Codfathers Top 10 Tips to prevent loosing your Jetski Rods & Reels

Loosing a Fishing Rod and Reel is very unpleasant and very expensive. If you haven't done it yet on your Jetski you will, that is almost guaranteed. Its the nature of the environment. Wet, bumpy, rough conditions  and slippery hands are a recipe for disaster. Rod Holders coming loose or breaking are another example of how we may loose a Rod & Reel, and of course the classic. "I will just put it there for a second even though I shouldn't" scenario. The famous balancing your Rod & Reel on the edge of your Jetski knowing that you shouldn't as it could (and will) fall off into the deep blue abyss. You know what I mean! All the fore mentioned words are pretty much a guarantee that one day you will loose your pride and joy if you are not careful.

All of the above incidents usually happen while we are out at sea, and to be honest most could be classed as accidents and may have been out of our control and genuinely an accident. We can however take extra precautions and limit the chances of loosing our Rods & Reels whilst what I consider is the highest risk area and that is in the surf zone. So many times I have seen guys loose expensive tackle in the surf. A few times up to six Rods & Reels. Now that's a lot of cash! Loosing Rods & Reels can be easily prevented by fitting Rod Holder Elastic Hold Downs. This is a very simple system that you can either purchase from us or very easily make your own. Full details here Rod Holder Elastic Hold Downs   

Rod Holders are a great accessory and a must on any Fishing Jetski

Another sure way of loosing a Rod or two is to leave them lying around after you have finished fishing. There are so many things on your mind when you finish fishing your mind is constantly working and its so easy to lean a Rod & Reel up against a wall or another vehicle and simply drive off and forget about them. What I have found is a good idea is to make a Rod Holder for transporting and storing Rods & Reels and its also a great platform to keep your Rods & Reels together while cleaning and hosing them down after fishing. Here's how to make one Portable Rod & Tackle Holder 

Theft of course could be a problem and expensive Rods & Reels on view in a vehicle or left untended is an invitation for a thief to help themselves to your prized tackle collection. I would suggest keeping all Rods & Reels safely locked on your vehicle or hidden away in a Trailer Rod Holder like these Trailer Rod Holder

 Codfathers Top 10 tips to prevent loosing your Jetski rods & Reels

Tip #1 Always tie down your Rods & Reels in the surf zone and when travelling form reef to reef with a Rod Holder Elastic Hold Downs   

Tip #2 Always tie down your Rods & Reels in the surf zone and when travelling form reef to reef with a Rod Holder Elastic Hold Downs

Tip #3 Always use a Rod Leash when fishing

Tip #4 Use quality Rod Holders like a Scotty or a Railblaza. Budget Rod Holders are ok if you do not fish tight drags

Tip #5 Don't put your Rod down just for a second where it doesn't look safe!

Tip #6 Use a plastic BG type internally mounted Rod Holder when fishing deep lipped lures as they may break Scotty & Railblazas

Tip #7 When travelling store your Rods in your vehicle or in a purpose built Rod Carrying Box which fits on your Jetski Trailer.

Tip #8 Dont leave your Rods lying around or leaning against a car or a wall unattended where they can be easily stolen

Tip #9 When travelling with your Jetski on your trailer remove the Rods from your cages as they could catch on overhanging trees, fences, overhead wires, cables etc. Been there done that!

Tip #10 Finally make sure that you insure your tackle. Speak to the nice people at Club Marine as they specialise in Marine insurance. Club Marine Insurance

Tight Lines

Codfather

Jetski Rod Holder Elastic Tie Downs

As mentioned in a previous article Top 10 Tips an ideal way to stop you from loosing your valuable Jetski Rods & Reels is to secure them safely with Elastic Tie Downs, as pictured above. There are a choice of two to choose from and both have their advantages and disadvantages.

Firstly the quick "Loop Over Type"

This type is very easy to make. This is what you require....

• 4mm Shock Cord Elastic
• 8mm Heat Shrink Tube
• Medium size Cable Tie Wraps
• Medium size because it gives the Heat Shrink Tubing something to grip onto.
• Pliers
• Lighter.

Firstly burn the ends of the Shock Cord Elastic so it doesn't fray. Slide on the Heat Shrink Tubing over the Shock Cord Elastic. You can use 2 pieces also. One on top of the other to make it more durable.

Overlap the two pieces of Elastic and join with 3 Cable Tie Wraps. Pull the Cable Tie Wraps tight and cut the ends off as close as possible so there is less chance of the plastic damaging the Heat Shrink Tubing.

Slide the Heat Shrink Tubing over the Cable Tie Wraps. If it is tight use a pair of Long Nose Pliers (see picture below) to widen the Heat Shrink Tubing.

Heat up with your lighter until it shrinks neatly onto the Cable Ties 

Voila....And there you have it. Protection from stopping your Rods going for a trip into the Ocean. Just hook onto your reel. A cheap and cost effective solution!

Secondly the "Hook Over Type"

The Hook Over Type Fasteners are definitely stronger but are a little bit more complicated as you will need to source the Stainless Steel Clips. If you can't give me a shout. I would definitely use this type for larger rods like Popping Rods where your Spinning Reel (Coffee grinder Reel) is much higher in the air. This type will also stop the Rod spinning around when launching and travelling. This is also a very simple way of securing your Rods once you have made them. The idea of this design is to fasten the Elastic Shock Cord Permanently to your Jetski Cage and simply hook the Elasticated Clips over your Reel and fasten to the bottom part of your Cage. 

You will need the following

• Stainless Hooks
• Cable Tie Wraps Medium Size 
• 6mm Elastic Shock Cord
• 8mm Heat Shrink Tube
• Pliers
• Lighter

To make Hook Over Type Elastic Tie Downs simply get some 6mm Elasticated Shock Cord and either use a single piece and join it with Cable Ties like in the previous design or double the Elasticated Shock Cord and attach a Stainless Hook to each end. You can also use Heat Shrink Tube to make it look neater.

You simply Make a U shape and push the Elastic Shock Cord through the end of the clip and then push the tag end through the U shape. Pull tight and tie loose end with a Cable Tie for extra safety.

This is what it looks like when you use the Hook Type

Remember to check the Elastic Tie Downs before every trip. Or why not double up on them, especially when launching your Jetski in the surf zone. 

Better safe then sorry. I welcome comments below.....

Tight Lines.

Codfather.

Jetski Scotty Type Flush Mounted Rod Holder Black

These Rod Holders are ideal to mount on your Tubbys, Fast Pods, Jet Wings, Pontoons.

Avaiable in Black or White and Surface Mounted or Flush Mounted

Dont forget your Rod Leash!

Jetski Scotty Type Surface Mounted Rod Holder

These Rod Holders are ideal to mount on your Tubbys, Fast Pods, Jet Wings, Pontoons.

Avaiable in Black or White and Surface Mounted or Flush Mounted

Dont forget your Rod Leash!

PVC Rod Holder Protectors

Dont you just love it when you can make something that works great for just a small amount of time, money and effort? Well here is something that is easily made from a piece of plumbing PVC pipe. The original idea came about due to the fact that the standard size Stainless Steel Rod Holders are often too large for the type of Rod you are using. If you tie your Rod down, as you should! the risk of damaged caused by the Rod being pulled to one side is very high. Not to mention that the Rod and Reel often bang about from side to side when in the surf zone or travelling form reef to reef. To combat this problem I started to make PVC inserts that make the inside diameter of your Rod Holder a smaller size which would be better suited to the size of Rod you would be using.  

 ps If you dont like D.I.Y. or don't have the time to make these just contact me. Details in the last paragraph and I will make them for you!

OK Let's get cracking!........

Step #1 First of all you would need to cut a length of PVC pipe which fits inside your Stainless Steel Pipe. Don't worry if it is slightly smaller, you can add a few wraps of some tape so it's a nice tight fit. Cut the length slighty longer than you will require. The reason for this is that it is harder to flare the end but easy to cut the bottom so if you don't get it right first time you can try again.

Step #2 After cutting your length of PVC pipe heat up the end of the pipe with a hot air gun until the PVC starts to go soft and then press the Tow Ball firmly into the top of the Pipe. This will cause the PVC pipe to flare and as if by magic it is exactly the right shape to fit inside your Stainless Steel Rod Holder. 

Step #3 Cut the Pipe to the correct overall length of the Stainless Steel Rod Holder. 

Step #4 If there is a pin (small bar) at the base of your Stainless Steel Rod Holder as shown in the picture below you will need to use a small round file or a drill and make a half circle cut out in the P.V.C. Pipe. This bar at the bottom is for Rods which have slots in the bottom of the Rod gimbal to stop the Rod turning in the Rod Holder.

Step #5 Make sure the P.V.C. insert is tight in the Stainless rod Holder. If not wrap any type of tape a few times round the P.V.C. Pipe and it will fit like a glove

That's it! If you made it this far you should now have the correct size Rod Holder for your Rod. If not See below 

Each and every Rod Holder is a different diameter and a different length so all are custom made. If you want some making just let me know the I.D. (inside diameter) of your Stainless Steel Rod Holders, and the length. Order here This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.

Tight Lines

Codfather