Does anyone have any suggestions on travel rods? It kills me to have to buy something I don't think I will like or use afterwards. I am taking a Pike trip to Canada in June and I have to fly on four different planes to get there. The last plane, a "pond jumper", is the kicker. I have to have 40lbs or less of gear and the rods have to be 3pc or short 2pc.

Right now, I'm looking at the Daiwa Ardito TR rods..... Any other suggestions? They must include a case.

I'm doing a similar trip in June. However, we are taking 1 piece rods and are packing them in a Plano telescopic rod case. It should work for 2 or 3 piece rods as well. If you go this route, you can buy any rod you feel you might use again after the trip.

I recommend you look at the Fenwick Methods travel spinning rods. They are three piece rods but the tube comes with five pieces so you can change the rod action. I think they have ML/M and M/MH. This is nice if you are targeting different species.

I bought one last summer to take on a canoe trip in the Quetico wilderness in Canada. Paired it with one of my old Shimano Stradic 2000 reels and it was great. Best part (or unfortunate part) was I hung on a rock one day and broke a section pulling too hard. I simply used one of the other pieces to finish the trip. Fenwick honored warranty when I was home and replaced it.

TFO has some good 7' 3-piece travel rods.
Fishpond & Cabelas both have rod cases that will hold 3 piece rods, reels and some tackle.

Consider shipping it to yourself at the location you are staying.

TFO travel rods, I took the 7' rods MH to Brazil 2 years ago and had same weight problems paired them with a Revo Rocket and a Lews reel and still use them regularly fishing for bass here. Largest Peacock I caught was a 14.5 lb on this set up.

I'm surprised the bush plane doesn't have tubes strapped over the amphibious floats to put rods in. Do me a favor and ask the pilot "why not?" when you fly. Thin-walled 4" PVC tubes have very little weight, and hold a number of rods.

I have used TFO 3 piece 7ft travel rods for a couple of Canadian trips and been very satisfied. I have a medium spinning and a MH casting.

southwest charged me 79.00 to fly a rod hou to den --didnt figure it out till i got to the airport -- sent it home via ups for 16.00
now i ups them every time lesson learned !

the problem with UPS or any other is I couldn't ship them all the way there. The lodge I'm staying at is so remote, they have to fly into a bigger town to get mail. Haha. So, the same plane with the restrictions would still be involved. And shipping to Canada takes much longer anyways.

Where did you get the TFO travel rods?

I work close to their headquarters in Dallas....I wonder if they have them there.

Wanna rent me yours? I'd honestly rather not buy some. I would never use them again after this trip.



Thanks for the replays so far guys!!!!

I was going to suggest you look on eBay but their used travel rods seem to be selling for close to retail. You may want to buy new rods exactly like you want them and then sell them on the TFF or eBay after your trip. If you post what you are looking for (casting vs. spinning and rod action), you may get some offers on here.

What are you doing to deter the Canadian Mosquitos?

Can you post a link for the lodge or outfitter? I was looking into a Boundary Water trip but I am not sure my body would hold up to a week of canoeing and camping.

When you live in Hawaii... every trip is "travel". Mainland, Alaska, South Pacific, Christmas Island, Asia, Mexico, even neighbor island. I don't remember the last time I bought a rod that wasn't a "Travel Rod". Fly Rods, Spinning Rods, Bass Rods, and heavy saltwater rods... all are travel rods.

I always take Ugly Stick Lite rods...one 7ft ML action (two piece) for pike and one 5 or 6ft light action (or the longest light or ultra-light action I can get (two piece if possible) for walleye and pair both up with Shimano Saraha spinning reels, in 1000 and 2500 series. I use 6lb/8lb Berkley Vanish (or equivalent) for the walleye, and Pline 12lb for the pike...This setup is durable during use and transport...When the trip is finished, I give them to my guide....they prefer tackle over cash...Tackle is MUCH more expensive to get up there and takes a long time to get as well. And well, after a week long trip about the same money (to us) as a good tip. Take along some steel leaders...pike will destroy them, so get some good ones.

I always made a Schedule 40 PVC tube with a cap on one end and a sewer threaded clean out on the other for $20 bucks or less...You can use schedule 80 PVC, to save on weight...the commercially purchased tubes tend to get destroyed by the time they make it to final destination...I consider them no real protection...

Take some 1/4 and 3/8 lead head jigs with 3 in Mr. Twister type tails...Orange heads, yellow heads seemed to work well for me...and Orange, black, yellow, firecracker, white tails...one the walleye

For Pike, call ahead to your outfitter and see if they have pike lures "on the board" at the lodge...in other words, do they keep a supply of pike lures (that work on their lake) handy for sale...if so, do that...seems they always work better than anything you can buy here to try up there....save on time, money, and weight....give the guides all your tackle upon leaving and buy some goodies to bring home with the extra weight...Tilley hat, BS brand Tshirt proclaiming you are the worlds best fisherman, fridge magnets, and the like...

Oh Yea, take your own adult beverage 1/5 max amount...Remember, Cubans taste good on the gulf or in Mexico...but are old and dry in Canada...Above all, Have fun!

Ditto on the homemade PVC tube. I've made many trips to Alaska with 2 piece 8 1/2 to 9 ft salmon rods. Baggage handlers and machinery beat the heck out of the tube but the rods are unscathed. Check your airlines and bush plane for length restriction. Its usually the length not the weight that's the main issue with rods.

Keep the tube length close to the rod section lengths. Add some foam to the end before gluing on the end cap and some foam under the screw cap. Roll up the rod sections in part of an old sheet so there is material between each rod section. Wrap with rubber bands, then slide into the tube. Get to the airport early. If your airport has an external baggage inspection station, wait for the tube to clear inspection before heading to the security lines yourself.