Build a Pole Locker

[BlueSnow]

I'm thinking about building a pole locker as I have had enough with having my stuff just bounce around in the bucket and becoming a tangled mess.  I'm at a blank slate here with only a few ideas from looking at the commercial offerings and was wondering if anyone else has built something like this and if there are any material recommendations.

And of course - do you think a box could be made for less than the cost of a commercial unit?

My thoughts....
 * Capacity - 6 poles
 * Box - 1/4" plywood, painted
 * Hinges - Small brass
 * Handle - Plastic suitcase handle or 3/4" rope
 * How to keep the poles from bouncing all over?  Ideally I would want to be able to flip the box around or drop it and not have everything bang around
 * Spot for tackle?

[Old Goat]

  I have made a couple 36 and 30 in. I got the box hard plastic from Croquet set and volley ball net set. After that I lined the bottom with soft rubber material and cut out place for a 3 rod vertical holder as seperate set for each pole. I keep looking for more but I think etsy has pic on their site mine are green with triangle markings on each end.   


   

[Iceassin]

Well...a couple things.

If you're gonna use wood, a high quality oil based Marine paint should do the trick.

As for rod holders. You could attach wood brackets/supports that are adjustable (for various rod lengths) inside the box. Use pool noodles to slide over rods. Cut notches (slightly smaller than the pool noodles for snug fit) in one of the supports and drill a hole slightly larger than the rod handle in the other. Slide into place.

Or. Instead of wood brackets on the inside, you could use pieces of hard foam about 2" thick. Lighter and easier to form and cut. Move them around as rod length dictates.

[hardwater diehard]

 Hard to beat these ..if not its a good starting point for your design


https://www.amazon.com/Flambeau-4455BB-Rod-Bunk-Box/dp/B01M3NP2G1



https://www.amazon.com/Eagle-Claw-Accessory-Fishing-Combos/dp/B01MXCHY2O/ref=sr_1_2?keywords=Eagle+Claw+Ice+Rod%2FAccessory+Case&qid=1669816331&sr=8-2

[Fisherman 1]

What Iceassin said and then put velrco strips over the slots to keep them in.

[rdhammah]

cabelas has a 6 rod case for $20

[Splattypus]

You can get various kinds of foam at a craft store, trim to shape with a razor knife.

I have a flambeau bunk box, eagle claw makes comparable, both priced less than cost of materials if you were to build your own. That commercially produced molded plastic is tough to beat for weight, and cost. But they're not quite as durable. Building your own would be a fun project, for sure. But with some ingenuity and good Amazon-fu, you can outfit a bunk box really conveniently.

I'm currently toting 3 rods, 2 1lb propane tanks, 3 small tackle boxes, gloves, bait scoop, hole scoop, and an assortment of lights/power banks, and various small accessories in my bunk box. Upside is I can easily shed unwanted supplies, downside is I dont really have a great hole-hoping kit without some extra prep work to trim the fat.

[BlueSnow]

So I have the initial box put together and ready for a maiden voyage tomorrow.  I'm not confident that it is going to be worth the size and weight of the box but this gives you and idea with what the "finished" product looks like.

If I had normal ice reels I think I can get 8 poles into the box

Several things that I don't think are ideal:
 1.  weight - I haven' thrown it on a scale but it is fairly heavy
 2. Size - it takes up a lot of space in the sled, is it better than the two buckets that I normally dumped the rods into
 3. Materials - I used what I had about...I already see the latch being too small, the glue on the clothes pins seems a likely failure point
 4. Proof that a carpenter I am not!
 5. Definitly needs a coat of paint!

[meandcuznalfy]

So I have the initial box put together and ready for a maiden voyage tomorrow.  I'm not confident that it is going to be worth the size and weight of the box but this gives you and idea with what the "finished" product looks like.

If I had normal ice reels I think I can get 8 poles into the box

Several things that I don't think are ideal:
 1.  weight - I haven' thrown it on a scale but it is fairly heavy
 2. Size - it takes up a lot of space in the sled, is it better than the two buckets that I normally dumped the rods into
 3. Materials - I used what I had about...I already see the latch being too small, the glue on the clothes pins seems a likely failure point
 4. Proof that a carpenter I am not!
 5. Definitly needs a coat of paint!

It looks nice, but pretty bulky, especially if your walking.

[BlueSnow]

It looks nice, but pretty bulky, especially if your walking.

Yeah, dimension-wise it is close to what the commercial ones are.  I agree - it seems a bit much.

[meandcuznalfy]

Yeah, dimension-wise it is close to what the commercial ones are.  I agree - it seems a bit much.

I put rod holders on the side of my sled, work great, but still need to go in a bucket when not on the ice, looking at other options now

[meandcuznalfy]

[BlueSnow]

Had it out on the ice today...not worth it for me.  Might use it as a storage/transport box and then pull out the poles I want to use when I get to where I'm going or maybe just use it for summer storage.  An interesting project, but unfortunately one that didn't yield the results I was hoping for.

Thanks for the suggestions!

[Sylvanboat]

Henry Ford bankrupted three companies before he finally figured it out. Endure to persevere.

[Iceassin]

Had it out on the ice today...not worth it for me.  Might use it as a storage/transport box and then pull out the poles I want to use when I get to where I'm going or maybe just use it for summer storage.  An interesting project, but unfortunately one that didn't yield the results I was hoping for.

Thanks for the suggestions!

Hey...at least you tried. I built what I thought was the perfect hole hopping sled...until I tried it the other day. No-go as well. Back to drafting room.