Fishing rods can be quite an investment, so you’ll want to maintain and store them appropriately. Not everyone has a dedicated, heated “man cave” where they can store their fishing rods. Instead, many people have to store their fishing rods in a garage or boat. The question is, should they, or will storing a fishing rod in your garage or boat damage the rod?
To put it plainly, you have to do what you have to do. All the same, if I was going to store my rods for any length of time, I’d take them out of the boat and get them inside, even if that meant putting them in the garage. Storing fishing rods in your boat full time is OK if you use them frequently, but things can go south in a hurry if you don’t take them out frequently. On the other hand, there’s really no downside to storing fishing rods in your garage if that is your only option.
Is A Cold Garage A Bad Place to Store Fishing Rods?
Considering there is a whole niche of this great sport called, “ice fishing,” I think it’s fair to say that fishing rods can handle cold temperatures. Granted, there has to be a point where this won’t be true. Still, it’s hard to imagine that an enclosed garage is going to get cold enough to really damage a fishing rod. Certainly, you wouldn’t expect any issues while the rod is simply being stored there. If ever, you’d encounter the problem after the rod was suddenly flexed.
With that said, if a 10lb northern pike doesn’t break a fishing rod when you’re out ice fishing in super cold temps, why would storing fishing rods in a “cold” garage cause problems?
Is Exposing Rods to Heat Bad for Them?
I’m not so certain that heat won’t damage fishing rods. You have to consider how they are built. Many fishing rods incorporate glue in their construction (source). Glue and heat don’t work very well together. Rod blanks also have considerable resin in them, which also isn’t going to do well with heat. Consider just how hot a car can get in the sun. I wouldn’t want to leave anything I care about in a locked car in summer. It’s just asking for trouble.
I don’t think you’d ever get to a point where your garage was hot enough to cause issues. On the other hand, a rod locker on your boat or especially your car could definitely cause problems. If you don’t believe, me, toss a $4.00 pack of soft plastics on your dash some sunny day and come back to it later. Now imagine that pack was your $400 fishing rod.
Is It Bad to Store Rods Horizontally?
If you’re looking for rod storage options, most rod holders and racks offer either a vertical, or horizontal option. If your rods are taller than your storage space, it looks like horizontal is the way you’ll need to go! Even if you have the height necessary, horizontal rod holders offer some very convenient options such as this nifty product that allows you to hang rods horizontally on the ceiling where they are completely out of the way. There’s even a product that attaches to the roof of your car, which is a great way to store fishing rods on a long trip.
Even though these products exist, some people still wonder if it’s OK to store rods horizontally. Granted, it does seem like storing fishing rods horizontally in a garage or car could place a bit of stress on certain parts of the rod. All in all, you should be fine, at least with graphite rods. For those of you who remember the old fiberglass ones, sometimes they’d “set” a bit if left stressed for awhile. If you’re using fiberglass rods, you might want to take them off now and then to give them a chance to “stretch.”
If you need more reassurance, just remember that almost all fishing rod lockers in any boat are going to store the rods horizontally. There seems to be literally millions of fishing rods out there that are stored horizontally with no issue.
Can You Leave Fishing Rods in Your Boat All Year?
It is a real pain to constantly move your fishing rods from your home into your boat, so it is tempting to just keep them in your lockable storage lockers on the boat. Assuming you live in a safe location where you don’t have to worry about thievery, this is fine if you use the rods often. However, there are several things that can go wrong if your rods aren’t in routine use. I learned this the hard way when my daughter was born, and I didn’t have time to go fishing for several weeks. Here’s a few issues to consider:
Mold
Mold is a legitimate issue for rods stored in a boat, at least if the boat is stored outside. Very few “dry” storage lockers live up to that name in a deluge. Slight imperfections in how a parked boat is leveled can also cause issues. When my daughter was born, I was living at a home where I had to park my boat with the bow angled slightly down. I didn’t want to put the jackstand up on cinder blocks as I was worried if some kids started messing around, someone could get hurt. Anyway, this meant that there was no way for water to escape from the bilge if I failed to tarp the boat well. Well, after a few weeks of water sitting in my boat in the August heat, I had quite the clean up project on my hands!
If you do need to store your fishing rods in your boat, try your best to prevent rainwater from accumulating. Also, make sure that when you get back from a fishing trip, you leave the lockers open for a couple of hours so everything has a chance to dry out. This will also help prevent any hooks on your rods from rusting.
Animals
Mice love boats. They are like 5-star hotels for these little critters during the winter. As much as I trust Bounce dryer sheets to keep mice out, I’ve never set up cameras and couldn’t tell you if it works for sure (although I think they do, since I’ve stopped having issues). In any rate, if you meet the mouse who doesn’t mind these sheets, they’ll be creeping and crawling all your rods, and potentially chewing on your handles and line.
Heat/Cold
All the issues we’ve discussed with potential issues from heat and cold are going to be amplified sitting outside in a rod box. While it’s somewhat sheltered from the elements, your rod lockers might not be completely enclosed. Indeed, many aren’t in the hopes that the mold issue above can be mitigated. The same moving air that helps allow rods to dry can also allow very cold air in. Further, a closed box underneath a vinyl floor is going to get HOT. Will it get hot enough to do some damage? That’s for the scientists to answer, and all of us to ponder.
Can You Leave Fishing Rods Outside?
Not everyone has a garage to keep their fishing rods in. All the same, I wouldn’t recommend leaving fishing rods outside.
First, they’ll be far more exposed to extreme temperatures than they would be in a garage. All bets are off when you start talking about the temperature swings that mother nature can provide.
Secondly, you have to worry about accidents. It’s possible that the wind might blow something into your fishing rods, or knock them over. They aren’t going to do very well if even a small tree branch lands on them.
Finally, anything left outside is a prime target for thieves. Depending on where you live, this might be something you need to take into consideration.
Conclusion: Go Ahead and Store Your Fishing Rods in the Garage
Everything I’ve found suggests that your fishing rods will be just fine in a garage. At worst, you might have to worry about some spiderwebs if you don’t use them often. Assuming your garage locks and is enclosed, your fishing rods will be fine.
They’ll also likely be just fine in your boat, but you need to keep a closer eye on them. If you’re keeping them on the boat, it’s likely because you’re using them too often not to. Just keep that up and don’t go for a long time without checking in, as a misplaced tarp could spell huge problems quickly if water gets in.
Regardless of where you store your fishing rods, you’re fine storing them horizontally if that’s the best fit. Just make sure you use your fiberglass rods now and then so they won’t “set” (although, honestly, I imagine that would take considerable time). All the same, it’s something to consider and keep an eye out for!
I hope you found this article helpful. If you have any other questions on the topic please feel free to email me, or leave a comment. I”ll respond as soon as I can.
Thanks,
John Paxton
Fishing with Kids: A Parent’s Guide