There are two different types of sand spike fishing rod holders that I like to make. They include PVC and metal fishing rod holders. Each has a specific use case and will make life easy for you to have some lunch or get a drink from your Lifestraw water purifier. No longer do you need to hold onto that large fishing rod all day long.
Homemade fishing rod holders are designed to fix the fishing rod into the beach, or the bank of a river. They keep your expensive reel from getting dirty and will hold up even under a load of some really big fish.
I do a lot of beach fishing so I like to make my rod holders out of 50mm (2-inch) PVC pipe. But you can use any size conduit pipe as long as your rod can fit into it. Some beach rods can be really long and the base can be large so measure it all before you start.
Table of Contents
How to make a PCV fishing rod holder.
The first step is to measure the base of your rod handle so you can cut the conduit to size.
Now the rod holder needs to be two feet or more in length. This is so it can be pushed into the soft sand. Three feet is the usual length but if you are making a compact beach rod holder for kids then 2 feet will be
Start by cutting the conduit to length. If you have a long beach rod they make your rod holder longer. Use a fine tooth hacksaw to cut it up to size. The longer the better.
On one end cut a sharp point at an angle of around 30 deg. This will make the rod holder easier to insert into the sand. This is n
Remove all the PVC burs using some fine sandpaper. For some extra flair, you can insert some rubber tubing around the top rod holder. Just cut the tubing down one side and slip it over the conduit end. This is for extra support for your rod and reel but this step isn’t necessary.
If you have a very long beach fishing rod you will need to make your rod holder longer. Otherwise, the base handle of your rod will touch the sand. So measure your fishing rod before you cut the final length.
The great thing about these PVC sand spikes is that you can attach them to other objects with some string or fishing line. I have seen people tie their rod holders onto items such as a beach chair, car bull-bar, boat railing, or even an
How to make a metal fishing rod holder
Metal rod holders are best for when the ground is very hard this way we can hammer them in just like a tent peg. The PVC fishing rod holders are just not strong enough to be inserted into the hard dirt ground without breaking.
Tools needed:
- Arc or Mig welder, leather gloves, welding goggles, and safety equipment.
- Hammer.
- Hacksaw or metal cut off grinding disc.
- Vice.
- Wire brush.
- Galvanized paint.
Start by cutting off some metal round rod which is about 3 feet in length. The size of the rod bar should be between 6-12mm or 1/4 to 1/2 inch. Mild steel is fine but if you have access to stainless steel then this is great.
We now need to make two circles out of 4mm (1/8) rod bar and weld them to the top of the thicker base round bar. To make these metal bar circles first find a round object that is the diameter you would like the final rod holder to look like. I like to use some 50mm PVC conduit but make sure the base of your fishing rod can fit in it.
Now the 1/8 metal round bar is small enough to bend by hand and a hammer. So wrap it around the conduit using gloves and cut to size.
We can now tack weld them both to the round base rod at a spacing of 6 inches. But this measurement will be determined by the length of your rod base handle under the reel.
By using stainless steel welding rods will mean your tack welds won’t rust over time.
Welding up the metal rod holder
You only need to spot weld these round rod holder loops. I like to spot weld them first into a circle before I weld them to the base round bar.
Place all of the pieces into a vice and hold one loop into place before you weld it up. Only use the minimum amp setting on the welder and a small welding rod otherwise you will melt your smaller 1/8 inch round bar.
Once all the pieces have been welded up, use the wire brush to remove any splatter slag once it has cooled down. Use the grinder or a file to put a point on the opposite end. This will make the sand spike rod holder easier to push or hammer into the ground.
We can now use some galvanised paint to make our homemade rod holder resistant to rust.
Conclusion
These two homemade fishing rod holders for bank fishing have been great for all of my fishing trips. No one likes to hold a fishing rod all day long, especially if its a family trip up the river. Sometimes I just like to set and forget the rod. Simple tools like rod tip rattlers can alert you if a fish bites.
The metal rod holders are great down the beach but I do find they will rust over time if you don’t wash them down after each trip. This is why the PVC ones are so popular for beach fishing. But they won’t be any good for river fishing for where the edge of the bank is hard dirt soil.
I like to make the two different types of fishing rod holders for bank fishing for friends and family. I am always on the lookout for extra PCV pipes and metal offcuts from scrap yards.
Now go out and make your own fishing gear as you will save a ton of money and even have some fun. How about trying your hand at making some fishing sinkers with your leftover
As an electrician and a survivalist prepper, I want to share some of my ideas, thoughts, hardware, and survival techniques I have learned over the past 20 years. The world is changing fast and we need to be repaired for what may come if society breaks down.
