Organize, Projects

Easy Fishing Rod Holder DIY

I’m knee deep in the process of organizing my garage and wanted storage for the tangled mess of fishing poles. Online options range from $20-$230 for fishing rod racks. My easy DIY PVC fishing rod holder was done for less than $10. No joke, this awesome DIY garage organization is both easy and inexpensive.

Before and after of the fishing rod rack.
Left: the before where the hooks and line would always get tangled or the rods would get knocked over. Right: The new fishing rod storage I came up with keeps everything organized and tangle free.

A few other fishing rod holders online inspired me to use PVC. Wandering around the home improvement store, I came up with the idea to get the 2″ diameter, 24″ section of pipe and cut it into thirds. Add end caps to make it look more finished off and then with the use of a few brass cup hooks to hold the top of the rods in place, I knew I was on to something.


Supplies:

  • 2″ diameter PVC pipe cut into 8″ sections
  • 2″ PVC end caps
  • 1″ brass cup hooks
  • Screws with wall anchors
  • Cut off saw, or hack saw
  • Power drill
  • Drill bits, sizes ¼”, 5/32″, and 5/64″
  • Ear Protection
  • Eye protection
  • Measuring tape
  • Level
  • Pencil
  • Phillips head screwdriver
  • Needle nose pliers

Instructions

Step 1:

Measure and mark with the pencil every 8 inches on the 2 inch diameter PVC pipe. Be sure your mark is large enough to easily see.

First measure the pipe than cut with the cut off saw.
1: Measure and mark off every eight inches with the pencil. 2: Use the cut off saw to cut through the pipe at the pencil marks.

Step 2:

Line up the pencil mark with the blade while the saw is off. Be sure to wear protective gear and to read all of the operating instructions before using the power tools. Clamp the PVC pipe with the saw clamp to hold the pipe still while cutting through. Turn the saw on when ready and cut the pipe.

Repeat the process for each section of pipe. If you do not have a cut off saw, no worries. A hack saw, or PVC pipe cutters can be used as well. The cut off saw will leave the cleanest cut edge, but a little sand paper will remove any plastic burrs formed from hand tools.

TIP: 

If your cut edge is less than perfect, just put the PVC end cap on the roughest cut edge to hide any flaws.


Step 3:

Once the PVC pipe is cut into sections, add the end caps.

TIP:

Have all bar codes and printed marking on the PVC pipe and end caps lined up on the same side. These markings can face towards the wall later and give a cleaner look to the PVC storage when finished.

Cap one end of each cut PVC pipe section.
Add the end caps to the cut PVC pipe sections.

Step 4:

Use the pencil and measuring tape to mark three inches from the top edge (edge with out the cap) on the side opposite any printing.

Use the ¼ inch drill bit to drill through one side of the pipe at the pencil mark you made three inches from the top edge. This hole is important because this is where the screwdriver will reach through to tighten the screw to secure the PVC to the wall.

TIP:

Put a scrap piece of wood underneath where you are drilling to protect both the bit and your work surface.

Drill hole three inches down from the top edge with the 1/4 inch drill bit.
Mark and drill hole on one side of the PVC pipe, three inches down from the top edge.

 


Step 5:

Once all of the ¼ inch holes are drilled, remove the bit. Put the bit through the hole that was just drilled until it touches the opposite side of the PVC pipe. Use your pencil to mark the vertical center of the drill bit onto the outside of the pipe. Determine this line by looking down through the top of the pipe so you can see both the bit and the pencil. When they line up, make the mark.

Remove the drill bit from the pipe and put the bit away.

Mark the center of the drill bit for the opposite hole in the pipe.
Mark the vertical center of the drill bit on the outside and opposite pipe wall from the hole that was just drilled.

Step 6:

Using the tape measure and pencil on the outside of the PVC pipe, locate the vertical mark and make a horizontal mark three inches down from the top edge. The two lines should intersect. This intersection marks where you will drill with the 5/32 inch drill bit.

The size of the bit will be determined by the width of the screw that you are using. I used metal drywall anchors and screws that came in a larger box that we had from previous home improvement projects. Your screw and anchor size may vary, adjust your drill bit size accordingly.

Mark your PVC pipe three inches down from the top edge so that it intersects with the previous mark you made. That 'X' marks the spot to drill.
Mark your PVC pipe three inches down from the top edge so that it intersects with the previous mark you made. That ‘X’ marks the spot to drill.

 


Step 7:

Once the smaller holes are drilled, put aside the power drill.

Using the needle nosed pliers, grab the screw near its head and hold firmly.

Put the pointy end of the screw into the smaller drilled hole from the inside of the pipe. Hold in place with the needle nosed pliers and use the Phillips head screwdriver to screw in to the pipe wall until the screw tip pokes through slightly on the outside of the PVC pipe.

This prepares the screw and pipe for attaching it to the wall and makes things a little easier at step 8.

Using the needle nosed pliers, hold the screw in place while the Phillip's head screwdriver secures the screw part way into the pipe wall.
Using the needle nosed pliers, hold the screw in place while the Phillip’s head screwdriver secures the screw part way into the pipe wall.

Step 8:

On the wall: Find a comfortable distance from the floor and baseboard for the base of the fishing rod storage. I was roughly eight inches from the top of the baseboard. Use the level to draw a straight line on the wall. Since this is the garage and it was already a scuffed wall, I was not too concerned with pencil marks being left behind. You could use chalk to mark the wall so it will wipe off later.

Once the horizontal level line was drawn, I marked three vertical spots at six inch increments.

Using the small 5/64 inch drill bit (you can use whatever small sized drill bit you have) I made a pilot hole at each mark. The purpose of the pilot hole was to see if there was a wood stud behind the sheetrock. If there was a wood stud, there would be no need for the anchor. The screw could go right into the wood stud with no worry of it pulling out.

Use the anchors if necessary.

Mark a level line, measure equal distances and insert anchors as needed. Then screw pipes to wall.
Mark a level line, measure equal distances and insert anchors as needed. Then screw pipes to wall.

Line the tip of the screw that is poking out of the pipe up with the wall anchor. Going through the large hole, use the screwdriver to screw the pipe firmly in place. That hole thing is making more sense now, isn’t it?

Repeat until all of the pipe sections are mounted. This will hold the handles of the fishing rods. The end caps really aren’t necessary but I think it looks nicer and more finished off. If you really want to get fancy, you could spray paint the PVC pipe before mounting it to the wall.

The PVC securely mounted at equal distances to the wall. Looking good!
The PVC securely mounted at equal distances to the wall. Looking good!

 


Step 9:

Technically the fishing poles are stored off of the floor, but the tops are still a bit wild. To keep the fishing rods nice, neat and orderly, there is one last step to the storage.

Use the level near the tops of the fishing rods once placed in the PVC storage cylinders.

Mark three horizontal lines near where the fishing poles are. Next, hold the fishing poles straight and mark vertical lines when they are centered.

At the cross marks, screw in the 1 inch brass cup hooks until the base is flush with the wall. I put the hooks at about a 45° angle to securely hold the poles. Catch the fishing poles into the hooks by way of the open side of the hooks.

TIP:

Once one mark is made you can measure the other marks every 6 inches. That is the same spacing as the PVC base and will help to keep the spacing even and straight.

Use the level and tape measure to mark where the hooks will go. Once the hooks are inserted into the wall, the fishing pole ends are straight and contained.
Use the level and tape measure to mark where the hooks will go. Once the hooks are inserted into the wall, the fishing pole ends are straight and contained.

 


Finished product of the fishing pole rack storage system.
Look at how much better the fishing poles look with this organization.

The great thing about this type of fishing pole organization is that you can expand the storage if needed. Some racks come with a set number of fishing poles it can hold. This fishing pole storage can be added to at any time for only a few dollars. My boys would have loved doing this project and I feel slightly guilty that I did it when they were in school. They will just have to get more fishing poles and then they can add on to the storage themselves.

I am so excited to get another part of my garage organization completed. It feels even better that this saved me money and was something that I came up with on my own. Soon the garage will be completely organized and I can post about that process too! In the meantime, enjoy making your house a home. 💙


More “Get It Together” Posts:

10 Easy, No Skill Needed, Ways to Organize and Update Your Home

Nerf Gun Storage on a Wire Grid Wall

Paint Supply Check List

How Much Paint Do I Need?

So…What is a Paint Sheen?

Look Like You Know What You Are Talking About at the Paint Store

2020 Paint Color Trend for the Top Brands

Q&A About Color with a Professional Interior Designer 

12 Tips for Organization

Chalkboard Pantry Door Shopping List

Affordable Garage Organization

Small Tool Organization for the Wall

DIY Simple Power Tool Charging Station

How To Fix a Hole in a Hollow Core Door

Troubleshoot Why the Dishwasher is not Draining

Add a Keypad for Your Garage Entry in Minutes (video)

4 thoughts on “Easy Fishing Rod Holder DIY”

    1. Depending on the ages and abilities of the grandkids, this could easily be a project that they help out with or even do themselves. The saw is the only part that I would insist be done by an adult. Other than that, a perfect way to store the fishing rods. I even had someone comment on the Facebook page that it would work well for their son’s baseball bats. So many possibilities!

  1. Perfect storage idea for a narrow space in the garage.. One suggestion: if using end caps at the bottom of the PVC. pipe, drill a 1/4 in. hole in the center of the cap to allow any water to drain. Especially important if the tackle is rinsed before storage.

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.