Rod case or bag?

I sure would like one of these but everyone is sold out and I don’t want the 48″er.

https://www.reedssports.com/ice-fishing/otter-pro-tech-40-deep-rod-case-201441

Thanks all of you who are linking me to stuff that is SOLD OUT!!!! Sorry had to vent.
UV protection? In the winter? Wish I were out enough to have to worry about UV protection-thanks though

I told you Thorn had 40 of them, last night I did not see any. Got to be quick during COVID and the stimulus checks did not help either.

All of my TUCR’s are 30” or less. I use a Plano breakdown shotgun case. It’s about 36” long in total. It has the pillar in the center so I can only fit 3 combos in it but at ~$35 it’s a nice affordable compact hardshell alternative to a massive ~$100+ rod case that’s just way to cumbersome for only a few rods and a pull sled. It won’t protect them from getting ran over by a quad but it’s leaps and bounds above a soft shell case or a bag. I believe the same case is also advertised as a breakdown archery case. Same case, just one says “Gun-Max” and the other says “Bow-Max”. I’ve used it for about 4 seasons with no regrets.

Thanks Ryan-I’ll look into it.

My lakes and rivers case is still sitting empty. I can fit 5 combos in there easy. If it was rods only thats all I’d carry out early ice or truck

High-end custom rods are quite fragile. They’ll surprise you sometimes. I’ve broken a couple and it didn’t take much.

Rod bags are for cheap Fleet Farm combos. Hard rod cases will actually protect your investment, rods and reels, from damage and accidental breakage.

Remember the plastic shotgun cases that came with your Remington, and you never used it?
I cut out the inside dividers, added carpet foam pad, and can protect at lease three rigs….more if I remove reels.
Check rod length–there were different size cases at the time.
Latches solid and airline tough case.

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I can get 6 32 inch setups in my Flambeau gun case. It is about 40 inches long. Bought it for $49.

Think today I’m going to ‘pull the trigger’ on a gun case

I used #6 machine screws with nylock nuts to attach it to the case.

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Flambeau 3300 Zerust max series boxes fit perfectly length wise. Then I bought felt furniture slides from Menards and put one on each side of slot and theyfit firmly into the space.

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Ok, my poor, at best, computer skills are showing. I will try to answer questions that were asked about my Eagle Claw Rod Case in the main forum. I used brass plumbers chain so as to prevent any rust getting on my equipment. I attached the chain to the case with #6 stainless steel machine screws and Nylock nuts as per photos. The boxes that I discovered work the best are the Flambeau 3300 Zerust Max Series boxes that I bought at Walmart for under $5.00 each. I left the display hanger on the end of the box to apply a “spring” pressure between the box and the case. The boxes fit loose side to side in the grooves which I eliminated by using some 1″ furniture glides from Menards and placing one on each side of the slot on both ends of the slot. this applies enough pressure to hold the boxes from moving side to side and falling against the rods when transporting your case. I actually pushed the boxes into place, held the box upside down and shook it and none of the boxes moved, even my box of tungsten jigs and spoons.

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Whateverbites wrote:

I purchased a Flambeau Rod Bunk Box after black Friday this year for around $35. I love it, it is not as heavy duty as an otter box, but I am not throwing it out the truck at 55 mph either.

it fits 3500 plano boxes in the slots
the Clam spoon box (can’t remember the size) fits perfectly in the middle
I can put my recon camera in there too.
I have had 7 rods in there, but 5-6 is more comfortable

I bought it for the rod protection, but the gear organization has far exceeded my expectations.

X2 on the Flambeau Bunk Box. That is what I use to store my Ice Fishing rods and in the summer I use it for my open water rods.

I made up a couple cases for my long rods. My pricey Radcliffe rods are in the pvc tube. I have both ends lined with foam, screw-cap on one end. For my 48″ HT Ice Blues I went more low tech.

I can get 5 rods in my Lake ‘n Rivers case, longest is my 32″ Quick Tip.

Final piece of the puzzle. This crate always goes along in my sled or shanty. I’ll put the rods in the vertical rod holders at the truck and leave the bulky case behind unless I know I’ll be pulling through some woods to get to the spot (rare). The unused rods always go back into the vertical rod holders and never lay on the ice or in the sled.

I never take all of my rods. Usually either my three long rods for hole hopping, or the shorties for the shanty, or the longer shorties if I’m outside fishing deeper water. It has worked out well!

So, I guess it’s getting close enough to bring this topic back up. With longer rods (36″+) becoming more popular, what are people using for cases/bags. I’ve seen large Scheels case, but the cases seem bulky and cumbersome. I’ve considering getting one and making a mode on my smitty for it, but want to hear/see what alternatives others are using.

Bearcat89 wrote:

Case. I broke many rods in cheap bags over the years

X2. If you can find the older model otter case those are nice. Ive had one for years that works flawless

I have the scheels case and yes it is bulky but for good reason to protect your stuff. Its nice how it has tackle trays included too. I am not sure if 36″ rods would fit however. I wish it were a little deeper because reels that have a long shank tend to not fit too well, but I just tip them to the side to get over that.

I have an older Otter Box that I like. Like said before yes it’s bulky but it works. Once you have several expensive custom rods it is worth the investment and the space in the sled.

Scheels case is huge but I like that I can throw it in the back of the truck or on a sled and throw an auger or whatever on top of it without worrying. With a bag I still had to baby it somewhat when packing and that kind of defeated the purpose for me. I will say it’s really awkward to fit in a popup with all your other stuff though, I usually just leave it outside the door or in the vehicle.

I like the 2b case. Perfect for in transit carry. I sold my otter 48, just too big and awkward.

Lakes and rivers for me is still taking the cake on a regular day trip. But when I go on longer multi species multiple rod trips hands down the scheels 2.0.
Had the otter case and it was highly overrated for the price.

I have a case. When you start using higher end rods it hurts a lot more when you break one.

I have had several hard cases thru the years… Currently running the scheels hard case. I only use it for transporting rods in the truck. I have a rack on the back of my smitty that will hold 6 rods upright with a chunk of plywood in front to protect them from snow or flying debris when hauling it with a wheeler or sled.

I have PVC rod holders on my shuttle for the ones I am using in the portable that are 32” and under. A Scheels ultimate ice rod case for others that are under 41”. I will be making some PVC ones like KwickStick posted for the 48”+ hole hopping rods I need to work on. I shaped the blanks to the actions I wanted and have not got back to them. Life needs to slow down so I can get back into the rod room. The problem with gun or bow cases is you must break the reel handle down to fit the rods in. I am open to suggestions for a 52” hard case. I have not seen one that big.

The longest rod I have is 40″ and I don’t have not invested in expensive custom rods at this point. I completely get that the hard cases will offer superior protection, but I don’t have a snowmobile or wheeler. I’m walking and pulling a smitty most of the time and controlling weight and space is important; so a bulky case is not ideal for my situation. Has anyone use a Lakewoods case? They are considerably smaller than a Scheels or Otter case and can fit up to a 41″ rod.

The Flambeau rod case is affordable and seems sturdy enough. But I’m still careful with it.

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Cam White wrote:

I like the 2b case. Perfect for in transit carry. I sold my otter 48, just too big and awkward.

X2 and I also use the hard side expedition cases too, for rigs with inline reels I use the Trophy Angler Black Widow…