We are constantly seeking out stuff to make our fishing habit a little more easy to manage. From tackle storage to rod protection, there are a lot of things we invest in to keep our gear working for years and decades of fishing. I recently stumbled across another product for rods called a Rod Steward that I thought other anglers might find useful.
I have a pile of rods thanks to my job of reviewing tackle. It’s necessary to keep them handy and swap them out for different shoots and when the bite changes. But I end up having a lot tangled up in a corner and sometimes have even gotten broken. It’s also not good for graphite to be stored in corner with a bend in it. As the weather changes the rods can “take on” that bend and become that way permanently.
The Rod Steward is a foam rod storage system that is another one of those simple, “why-didn’t-I-think-of-that” products. Simply put a block of foam is cut, sealed and shaped to fit your needs and can even be custom printed with your logo of choice for a nominal fee.
I bought two of the Rod Stewards from Michael Manos after I saw one of his storage blocks at my local tackle store, Bass & Gas. This block was for their Daiwa display but I saw the Rod Steward logo on the back and gave them a call. Turns out they make a wide range of rod storage blocks in various configurations from 6 rods up to 60 rods.
I opted for 2 of the 20-rod models they had in stock, rather than waiting for ones to be made. Obviously if you have one custom made there will be added time and expense. But I love the ones I got. I believe mine were $40 a piece plus shipping. But I’m literally holding 40 combos now in a space that takes up maybe 30 inches by 40 inches in my garage.
The Rod Steward can be ordered with 1 inch holes or up to 2 inch holes if you want a looser fit. Mine had 1 inch holes, and a couple of my rods had large rod butt caps on them that made them very snug. You just put your foot on the corner of the Rod Steward and the rod pulls right out. The rods with narrower rod butts fit nicely into the holder. The rods stand up straight and there was no issue with the Rod Steward tipping.
When I looked at it I noticed all the weight was down around the handle and reel. There really isn’t much weight at the top of the rod blank. So you can take several rods out and it doesn’t really get out of balance.
I priced some wood rod storage racks and they were $60 and $70 and stored about half as many rods. The Rod Steward was ready to go right out of the package. Put it on the floor and fill it up with rods and reels.
Prices vary depending on size and how many rods you want store and if you need custom logos on it.
I protect my rods with The Rod Glove sleeves, Tacklewarehouse.com reel covers and the Rod Steward will now keep rods from getting bent or mashed when not in the boat.
To learn more about the Rod Steward, visit rodsteward.net and if you order some, tell them Wired2fish sent you.
