How To Make A Fishing Rod Holder? Best DIY Rod Rack 2023

Anyone that loves fishing will have multiple fishing rods. This isn’t a statement but a fact. So you need a rod holder, but how to make a fishing rod holder in the first place? In this article, you learn how to make a fishing rod holder in 2 ways. But first, you will learn the main parts of making a fishing rod holder. 

Making a fishing rod holder is interesting because you can easily DIY it to make it your own. There are dozens of ways to make fishing pole holders, and each can be quite unique in its own way. As such, many people think that building one on your own can be quite tricky. Our steps will help you learn how easy it is to make a fishing rod holder yourself.

The first step we will discuss is the main parts of making any fishing rod holder. Here you will get a broad overview of building holders for your fishing rod. Then you will find out how to make a fishing rod holder with storage. And finally, we will talk about is making a fishing rod holder is even worth it compared to buying one.

This article is meant to be your one-stop article on all things fishing rod holder DIY. So let’s not wait any longer and get into building a fishing rod holder.

How to make a basic fishing rod holder?

Before you build one, you need to know the main parts of a fishing rod holder and what to do to make one. These are steps anyone and everyone will need to follow to make any fishing rod holder.

For your benefit, we have split these parts into five steps which are written to be easy to understand. Here are the 5 main parts of making a fishing rod holder:

Step one: Measurements

Before you do anything or make anything, you need to make some measurements to figure out how big it will be and where you will place it. To decide on the shape and size of your DIY rod holder, you need to measure the length and diameter of your fishing rods. 

Use these measurements to create a blueprint or template for your future rod rack. Remember that these measurements must be done carefully, so your holder isn’t misshaped or doesn’t fit where you want it to. Also, your template can change, so be prepared to make adjustments multiple times while building the fishing rod rack.

Step two: Cutting the parts

Once you have made accurate measurements for all the parts of your DIY rod rack, you can start cutting each part. If you are using wood planks, then you need to make cuts precisely without splinters. If you make a PVC fishing rod holder, you need to cut the PVC pipes while making the cut as smooth as possible. 

Furthermore, each cut piece needs to be cleaned before you move on to attaching all the pieces and completing the build. Even if you need to make adjustments, later on, cut the pieces according to the measurement you have made presently. If you make adjustments, you can cut new pieces or adjust the ones you have cut.

Step three: Attach everything

You are now on the way to making your own fishing rod holder, and to do so, you need to attach all the cut pieces. It would be best if you used wood glue for wooden pieces, and for PVC pieces, use PVC cement to attach pieces together.

Once you have attached the pieces with wood glue or PVC cement, you must wait some time to allow the glue or cement to dry. During this time, you must keep the pieces in a dry and well-lit area, preferably under the sun. Also, please don’t touch or move the pieces; otherwise, they won’t stay attached or set correctly.

Step four: Drilling the holes

Depending on the type of fishing rack you are building, you might need to drill some mounting holes. Certain fishing pole holders can be mounted on the wall or surface. You will need to drill these DIY fishing pole racks and clean them carefully. 

If you want to hang these fishing rod holders, you will need to attach hooks to these mounting holes. Follow our how-to-attach pieces method mentioned previously and wait for them to dry thoroughly.

Step five: Painting the rod holder

The final step of making any fishing rod rack or holder is to paint them in your desired colors. If you wanted to, you could also decorate them how you want. Just make sure that you use the appropriate type of paint. 

For wooden fish rod holders, you need to use wood-safe paint, and for PVC pole holders, use paint that will stick to PVC properly.

At this point, you know how to make a fishing rod holder regardless of type or purpose. The five steps we have discussed above apply to most fish rod holders. 

However, it’s time to learn how to make a fishing rod holder holding fishing poles and storing all your fishing accessories simultaneously. This is our favorite type of rod holder and one that many of us have built for ourselves and others.

How to make a fishing rod holder with storage?

Step 1:

To make a fishing rod holder with storage, you must collect or buy various materials and tools before building it. Therefore we will share with you all the materials and tools you will need to build a fishing pole holder with storage. 

Material:

• Wood boards
• Wooden screws
• Wood glue
• Stain
• Linseed oil
• Glossy or shiny fabric
• Design
• 4 screws for mounting
• 4 copper screw covers (Option)

Power tools:

• Saws (Multiple types)
• Drill
• Sandpaper
• Dremel with burr bits

Additional tools:

• Pencil
• Ruler
• Countersink
• Gloves
• Brushes
• Carbon paper
• Glue gun
• Clamps

Step 2:

Once you have collected all the materials, you can start properly building the fishing pole holder. Firstly you will need to collect the wooden boards and then measure and mark the boards. We used a width of 16.5 cm and a thickness of 1.2 cm. You are, however, allowed to follow your own measurement.

To cut these boards, you will need a miter saw or use a circular saw for different widths. You will need to cut three separate pieces. 

• Side shelves
• “Trout” board
• Rod shelf

Each of these pieces will have different measurements.

Step 3:

In this step, you will cut the side shelf, and you can use two methods; using a hole saw or a Jigsaw. You can cut following either or both methods to cut the side shelf. We will share both methods, and you can follow whichever you want.

Holesaw method:

1. Print your pattern.
2. Center the board.
3. Add the desired amount of rod slots.
4. Cut out the pattern.
5. Draw the pattern on the board.
6. Cut the board with a jigsaw. Use a sharp saw blade.

Jigsaw method:

1. Print and cut out your pattern.
2. Draw it on the boards.
3. Follow the pattern smoothly with the jigsaw.

Step 4:

Now that you have cut all the pieces, you will sand them individually with sandpaper. We recommend you start with 120 grit and move up to 240 grit. Remember to sand every side of the cut pieces, even around the edges. Also, ensure that there are no splinters in the cut parts.

Step 5:

Here is one of the fun steps of making a fishing rod holder with storage; curving the designs. For example, add a trout or bass fish to your fishing pole holder. To curve these designs, you will need to print them out and cut them. Afterward, you will need to draw them out on the board.

Now you can use an electric saw or a jigsaw to cut the design and keep the edges clean. Then use sandpaper to sand down the design while smoothing the edges and removing the splinters.

To make your design stand out even more, you can use a Dremel tool with a burr attachment to give it a better look. You can angle the burr along the outer lines for a freestanding feel. Use a ball burr on the Dremel tool for a 3d effect and detail. Sand everything again to clean it up.

Step 6:

With all the parts cut and cleaned, you will drill holes and make the joints with dowel pins. You can use wood screws and pins if you are afraid of metal dowel pins. For a better idea of how to use them, here is a video:

Step 7:

Once you have attached the dowel pins, it’s crunch time because we need to check if we can assemble them. Put the pieces together carefully and see if they line up properly. It doesn’t need to be perfect. Use wood glue on the dowel tips and edges when you want to fit them after checking them.

With a bit of pressure, the parts should fit and if some glue spills out, use a towel or cloth to wipe them. Use clamps to keep the pressure and work on other pieces.

Step 8:

You must drill some mounting holes if you want to mount your fishing rod holder on walls or other surfaces. We recommend you drill the holes symmetrically and about 5 cm away from the edges. It would be best if you used a countersink on the holes you have drilled so that screws can be flushed with the board. 

Step 9:

Now the time has come to stain each board with your desired color; personally, I like walnut. Use a towel or cloth to stain the rack and additional designs. For the corners, mounting holes, and other hard to get to places, use a brush.

Step 10:

You can use a paintbrush to color additional details to make your designs, such as fish. Please keep them in an open and dry place to dry completely. To make them shiny, rub them with boiled linseed oil.

Step 11:

Since everything is assembled and colored, it’s time to mount it on walls. You will need some screws, wooden will work, and a level to mount them. Check to ensure the whole thing is leveled and will hang safely. Place some weighted things to check it. 

Step 12:

All your hard work has paid off, and you can stand back and take it all in. In under a day, you have built your own fishing rod holder that looks amazing wherever it may be hung. It can even work as a great Christmas Day gift for an enthusiastic fisherman or angler.

Should I make a fishing rod holder or buy one?

Even though you can make a homemade fishing rod holder, you might ask yourself do I need to. So to answer this important and necessary question, we have listed some common pros and cons of building your own fishing rod holder.

Benefits

Cheap to make

One of the biggest advantages of making your own rod holders is that they are cheap. Many fishing rod holders can be built with scraps and only require handheld tools like jigsaws. 

It doesn’t take too long to make

With the steps mentioned above, you won’t even need to spend more than a day building your fishing pole holder. Our method of making a DIY rod holder is easy enough, even for novices or beginners. 

Very customizable

Since you are making your own DIY fishing rod rack, you can make it look however you want, from size to color and even to unique details; it’s all up to you. Use your imagination to its fullest when building your homemade rod rack.

It can be small or big

Similar to the customization, you have complete control over the size of your DIY fishing rod holder plans. If your space is available, make yours bigger and if you need to place the pole holder someplace tiny, make yours small. It doesn’t matter how big or small as long as you can place your rods in or on them.

Drawback

The holder might be rickety

Since you are making the fishing pole holder yourself there could be a chance it’s not entirely sturdy. This is especially true if you use something as flimsy as PVC pipes and fittings. Even if you use PVC cement to attach the pieces, they might fall if you place too many things on them. 

Therefore you should ensure that it can hold all your fishing rods and accessories before you hang it permanently. And remember to never place heavyweight things in or on it.

Not safe for kids

If you make your fishing rod holder using wood or PVC, double ensure-that all sides and pieces are smooth and without splinters. Also, if you can hang your fishing rod holder, hang it high enough that your kids can’t reach it.

Frequently Asked Questions(FAQs)

Conclusion

If you want to make a fishing rod holder, follow our steps clearly. We have made our steps simple and broad enough that you can make your fishing rod holder as unique as you want. Those who want to shock their friends and family with your fantastic fishing rod holder.