters Ultimate ice fishing case once they come back into stock.

I use the Eagle Claw hard sided case. It is cumbersome to carry around, but the trade off is I can usually pack most of my tackle in the case if I’m going out for a day. The nice part is you can toss them around and they’ve kept my rods safe.

Eagle claw hard case.

I too, had the transporter bag, well still have it, but it will never see use again because it busted one of my custom rods.
Last year I bought a scheels outfitters ultimate rod case and its fantastic.

Jeremy Hansen wrote:

What is everyone using to transport or keep their ice rods in. I have the striker transporter bag, I love it, but i have broken my tuned up fusion 3 times in this bag. I let out extra line so that when you slide it in the tubes that the ice rod doesn’t bend. I also have a frabill hard sided box but i dont like to carry two bags or boxes with as my transporter carries all my ice fishing lures. Just wondering what you guys are using out there. Thanks for any comments

Yeah, rod bags where you push the rod in a really tough on the light tips of most custom rods. So are rod sleaves for that matter. It’s super easy to shove them in with the tip slightly bent and snap them. I definitely recommend a hard-sided case.
Dan

I got the scheels case last year and really like it. Holds a fair amount of rods and a lot of tackle.

I was at Scheels yesterday and saw what I think you guys are referring to. Looked heavy duty and pretty nice. But at $150 figured I’d wait till they went on sale.

I’ve seen previous posts where guys say they customize rifle or shotgun cases, too, and am curious about that.

I have the smaller Frabill hard case – basically only for 2 rods. But also looking for something a bit bigger/better.

tornadochaser wrote:

Eagle claw hard case.

x3, I’m going on like year 5 with mine and it has been great.

shockers wrote:

I was at Scheels yesterday and saw what I think you guys are referring to. Looked heavy duty and pretty nice. But at $150 figured I’d wait till they went on sale.

I’ve seen previous posts where guys say they customize rifle or shotgun cases, too, and am curious about that.

I have the smaller Frabill hard case – basically only for 2 rods. But also looking for something a bit bigger/better.

Plano has the ar-15 hard cases in 36” and 42”. Pick and pluck foam so you can customize it to your liking. Run about 60 bucks on amazon.

Otter sportsman case has always done everything I could ask of a rod case. Been using them for many years. No issues whatsoever

I have the Otter hard case and an Expedition hardcase, both work great (can fit more rods in the Otter as it is bigger)

I’ve had the Striker Transporter case for a couple years. I broke two St. Croix rod tips the first year and was pretty pi$$ed off about it. Then I learned not put the rod in with any lure still attached or the line connected to the hook keeper and haven’t had a problem since. Also I don’t just throw it around I handle it carefully. Haven’t had a problem since. I almost did what the op did and just scrapped using it but I liked it too much to give up on it.

I don’t think there’s another bag out there that can hold as much gear as the Striker.

I went from the otter sportsman case to the AR case from amazon for 60 bucks. I like it alot better. No more collapsing reels

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That looks like a nice case Chris. Would be nice to not fold handles. What brand is that case? Any info would be appreciated. Would like to check into that

My buddy broke an expensive rod during his Transporter’s maiden voyage too. Not being able to leave a hook tied is a non-starter, storage or not.

I use the Eagle claw and Lakewood soft sided. The EC are light, but sturdy and they also stack nicely. Tje EC also allow you leave your handles out. The Lakewood are a smaller format, but with plenty of storage.

I tried a Plano AR case, but it had too many latches. I have an ice innovations that is used primarily for long term storage. The IO is simply too big. And, the lid comes off which has been both a plus and minus. I tried an otter but it was a bit too tight without folding my reels.

I really liked the design and functionality of the Marcum rod pac, but they were horribly constructed. I still use one sometimes, but it looks terrible. I really like that you can tuck the Marcum pac out of the way between the canvas and poles in a setup trap.

Hawghunter08…

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Thanks much Chris. Gonna check that out

I’m looking at an AR case for my scoped Optima Pistol so I can carry all the accessories in the same case. Being able to cut and form the pockets for stuff is an attractive +. If I was going to get something that afforded great protection for those whippy rods it would be one of these cases.

Eagle Claw case for me! 6 rods and tackle

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That’s a nice case Shawn! If I decide to get another case that looks like a winner.

I had the same situation with my striker ice bag as few people have already mentioned, haven’t broken a rod yet but could see it coming. I ended up buying Scheels Ultimate Case but still using the Striker bag on the ice, nice having all of that gear condensed. Just have to be mindful when loading and unloading the rods and when not out on the ice fishing, they are in the hard case.

Here’s how to use the Striker bag as to not break tips. First off I don’t try to put the rod in the bag with any lures or hooks still attached. I use a swivel clip at the end of my line so I can quickly change lures any how. You can attach the swivel clip to your hook keeper on your rod but pull about 6″ of line off the spool before putting the rod in the sleeve in the bag. The 6″ of line will keep the line from getting tight and loading your tip as the rod goes in the bag.

You’re breaking tips because your tips are loaded in the bag and if it gets bounced around it will break the tip. Which is why I don’t throw the bag in the back of the truck just lay it down nicely. This has worked for me the last couple seasons and no more broken tips. It’s a darn nice bag especially the way you can use it as a back pack when you are walking out.

Just some Cabelas ice rod case

Chris Raman wrote:

Hawghunter08…

I believe this is the exact case that the Scheels outfitter ultimate case is made from, they just put their own inserts in it and then add the tackle trays.
For me I like the idea of having the tackle trays and everything all in there. The case itself is heavy and I wouldnt want to have to lug around something else for tackle. Its heavy because its built well.

These cases all look great but where do you store them on the ice? I fish out of a 2-man flipover and space is still at a premium with all the stuff I bring, even beyond all the tackle.

I usually leave hard side cases outside, only inside when using a bigger HUB, then use it to keep stuff off the ice. The smaller Lakewood cases are pretty light, so they can be stood up while leaning into the back corner of the trap behind the seat.

That is a nice looking case also captain musky. Thanks for the info. Only problem I have now is gonna have to try to wear out at least one of my otter boxes so I can put one of these other options to the test. Gotta be a way

I also prefer the eagle claw. I like long rods, mostly 36 inch rods. Most cases fo not fit my rods. The eagle claw fits all my rods nicely and has adjustable deep spaces for boxes and tools.

When I needed a case, I had trouble finding good hard long boxes. Last time I looked though, it seemed like longer cases were coming out.

I have a Flambeau tactical case. I can fit 5 or 6 combos with spinning rods depending on the rod length. I think I can squeeze a 40 incher into it. Holds the rods well, never broken one, and the case is actually quite solid. Works well for the price. I do have to fold the handles down.

That Plano with the foam blocks looks nice. Checked it out on Amazon and currently they are selling for quite a bit more than $60. Tempted to keep my eyes peeled for a deal on one of those but my Flambeau does work pretty well.

Tucker