So with the craziness of the world right now, I don’t have any work going on and plenty of time to fish. I built a new rod for myself a few weeks ago and decided to take it out for its maiden trip. Put on a brand new Stradic CI4 and new line yesterday morning. Slipped it into a nylon rod sleeve and headed to Lake Michigan for some spring cohos. On the water I keep my good rods tucked on a ledge on the sidewall of my boat, which is where I gently put this rod. Came out of the small boat launch harbor, got up on plane and just as I got up to speed I caught a glimpse of that rod FLYING up and out of the boat. I could not believe what I saw and was certain it was on its way to the bottom. I turned around and saw it was floating, so I spun around quick and raced back. I got it! Couldn’t believe my luck!

Once my panic calmed a bit, it dawned on me that it actually seemed like it was the handle end that was keeping the rod afloat. Seeing as it had already been in the water and my curiosity was piqued, I took the sleeve off and put it back in the water. Sure enough it did float. I knew it was a lightweight rod but had no idea that it’d actually float. I’m sure it isn’t terribly unusual for a rod to float but I hadn’t seen it before.

As for the rod, it worked great but it is still fishless. I had to switch to trolling and cover more water to catch them.



Edited 2 time(s). Last edit at 04/09/2020 10:20AM by Scott Kelly.

RodMaker did an article on making rods float a few years back. It really comes down to volume against the weight needed to be floated. In many cases, a rod alone will easily float but the additional of a reel upsets the matter.

It is not hard to get most freshwater rods to float with little in the way of additional grip diameter or similar to increase volume. Rods fitted with larger and heavier saltwater type reels are a more difficult animal.

And there is always the option of some sort of rod rescue device. RodMaker has published articles on these, too, with some being available commercially and other ideas for devices you can make yourself. The advent of kayak fishing where almost dropped rod will be in the drink, has hastened the demand for rods that can't be lost to the bottom of a river or lake. Custom rod builders should be able to offer their customers some option for either floating a rod or rescuing it should it go overboard.

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Hello All.

Tom I think I got most if not all the articles.

Vol. 11 - Issue 6 - page 10 "Rod Rescue" by Tom Kirkman.

Vol. 11 - Issue 6 - page 15 "Rod RescueR" by Charlie Smoote.

Vol. 17 - Issue 1 - page 22 "Rod Floatation it's about displacement! By Tom Kirkman.

Vol. 18 - Issue 2 - page 12 "An End to Lost Rods?" By www.boomerangretrival.com and Tom Kirkman.

Hope this is helpful.

Tight Wraps & Tighter Lines.

Bob,

New Bern, NC.

Scott,
You were indeed lucky to retrieve the rod! I suspect many rods will float if the ends are sealed to trap air inside. I also suspect after installing a reel, most will find bottom of the body of water in which it was dropped. I have read one article in RM concerning rod floatation devices which prompted brief investigation else ware but none found seemed appealing from a practical perspective = great idea but clumsy, awkward or obtrusive.
We have all probably experienced a rod going overboard; usually an unattended rod left in gear when a fish hits or when snagged on something while drifting or trolling. As Scott explained, I have seen a heavier saltwater rod and reel bounce up and out of the boat while under-way that was not in a holder or otherwise secured.
Allow me to offer a funny, if not a bit pathetic, story about a fishing buddy. I built Steve a rather expensive 30lb saltwater rod; Phenix Black Diamond Hybrid, titanium/Torsite guides (spiral wrapped), multi-colored fade guide wraps with matching tiger wrap in Dorado colors, Alps reel seat, all the best money could buy. Steve purchased a similarly multi colored Avet reel to compliment the rod. The rod turned out beautifully and Steve was pleased and proud. I was unable to attend its maiden voyage to Catalina Island off the So Cal coast a few weeks later in search of yellowtail and possibly WSB. After fishing the rod awhile, Steve cast out again only to, for whatever reason, let everything go, only to watch as his expensive pride-and-joy sink out of sight. With its crystal clear waters and abundant sea life, Catalina Island is a diver’s paradise. They marked the spot on the GPS and went searching for dive-boat. Not too far away, they found a dive boat and asked if anyone would be interested in earning $100.00 to retrieve Steve’s rod and reel. One diver accepted with no guarantee of retrieving the rod and they went back to the infamous, marked spot. As luck would have it, the diver found the rod in about 80 feet of water and reunited it with an embarrassed, and $100.00 poorer, Steve. That rod became even more expensive for Steve.

Mark Talmo
FISHING IS NOT AN ESCAPE FROM LIFE BUT RATHER A DEEPER IMMERSION INTO IT!!! BUILDING YOUR OWN SIMPLY ENHANCES THE EXPERIENCE.