Like most outdoorsman my age (think approaching 50) I have accumulated a lot of fishing gear over the years. Rod and reel combos, lures, marker buoys and other miscellaneous odds and ends that take up a fair bit of space in my garage.
Every few years I try to tidy it up, purge a few things and make the pile seem not quite as big (lest my wife know how much I have truly spent on gear!) Two summers ago I decided to tackle (pun intended) the job once more. I was starting to get a bit worried that my rods could be in a better spot than where they were stacked in one far corner of the garage and I began my search for a rod rack. Eventually I landed on this tackle station from Bass Pro Shops https://www.basspro.com/shop/en/bass-pro-shops-tackle-station
The Specs
The Bass Pro Shops Tackle Station is a straight forward set up – rods and reels clip onto the sides and there are a series of shelves for other odds and ends. Here is the full spiel from the Bass Pro website:
Consolidate! Now you can efficiently contain your gear all in one place; our Bass Pro Shops® Tackle Station is the ultimate mobile fishing tackle organizer. Not only can it hold up to 12 rod-and-reel combos in a safe upright position, it's also designed to store as many as 28 full-size (3700) utility boxes. Rubber clips keep rods securely in place; the Tackle Station is also equipped with casters for easy mobility, making it perfect for your garage or boat house. Adjustable shelf for customizing storage space per your specific needs.
· Dimensions: 35"H x 30"W x 16"D. Assembly required.
· Keeps your fishing gear well organized
· Holds 12 rod combos and 28 large utility boxes
· Rubber rod clips for safe upright rod storage
· Adjustable shelf
· Casters for easy mobility
· Perfect for garage or boat house
The Review
Quality
Great: I have been impressed so far with the overall quality of the unit. No wear and tear on the rubber rod clips yet, no jam on the wheels and the shelves are quite sturdy. Living where I do in Ontario it can get quite cold in the winter and humid in the summer but the unit still looks like new.
Functionality
Great! I am going to break this into a few different chunks:
Rod Holders– great. My rods stay secure and even when I need to re position the rack to get at something in the garage, they stay secure. I do want to call out that I did find that my 7 foot 4 inch musky rod was a tight fit and tended to pop out of the clip more – so if you chase the water wolf this may not be for you. For my 6 to 7 foot spinning rods and casting rods it has been great!
Shelves – excellent. When you put this unit together you get 3 shelves to use. I really like this feature – while I can’t put all of my tackle on it I do keep the gear that I use most often (kayak tray, cottage bag and fly in trip bag). I also have a large Tupperware container on it where I store odds and ends like line, rod socks, spare reels, pliers, scent and so forth.
Assembly – easy. Like many products today this unit comes in pieces and you will need to put it together. I am no Bob Villa, my wife is the handy one in our household but I put this up in maybe 10 minutes. The instructions are easy to follow, all of the hardware needed was supplied and an idiot like me was fine so I am sure you will be as well.
Price: Good to Great: I picked this unit up for around $70 Canadian which so far, I am calling a great deal. I had bought a cheaper rack years ago and it did not last at all. I am sure if you are handy and so inclined you can make something for yourself but for me (idiot) I was happy to spend the $$ for this unit.
Recommend
Yes – I would totally recommend this rack. If you want something sturdy to store your rods and a bit of gear, I think its an excellent choice. So far mine has stood up to two Canadian winters without any signs of damage at all. Most importantly 7 fishing rods on a rack, well organized look like less fishing rods than 7 rods stacked in a corner which has really helped my marriage!
Cheers
Andrew
PS - as always I am not affiliated or motivated in any way with any of the brands reviewed (Open to it though lol)