Rods in bed of truck?

I recently got a 4 door pickup and I was wondering besides putting the rods inside the cabin how do y’all transport nice rods in the back of a truck without messing them up? If they were cheap rods I get you just put them in the bed and don’t worry about it but I have some really nice stuff that I don’t want hanging around but I also don’t want it in the cab.

firs problem is how long is the truck bed? If it is less than 6' most likely one piece rods will not fit entirely within the bed. You would need to make or purchase a tube style rod holder and be resigned to fact that the rods are going to overhang the tailgate.

Truck beds 6' or longer will allow most one piece rods to lay flat, at least diagonally. Cases, tube holders, socks, etc. are all completely a preference in this case.

I leave mine in the Rod box of my Boat when traveling and take them out at night when I get to the hotel.

Rod Sox

Reel Covers

Between these two, it keeps everything from getting beat up

Probably best to not put them in the bed of the truck. Mine travel in the cab from front to back even when there is a person in the passenger seat.

If you don't have a bed cover they will blow out. Ask me how I know!

Yep! I learned the hard way too.

I rod sock everyone of my rods, tie them all together snug with one of these, then tie the whole group to a bed tie down lug in the bed of the truck, snug against the side, tips hanging over the tailgate. It works great. They don't move an inch and all eyes are protected by the socks.

Great idea. My friend had Seven tied together with the little velcro thingys in the back of his partner's pickup truck. The wind caught them and took the whole bunch out of the truck in the early morning darkness. Another car came along and ran over the bunch of them. He salvaged some bits & pieces but learned a hard lesson.

When I use to fish tournaments in another persons boat I always just laid them in the bed of the truck. That was before rod socks and I never tied them together either. Never had a single one blow out but I always had the reels towards the cab to reduce the lift effect that driving 70mph can cause on the light end of the rods. Now if you lay the tips towards the cab I can see very easily how they could lift and blow out going at highway speeds.

They also have a way of magically disappearing when stopping for gas or breakfast.

My buddy puts puts his in the back and they don't seem to get damaged. I'm not a very aggressive driver though.

I use this when don’t have a boat to put them in. Still using same one after 15 yrs.

Pro locker

I've been 120mph with rods in the back and didn't lose them

first of all, get a truck with a bed at least 6 1/2 ft. long. Then put a tonneau cover on it. I lay my rods diagnally with the reels in the back. Never had a problem. Plus I have rods in my boat's rod locker

I am not sure what you are calling cheap or expensive rods?

If I am going with someone else (ie not towing my boat) or pond fishing I put my rods in the bed of the truck and have never had one damaged or lost in 35+ years of driving to fish.

Mine are just your average G Loomis, Kistler, Falcon Cara and Bucoo's, mated with Shimano Curado's and Lew's Tournament reels.

Or get stolen.

I've always put a ratcheting cargo bar in the bed. Pool noodle fits perfectly around bar. Can even notch some small V's in pool noodle if you want, Not Necessary!

Mini bungee cords or Velcro cable ties will keep rods secured I do this with my 10' cat rod's cause I don't like breaking them down. Bass or Crappie rods ride Shotgun...

We put rods in the back all the time. The only problem we've had was a rod made it's way into the gap between the tailgate and the truck bed. It didnt break the rod but it made a bad spot and it broke the next time it was used.

rod sox on all of mine then tied together butt end towards the cab,

What JBC said. Put the reels on the cab end of the bed. I never used rod socks or any of that stuff over the last 45 years. Never broke anything or had one blow out.

New wave stuff! Covering your fishing pole with a stocking? Next thing you know people will be putting covers over their motor covers, covers over their shallow water anchors....

Yeah he is right he’ll I got a bed extender in my f150 5 1/2 bed works great.
Been doing this along time no problems.

I have a '15 Silverado crew cab with the 5'8" bed. when I take my rods in the truck, I put them in rod socks fold up the back seat place the butt of the rods on the seat and the tips on the dash

I can put a 7'3" rod in the back diagonally without having to bend it on my 5 1/2' bed. Anything bigger bends or hangs out so I put them in the cab. I use straps crossed over the top of them for peace of mind if I don't have the cover rolled closed. Never really had an issue.

My rods ride in my boat where they are supposed to ride.

I have a hard shell bed cover, a bed rug underneath and I slip a rod sock over it.

Same for me, hard top, bedrug, and rod gloves. Rod gloves become kind of a pain on the boat as a co-angler though, so I've started leaving them in the truck.

I picked up the "Rod Mule" on one of the TW sales last year, it's a nice product, but again once on the boat it kind gets in the way, so I've just gone back to using the neoprene straps to keep them together from truck to boat, etc. Usually 5 rods, sometimes 6.

If stored in the bed, definitely carry them butt towards the cab. I've learned the hard way, previous boat didn't have rod boxes so I often carried rods in the bed of the truck. Carrying tip forward resulted in several broken rod tips resulting from sudden "brake checks". Also anything in the back of a open truck is an easy target for theft. I have lost several items just stopping long enough to eat lunch over the years.

Went to Home Depot and got a 4 inch thin wall 10 foot PVC pipe. Cut to fit where the rods would fit the longest rod up to the reels. Put rod socks on the rod and slide them in. It will hold 5 to 6 rods. It keeps them in a nice group and from moving around the back of the truck. If pulling the boat they are put in the rod boxes.

I just put them in the bed of the truck, no issues. 2016 tundra, with undercover cover. Never had an issue, can't imagine i will unless in a wreck. In which case I've got bigger issues.

In 12 years of hauling rods in the back of my truck, I’ve only broken 3 (same incident and it was 100% me being a dummy).
Next truck will be a longbed for sure, but I want to eventually get a rod locker like some of the pro’s use, but I don’t want to put a cap and loose my bed so until I come up with a mounting solution, they’ll travel in the bed or in the boat.

Pro tip: buy your rods at academy and exchange them no questions asked.