Product Review: Rod Carrier by Lakeside Collection

It is rare that I get all yackity shmackity about gear or highlight certain products. But I am always looking for new fishing stuff and even invent some of my own now and then. Even though I do not receive any official endorsements from these products, I still may give out a product review on these items from time. In this post I am reviewing a rod carrier from Lakeside Collection.

The fishing rod holder is a great idea and can make the multiple rod carrying action a breeze. The Lakeside Collection model is kind of like a golf bag for your fishing poles and a crazy cool variation on the flexible carrying case for multiple rods made by Cotswold and others. I will go over some of the details from a few of my field tests and try to cover some of the highlights for you.

(Above: Field test of the rod carrier on Clear Creek. I like the fact I can fish hands free while carrying many rods of various types on my back.)

This rod carrier carries 6 rods on one side 32x6x2 pouch on the other side. The Lakeside version allows for more cargo space with a large hollow opening in the center. It is lightweight and easy to use. As far as rod carriers go this model has a lot of advantages in mobility versus models that are mainly designed for boat or vehicle transport. The product is easy to use and reliable. None of my rods spilled out during the field tests and exceeded my expectations in a lot of ways.

(Above: Top of the unit with the rod holder attachments. Velcro straps and the padded fabric keep rods safe and secure without scratching.)

The drawbacks are the nylon fabric at the top of the unit along with some of the stitching. In order to bring this product into the 29.99 price range you can tell they skimped on some of the durability. This product won’t handle a lot of bushwhacking nor is it 100% waterproof. The bottom portion is canvas and about 50% waterproof. The Velcro attachments are not as sturdy as I would like but functional. With some gentle care this product could last a long time.

(Above: The whole unit measures 4’ x 1’, This picture gives a good view of the bottom rod holders more suitable to spin or bait cast rods. Lure covers are recommended for treble hooks. The first few field tests encountered some snag ups without the use of lure covers.)

Overall this product offers a lot of multi-rod mobility with some extra cargo space to boot. This model is not perfect for all situations but I can see a lot of applications where this unit will come in handy.

Now for the bad news. The product is currently discontinued after selling out the first inventory run in a few months. It is my hope and belief that this product will be back on the website once they step up production or get inventories back up to par.

http://www.lakeside.com/catalog.asp?Ntt=fishing+rod+holder&N=36+301&Ne=291

Lakeside is a website\warehouse that features all kinds of stuff and not known for their outdoor gear. I stumbled across this site while looking for something completely different and was fortunate to get one shipped to me.

A similar product is listed below:

http://www.cabelas.com/cabelas/en/templates/links/link.jsp?type=product&cmCat=Related_IPL_016555&id=0001994010319a