If you’re a serious fisherman, your gear is important to you, and it needs to be stored safely in a secure location. However, there’s no doubt that a collection of rods and reels can start to clutter up the inside of your house. Is garage storage an option for you? Take a look at a few tips for turning your garage into a suitable storage space for your favorite fishing gear.
Climate Control
If you’re going to store fishing gear in your garage, the first thing that you need to consider is the temperature fluctuations in your garage. Fishing poles don’t necessarily need to be stored in an air-conditioned space, but extreme heat or cold can be bad for fishing poles – the temperatures can damage plastics, resins, rubber, clear coating, and adhesives.
Consider insulating your garage to help ensure that the temperatures stay constant. A ventilation fan can help heat escape and prevent the space from becoming too humid.
Vertical Storage
Rods should always be stored vertically instead of horizontally. When fishing rods are stored vertically, it’s too easy for them to bend, which can lead to an unwelcome change of shape. Storing your rods vertically keeps the base of the rod centered and preserves its shape.
An easy way to store your rods vertically in your garage is to put up slatwall paneling. You can easily attach a storage rack to your slatwall panel, allowing you to safely store your rods in an upright position where they won’t be tripped over.
Slatwall panels are also useful for other types of gear that you can hang. Nets, jackets, vests, and hats can all go on hooks. You can also add hanging shelves and baskets for storing other things, like shoes or tackle boxes. Arrange all the fishing gear in the same area, so that it’s easy to find. Make sure that you never hang anything very heavy above or immediately adjacent to your rods. If the heavy equipment falls down, you don’t want it to knock your rods off of the wall or land on top of them.
Cabinetry
For smaller items, you need a good cabinet with organized drawers for storage. You can divide small items, like lures, sinkers, and hooks, into empty glass jars with lids. That way, they’ll be easy to find and you won’t impale yourself searching for a hook.
Reels need to be cleaned thoroughly before storage. Moisture, salt, and sand residue can damage them. Once they’ve been cleaned and dried, place them in plastic bags before putting them away in the cabinet. Make sure that the plastic bags have holes to allow moisture to escape.
Coils of fly line should be stored in a drawer with dividers. Fly line can tangle easily if several coils are too close to each other. If you have a large empty drawer, you can use thin plywood or even cardboard to make divided spaces for each one. Wrap the fly line moderately tightly around the coil and place it in its individual space.
With a little work, your garage can be the perfect space for your fishing gear. To find out more about renovating your garage, schedule your free design consultation.
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