I need some help/advice from those who have traveled before for fishing. To this point, all of the travel I have done to fish I have always drove, so I take my tackle and rods with me. However, for the first time I will have to fly and I am having trouble with figuring out what to do with my rods.

I will be headed to Kentucky the last weekend of this month, so I have little time left to figure out what to do. I have 4 rods which I need to bring with me, the longest is 7' 3". The tackle is easy, I have a large bag for that and that can be a checked bag on the plane.

To this point, I have called the airlines and they stated that anything over 80"'s will be an automatic $200 charge. That is almost as much as my ticket! I currently have 1 cardboard tube, about 3" in diameter which I got from bass pro shops as that is what they ship their rods in and it is right at 87". I am going to try and see tonight if all 4 rods can fit, if not I will need a 2nd tube which would be an additional $200 if I choose to fly them with me.

The other options I have looked into, is shipping them to the hotel I am staying at ahead of time via fed ex or ups. That is estimated to be around $40 or so, much cheaper. The hotel said they are fine with receiving the rods, but I am a little apprehensive that they will not be there when I arrive.

Are there any other options I am not thinking of? Any other suggestions or shipping methods?

I encounter this every year. The best option I have found is to ship your rods. Get tracking and insurance. Also, make sure you take a picture of all your tackle spread out before the flight. If they some how lost your bag, you would have zero chance convincing them the true value of what was lost. "Fishing lures? Sure we'll give you 200 bucks, that should cover it."

I have both shipped gear and flown with it. Both can have their challenges and limitations. I would just plan ahead and ship it to avoid the stress of having to haul it to the airport and maybe have to pay more. I definitely would not use the cardboard rod tube. I would run down to the hardware store and get a piece of 4" sewer pipe with a glue on cap for one end and a threaded cap for the other. Build the rod tube a few days eary and leave the screw on cap off so it can air out because the glue stinks! I put the rods in rod socks then wrap them in bubble wrap so there's cushion in the tube. I've also packed my really heavy stuff with me for my carry on so I don't get charged extra. Plastics and tungsten can get heavy. Just don't try to bring hooks, clippers, cutters, etc with you through check in.

Just returned from a fishing trip in Canada.
I have bought some two piece rods and a adjustable rod carrier that I check with no problem.
(mostly fly southwest so no extra charge)
I wrap some clothes around the poles to help with the shock.
Pack my reels and tackle in my bag.
BT

If you're going to be doing more travelling like this in the future, buy an Airliner or a Jumbo Airliner.

I've only ever seen a $100 charge but my buddy is Platinum so it's free if we put it under his name. It's well worth it, IMO, you have your own equipment when you get to your destination.

Have fun and good luck.

Did not think of this, thanks for mentioning that. I would be screwed if they lost my tackle.

I thought about doing this, but wasn't sure of the exact way to do it and how much extra it would cost with the added weight. But this would be safer, and even if the cost was a bit more, I am sure it would not come close to what the airline would charge.

ive flown to different countries with as many as a couple dozen rods and was only charged $50 at most. just ship them here in the states. I would also recommend keeping your reels in your carry on along with anything else valuable or they will be stolen.