Pretty much every angler I know has more than a few rods. And while leaning them against a wall works for a while, the first time an expensive rod is damaged like that, most folks bite the bullet and buy a quality rack.
Reliable storage options abound, but there are lemons out there, too.
If you’re in the market for a new rod rack, we’ve got you covered. Below, you’ll find reviews of some of the best fishing rod racks, as well as a complete buying guide:
Wall Racks
- Rush Creek Creations 11 Rod Rack - Best Wall Rack for Fishing Rods
- KastKing V10 Rod Rack
- Booms Fishing Vertical 6-Rod Rack
Floor Racks
- Rush Creek Creations Corner Storage Rack - Best Floor Rack for Fishing Rods
- Rush Creek Creations 12 Fishing Rod Tackle Cart
- Sea Racks 24 Fishing Rod Rack
- Rush Creek Creations Round 16 Fishing Rod Rack
- Rush Creek Creations Round Spinning 30 Fishing Rod Rack
Overhead Racks
- ColdTuna Ultimate Rod Sitter - Best Overhead Rack for Fishing Rods
- Homydom Fishing Rod Storage Rack
- Rack'em Overhead Fishing Rod Rack
Table of Contents (clickable)
Related: Best Fishing Rod Holders
Best Fishing Rod Racks Reviewed
Wall Racks
Rush Creek Creations 11 Rod Rack - Best Wall Rack for Fishing Rods
You’re going to see Rush Creek’s name a lot on this list, and it seems they have the market cornered on fishing rod racks.
Their wall-mounted rack goes a long way toward explaining why.
Relatively inexpensive, Rush Creek Creations put serious time and energy into designing and constructing a more aesthetically pleasing option than its competitors, and while I wouldn’t mount my rod rack in my living room, this product wouldn’t look out of place on the wall of a cabin or permanent ice shanty.
Available in American Cherry Laminate, Barn Wood, Camouflage, and Wood Grain Laminate, you’ve got several warm tones and at least one cool tone to consider, making this rack much more “design friendly” than ABS plastic.
Attached to the wall via four long screws that pass through the components and into a stud, this wall rack relies on time-honored holes and slots to hold as many as 11 rods.
So far, so good - but here’s the rub.
Not only does that create plenty of points of potential wear, marring the finish of your expensive rods, but by nature of the design, there’s really no way to prevent the reels from rubbing against the rod below them, as in the picture above.
If that bothers you - and I bet it will - you’ll want to skip slots, reducing the number of rods that this rack can accommodate.
But, if you’re looking for a more eye-pleasing rack, search no further.
Pros:
- Easy to mount
- Accepts as many as 11 rods
- Holds your rods securely
- Inexpensive!
- Arguably much better looking than its competitors
Cons:
- Rods are too close together for larger reels
- Can wear or scratch your rods
KastKing V10 Rod Rack
KastKing knows fishing, and it comes as no surprise that their wall rack is a fantastic space-saving choice.
Easy to install with the included hardware, all that’s required is a Phillip’s-head screwdriver and a measuring tape. The rack mounts directly to drywall or studs and is held securely in place.
Equipped to hold as many as 10 rods, the upper section sports foam grips hold your rod without any risk of damage. The bottom section accepts cups - in sizes up to 1 ½ inches - that cradle the butts of your rods. By staggering these cups in their holders, you can raise and lower each successive rod, ensuring that they never come into contact with one another.
As an added extra, the KastKing V10 comes with spooling aids for both casting and spinning rods, making that task a snap.
My only complaint would be that the plastic used to construct this rack feels flimsy. In practice, however, it’s held up well, and breakage isn’t an issue you should worry about. My guess is that Kastking wanted to keep weight to a minimum to ensure a good grip with the attachment screws.
If you're looking for modern styling in your wall mount and don’t mind a bit of KastKing’s signature orange, the V10 is a good buy.
Pros:
- Easy to mount
- Accepts as many as 10 rods
- Holds your rods securely
- Minimal contact ensures maximum protection
- Comes with spinning and casting spooling aids
Cons:
- Do you like plastic and Kastking orange?
Booms Fishing Vertical 6-Rod Rack
Booms Fishing makes this wall rack from tough ABS plastic, offering it in five colors: black, clear/green, clear/blue, and clear/yellow. The black option is available in two sizes, 13.6 inches and 16.3 inches.
Easy to install with the included hardware, you’ll need a screwdriver but little else. And once those screws are in, you’ll find this unit mounted securely - so no worries.
But you want to avoid over-tightening: these ABD plastic tabs through which you pass those screws can be crushed if you really drive those screws deep (especially if they’re gripping a stud!).
The top rack uses foam grips that pamper your rods and prevent damage. The bottom houses simple slots that can accommodate pretty big rods.
That foam system works well, holding your rods with considerable force, and it can accept diameters ranging from 5 to 11mm.
My only substantive complaint with this rack is that the spacing is narrow, meaning that rods wearing larger reels may scrape against one another as they’re added or removed. In practice, that may mean that you fit fewer rods on the rack than there are spaces for them, reducing the utility of this product.
Pros:
- Easy to mount
- Accepts as many as 6 rods
- Holds your rods securely
- Inexpensive!
Cons:
- Rods are too close together for larger reels
- ABS plastic tabs can crack if the screws are driven too deep
Floor Racks
Rush Creek Creations Corner Storage Rack - Best Floor Rack for Fishing Rods
Rush Creek Creations has a winner with this corner rod rack, available in your choice of Rustic Pine, American Cherry, or Barn Wood. Just be aware that only the former can hold 12 rods; the other two choices are limited to 10.
Simple to assemble and plenty sturdy, you'll hear no complaints from us about this rack on these fronts, and by design, it fits well in a corner, maximizing your available floor space. That makes it an especially good buy for small cabins, fishing camps, and busy garages.
The base offers pre-made slots for the rod butts, and the top offers the usual clips Rush Creek Creations prefers. They’re not designed to accommodate large diameter rods, and the spacing is pretty tight. If you run larger reels, you’ll need to skip slots to avoid contact, and saltwater rods are going to be an issue on both fronts.
But if you mainly fish freshwater, and if your reels are relatively svelte, you can fit quite a lot of tackle on these racks, and you’ll find them held in place with no fuss.
And like many of Rush Creek Creations offerings, these are available in what, to my eye, are the more aesthetically pleasing designs than their competitors manage.
In short, whatever failings they have as storage units, they probably compensate for by not hurting your eyes!
Pros:
- Easy to assemble
- Accepts as many as 12 rods
- Holds your rods securely
- Fits in a corner, maximizing floor space
- Better aesthetics than its competitors
Cons:
- Rods are too close together for larger reels
- Can’t fit saltwater rods
Rush Creek Creations 12 Fishing Rod Tackle Cart
If you need a place to store rods, spare reels, and plenty of tackle, Rush Creek Creations has you covered.
Building rod storage into a tackle cart is a clever idea, but execution is everything - and Rush Creek Creations could have done a bit better for the price.
Assembly is relatively painless, and you should have this cart together in no time. But you’ll notice immediately that its plastic casters and structural rigidity aren’t all they should be. Really load this cart up and roll it on anything but the smoothest surface, and you can expect trouble.
The heart of this cart (for our purposes) is its rod-holding capacity, which is extensive. You’ll find simple bases and foam clips sufficient for 12 rods. Those clips aren’t tight-fitting, however, nor are they designed for saltwater rods.
Instead, they’re designed around relatively thin freshwater tackle, though they should hold securely enough for no worries. And rod damage is unlikely, given their material.
But with larger reels, crowding is going to become an issue, and you’ll need to skip spaces to prevent contact.
So what’s our final verdict?
For heavy gear, I’d skip this cart, build my own basic wooden shelving unit, and mount rod holders on the side.
But for light duty, this cart system is fine, provided you don’t intend to wheel it around or store larger diameter rods (or rods wearing larger reels).
Pros:
- Easy to assemble
- Accepts as many as 12 rods
- Holds your rods securely
- Provides tackle storage shelves
Cons:
- Rods are too close together for larger reels
- Can’t accept larger diameter saltwater rods
- Cheap casters don’t roll well
- Overall structural integrity is just so-so
Sea Racks 24 Fishing Rod Rack
Sea Racks offers an old-fashioned rod rack that demonstrates why “new and improved” isn’t always better.
Made from rugged, durable PVC composite, this rod rack is pretty much impervious to water, spray, and salt, making it an excellent choice where the elements will be an issue. And while beauty always lies in the eye of the beholder - and this rack won’t be winning any design competitions - it’s inoffensive enough to find a place in fishing camps and cabins with little fuss.
Sturdy and easy to assemble with the included stainless hardware, Sea Rack’s unit can hold as many as 24 rods, including long-handled trolling tackle. Of course, for rods wearing larger reels, spacing can be an issue, and you’ll comfortably fit fewer than its stated maximum.
While not padded, I doubt you’ll do much damage to your rods with this rack, and I’d feel comfortable storing my own tackle in it.
Pros:
- Easy to assemble
- Accepts as many as 24 rods
- Holds your rods securely
- Accommodates trolling rods
- Not bad looking
Cons:
- Rods are too close together for larger reels
Rush Creek Creations Round 16 Fishing Rod Rack
Rush Creek Creations offers a round floor rack, available in a wide variety of finishes. Ranging from the tasteful - American Cherry, Dark Walnut, and Barn Wood - to the more ostentatious - Americana, Jumping Bass, and ReelTree - there’s something for everyone.
Easy to assemble, this rack won’t take up much more floor space than a lamp, and it will hold as many as 16 rods - though that’s a very optimistic number.
As with the corner unit, expect pre-drilled slots on the bottom and fresh-water rod clips on the top, meaning that larger diameter rods will need to find a home elsewhere. The circular shape may allow larger reels to fit, depending on just how wide they are.
Don’t count on that, though, and be aware that you may need to space your rods accordingly.
For longer rods, an extension post is available, creating more space between the bottom and top.
Like all Rush Creek Creations products, the top clips could be higher quality, but they do fine on smaller rods and don’t offer any sharp edges or rough textures that might damage your tackle.
For freshwater fishermen looking for a floor rack that won’t crowd out living room furniture, you could do a lot worse.
Pros:
- Easy to assemble
- Accepts as many as 16 rods
- Holds your rods securely
- Better aesthetics than its competitors
Cons:
- Rods may be too close together for larger reels
- Can’t fit saltwater rods
Rush Creek Creations Round Spinning 30 Fishing Rod Rack
Overhead Racks
ColdTuna Ultimate Rod Sitter - Best Overhead Rack for Fishing Rods
ColdTuna has designed an excellent overhead rod rack, and if that’s something you need, you should take a hard look at this product.
Made from ¼-inch thick ABS plastic, it’s light and strong. Durability won’t be an issue, and of course, saltwater corrosion isn’t going to be a problem. For rod storage where humidity or salt-spray will be a constant, ColdTuna may be the best overhead option.
One word of caution: ColdTuna reports that this rack can be mounted vertically, horizontally, or overhead, but that’s only partially true.
Overhead mounting is a definite yes, and you could wall-mount this unit horizontally, too, with the usual caveat that capacity will suffer unless you allow your reels to contact the rod beneath them.
But vertical mounting? That sounds like a bad idea, and it’s entirely unclear how that would work in practice. If you want a vertical wall mount, buy one - but this isn’t it!
Mounted overhead - a simple process - is probably best accomplished with new, aftermarket screws, as the provided hardware is short.
Once in place, this unit is secure, holding as many as 10 rods. But like most systems, you’ll find spacing tight with larger reels. Ditto on large-diameter butts, as the holes may not fit every saltwater rod.
But most anglers, especially those with freshwater tackle, will find plenty of space on this rack.
And the ABD plastic isn’t going to damage the finish on your expensive rods, so no worries there.
As added security, you’ll find a bungee cord holding your rods firmly into the rack.
Pros:
- Easy to assemble, but buy your own screws
- Accepts as many as 10 rods
- Won’t damage your rods
- Very light
- Impervious to corrosion
- Very secure
Cons:
- Rods may be too close together for larger reels
- Large-diameter butts may not fit.
Homydom Fishing Rod Storage Rack
Homydom knows that overhead storage is often the best choice for rods, keeping them up and out of harm’s way.
In this case, two PVC-coated steel racks do the heavy lifting.
They’re easy to install with included hardware and hold securely, even with the added weight of a full complement of rods.
Expect 1.6-inch holes for the butts matched to “r-shaped” cut-outs that hold your blanks in place. This system works well, easily supporting your tackle, and the PVC coating isn’t too rough on the finish of your expensive rods.
Unlike vertical systems, overhead racks can accommodate large reels more easily, but really large models may still require some careful spacing.
Also, be aware that heavy action rods with oversized butts may not fit.
Now obviously, you can mount this rack to a wall, too, but doing so negates the overhead advantage, leading to the reels impacting the rod below them. Essentially, you’ll be reducing your rack’s capacity, as spacing will become critical to avoid contact.
Stick to the overhead placement, and Homydom’s rack is a good buy.
Pros:
- Easy to assemble
- Accepts as many as 8 rods
- Holds your rods securely
- PVC coating protects your rods’ finish
Cons:
- Rods may be too close together for larger reels
- Can’t fit large-diameter butts
Rack'em Overhead Fishing Rod Rack
Rack-em’s overhead rod rack simplifies storing big saltwater rods, as its hook design will allow you to find the sweet spot on your rod’s handle and support it there.
Made from durable, strong steel, this rack is easy to install with the included hardware, even if finding a stud isn’t possible.
Designed to accommodate a maximum of 12 rods, that’s probably only an option if you’re fishing freshwater tackle, though to be fair, gravity will rotate the reels to the bottom, and by staggering rods tip to butt, you should be able to fit quite a few large rods equipped with big reels.
But Rack-em should probably add more space between the hooks, increasing the gap to allow larger reels. That said, most anglers should find a good fit for as many as six to eight rods.
Durability, too, could use some work, and these hooks don’t appear to be welded in place.
Those issues notwithstanding, your rods shouldn’t take any damage from this rack, and most anglers will find plenty of space to hand their tackle overhead.
Pros:
- Easy to assemble
- Accepts as many as 12 rods
- Won’t damage your rods
- Fits large rods, no problem
Cons:
- Rods may be too close together for larger reels
Fishing Rod Rack Buying Guide
Wall, floor, or overhead?
Three styles of racks dominate the market, and each has advantages and disadvantages.
Let’s break these down and see which one might work best for you.
Wall racks - Wall racks save space by moving rod storage up and out of the way. They also make it easy to reach your tackle, but at a price: in busy areas like garages, a wall rack can leave your rods in harm’s way, and it’s not at all hard to imagine that a crowded garage and a wall rack won’t work well together.
That said, if clearing your floor and ready access are your priorities, a wall rack may be ideal. Ditto if you’re thinking about moving your rods into your living space - say, in a fishing cabin.
Mounting a wall rack over a couch keeps your rods safe and still lets you add and remove them with ease.
Floor racks - Floor racks have a lot going for them. They’re the easiest to use, and when designed to fit in a corner, like our top pick, they save floor space while keeping your rds safe and ready to hand.
The disadvantage of a floor rack is obvious: in a high-traffic area, your rods are going to run some risk.
Overhead racks - Lots of anglers opt for overhead racks. They’re the safest option, keeping your rods well up and out of the way, and they make a lot of sense in a packed garage.
The disadvantage of overhead rods is access. They’re typically a bit of a reach and may even require a step-stool to access.
Mounting
With the exception of the floor racks on our list, you’ll need to mount your rack to a wall or ceiling.
The racks on our list are easy to mount, and most come with acceptable hardware. Be aware, however, that aftermarket screws are typically superior to the included options, and remember that you’ll want stainless hardware for outdoor use.
Most racks will hold well in drywall - if the right anchors are used - but it’s never a bad idea to take the time to locate a stud and get some real support.
Capacity
Rod rack manufacturers like to boast about rod capacity, but the reality is that spacing cuts down how many rods you can store, as do larger reel sizes.
Ideally, you don’t want your rods to contact one another, scratching the reels or marring the finish on your blanks. For many rack designs, that means skipping a slot to create more space - and that’s especially true for wall mounts.
Protection
You want your rod rack to minimize potential damage to your expensive tackle, so look for padding, soft coatings, or materials like ABS plastic that won’t risk your rods.
Durability
Rack durability is typically not a huge issue, with two exceptions.
If you mount a rack in an environment with lots of moisture, especially if that includes salt, you’ll want to look for material that can really take a beating. Stainless steel and ABS plastic are good choices here, but wood laminates do well, too.
The second exception is the tackle cart.
The idea is great, but the structural execution needs some work.
Aesthetics
People have different tastes, and that’s perfectly OK. But we feel pretty comfortable calling some winners and losers on this front, at least as far as moving a rack into a living area is concerned.
Models with more attractive styling and finishing are going to be easier sells to your family, and plenty of anglers will find that RealTree emblazoned rod racks or Kasking’s blaze orange aren’t going to impress their significant others.
Now, I’ve known quite a few outdoors-women who love camo, and maybe blaze orange matches your dog’s collar perfectly (it does for me!), but I’ll bet that finishes like American Cherry, Barn Wood, and Dark Walnut will make their way into your den long before less decorous alternatives.
In any case, this is a question worth considering unless you’re thinking “garage only.”
Final Thoughts
Whichever rod rack model works best for you, we hope that this article has helped you find the option that suits your needs and budget.
As always, we’d love to hear from you, so please leave a comment below!
