How to store a fishing rod sounds easy. Yet a lot of people store their rods poorly. This leads to damage or bowing in the rods. It is often due to a lack of understanding of what happens with the blank. When stored in the wrong manner.
I see people stand a rod in a corner. This will create a bow in the blank. They place a hook in the guide. This can lead to damaging the guide insert. As a result, the guide damages the line. Plus, people hook the line and leave tension on the rod and reel. These are poor storage practices.
How to store a rod is with it vertically in a rack. This eliminates any pressure on the blank that causes it to bow. Storing horizontally places pressure on a blank. If storing horizontally use multiple support points.
As shown in the picture the rods are stored vertically. There is no tension on the line. The drags are off on the reels. Lures are placed in the hookkeepers. DO NOT PLACE HOOKS in a guide. This is the best way to store a fishing rod.
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Tips to Store a Fishing Rod
You can do more when storing rods and reels. Clean all equipment before storage. Dirt causes damage to reels and rods. The dirt and grime cause scratches in the finish and to key components. The clear coat on the rod loses its protective qualities if scratched. The same applies to the paint on reels.
Dirt creeps into reels and reel seats. In time, the dirt creates a failure in these parts of your fishing setups. Cleaning cork handles adds life to the grip. Keeping the line guides clean prevents scratches in the guide inserts. Use a Q-tip or cotton balls to clean guides. A scratch in an inserts damages and weakens your line.
Dirt is an enemy of fishing gear. Always clean rods and reels on a regular basis. Warm water with mild soap is all you need to clean fishing gear most of the time. The exception is inside of reels. Follow the manufacturer’s guidelines for cleaning inside a reel. Plus, never dunk a reel into the water. Wipe the outside with a damp cloth.
Back the drag off on the reels. A tight drag may damage a rod and will cause premature failure of the drag. Constant tension makes the drag discs flatten out. The drag does not work as intended once this occurs. You set the drag when you go fishing, any other time it should be off. This content is the property of ask the fisherman. Go scrape content somewhere else.
Conclusion
Taking a little time will save you money with your fishing gear. It will last longer and perform better. Store the rod so there is no tension creating a bow. Clean all parts of the rod before storage. Clean the reel on a regular basis. Do not place hooks in guides. Turn the drag off.