Anglers occasionally have trouble when grabbing more than one rod. On Canyon Ferry, you can use 6 rods when ice fishing. If you are using just 2 rods when bank fishing, things can get crazy. If you have kids along, rod holders may save lives! The last thing you want to see is your rod getting dragged into Davy Jones Locker, by a huge pig!
Meatstick and I went bank fishing last week just north of the Silos on Canyon Ferry Lake. He has been moving a little slower and we are not as Flexy as we once were. It was a windy day, so I had my hood up. Suddenly I heard my name,” Grant I need Help! “I grabbed my net and went to his aid. He was into two monster rainbows at the same time. After a great fight, both Bows made it onto the stringer.
When I went back to my rods, I was worried. My rods and reels are not cheap. A few weeks ago, I watched a nearby angler lose a rod and reel to a strong fish. What if I had a bite while I was helping Meatstick? Fortunately, I laid my lawn chair over my two rods before helping my buddy. Both were still in place.
The areas we fish are next to impossible to hammer in a rod holder. Unlevel, rocky spots make using other rod holders a challenge. I have tried a few variations and came up with a new PVC pipe version. I have seen similar ideas on Facebook posts. Here is what I made.
Parts. $10 to build unless you have extra parts lying around.
3 feet of ¾ 04 1-inch PVC pipe
4 T fittings. One with at least a 1-inch hole to fit the rod butt.
2 90-degree angle fittings.
I used a PVC cutter to hand cut the pipe into 2 10-inch-long pieces, 2 3-inch sections, and 1 4-inch section. I used a rubber hammer to knock them together. The entire rig is big enough to stay stable under stress and not go down an ice hole. They can be disconnected, unless you glue them together. Otherwise, they are also adjustable, without the glue.
I made one using ¾ inch and one using 1 inch pipe. They look stable and durable. They are also cheap and can made in 15 minutes. I have yet to try them out. For now, I will use my full-length bank rod with spinning reel. Later the ice rods will get evaluated.
Handle your rod!
Montana Grant
