Friday, September 23, 2011

Build a Rod Leash for Kayak Fishing



“If you don’t want to lose it, strap it down or make sure it floats.”  While I can’t remember where I first read this, I certainly haven’t forgotten its importance when fishing out of a kayak.  I tend to carry four or so rods with me when I head out on the water and have been used homemade rod leashes since day one.  These cheap leashes have saved me from losing a rod on a couple of occasions so far.




I made my first DIY Rod leashes from cell phone car charger, a brass clip and a section of strong, waterproof Velcro.  Large zip ties and marine adhesive shrink wrap create the clean and strong connection points.  The spring-like action of the coiled car chargers help to keep the cords bundled and out of the way.  

While the Velcro option is secure, I found a connection method that I like even more.  About 6 months ago, I was in Home Depot and came across a product designed to keep cords and wires organized called the “Cable Cuff".

I purchased a couple of the smallest versions for $0.99 each.  These little cuffs are surprisingly strong for their size and fit perfectly on most fishing rods.  They ratchet into place and wont scratch or damage the rods.  The kicker is that it is very easy to secure and remove these cuffs on a rod – even one handed.  This factor alone gives them a large advantage over the Velcro version. 



These are very easy to construct.  Start by drilling a hole in the tail end of the cuff as pictured below, making sure the Cable Cuff is in the open position.  Secure the charger wire to the Cuff with a large zip tie.  I used a small length of marine heat shrink to dress up the tag end but this is not necessary.



The pivoting arm of the Cuff needs to be trimmed at the second tooth back to make room for the cable wire.  A little pressure on a sharp hand chisel makes a very clean cut.


Add a clip of your choice to the other end of the car charger wire, utilizing the same connection methods used on the Cuff end.  Here I used light weight Nite Ize S clips available at The Backpacker if you are in the Columbia area or most Harbor Freight stores.
Enjoy! - Paul

 ****One note on coiled cell phone car chargers - they aren't all built the same!  Look for a thick coiled model that is uniform in shape and will stretch to at least 6'.  Most of the Nextel branded chargers are very strong, as are the Motorola and Verizon branded models.  I often donate old clothes and other items we don't use anymore a church-based consignment shop called "His House".  I purchased 4 thick Verizon car chargers there for $1 each.  The money goes to a good cause the chargers stay out of a landfill and they work perfectly for this application.****





59 comments:

  1. Cool... Another weekend project :)

    ReplyDelete
  2. Glad you like it. The best part is they are very inexpensive to construct!

    ReplyDelete
  3. The goodwill in rock hill has tons of those car chargers for next to nothing. Just FYI for another cheap place to get some supplies. I'm sure they all have them.

    ReplyDelete
  4. Thanks I know where I'm headed next!
    Eric Esper

    ReplyDelete
  5. inspired me! I found some plastic clamps at the $1 store in two sizes, one opens to about 4 inches, the other to 2 inches. They have a release trigger, ratchet closed e.t.c. EZ One hand operation. Perfect for lip gripper, paddle leash, rod tender e.t.c. Thanks for your great ideas.

    ReplyDelete
  6. I am off to Walmart, $ store, and Home Depot; thanks for the great idea.

    ReplyDelete
  7. Thanks for this great idea. Appreciate your sharing this!

    ReplyDelete
  8. Thanks for the tutorial!!!! Bought all the produsts from Home Depot tonight and made three rod leashes!!!!!!!

    ReplyDelete
  9. How does the metal part of the cable cuff hold up to salt water?

    ReplyDelete
  10. @City of Ash - the metal screw/pin on the cable cuff hasn't shown any sign of rust or discoloration even during repeated saltwater use. I was actually surprised b/c I thought the metal was just zinc coated. Turn out it is actually stainless steel! From cable cuff's website - "Constructed with durable polymers and stainless steel". I couldn't be happier with the construction of this .99 cent part.

    ReplyDelete
  11. Any reason a regular phone cord wouldn't work? I have a few laying around where my work got a new phone system, looks to be about the same size as a charger cord?

    So you just take the end of the charger cord, and loop it throught the hole and then zip tie the end you put through back to the cord and that will hold it?

    Thanks

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Sorry for the late reply...yup, everything you have stated here should work fine.

      Delete
  12. Awesome idea - best I've seen yet for homemade - I'm getting my supplies tomorrow.

    James

    ReplyDelete
  13. I just made three of these and only spent 12 dollars on materials (minus the chargers, which i had) awesome diy project, cant wait to try mine out... thanks

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. i finally got to use these things, first time ever on a yak and sure enough i tipped it over, very glad that i had these great leashes, i couldve been out some expensive gear... also an idea that i tried, they make a slightly larger (orange) cable cuff that fits around a paddle perfectly, made it the same way as your leashes but used about 3 1/2 ft of rope instead of a bungee... worked great and again very inexpensive, thanks again... i will be using more of your ideas if you dont mind lol

      Delete
  14. Love your ideas. I have followed several of your projects. Keep them coming please. Nothing like cheap D.I.Y. upgrades for your setup. Would love to get an email of any ideas for upgrades you mave have bud. Todd.fishfast@gmail.com. Thanks so much and tight lines to you. Oh and leader crimps work great in place of cable ties.

    ReplyDelete
  15. My zip ties are tearing the covering off of the wire from my charger wire. How can I fix this?

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Hello - Try wider zip ties and better quality chargers. The Motorola or Nextel branded chargers (try the flea market or thrift store) will hold up for years.

      Delete
  16. Fishing in dubai tour brings a complete package for your family. You can enjoy the trip with utmost fun. I love it.

    ReplyDelete
  17. Fishing is a great way to pass time, as well as catch something that you can cook for dinner. This activity can also be a little frustrating if nothing was caught.

    fishing resources online

    ReplyDelete
  18. That is so cute, I would of never thought of that. I am definitely making me one or maybe a few! Lol

    ReplyDelete
  19. Made three of these tonight and they look great! Thanks for sharing your projects. This is the second project of yours that I've done and I can't wait until the next.

    ReplyDelete
  20. I made a couple of these and they work great! The cable cuff is easily opened and closed using one hand. Using the coiled wire from an obsolete phone charger is thinking outside of the box: you are a genius.

    ReplyDelete
  21. Made a few of these combining the weed whacker cord technique with the Cable Cuff clip. Seem to function as intended, excited to get them out on the water. Thanks for the great idea.

    ReplyDelete
  22. OMG!!! You're a genius. I am glad found this website.. I had saved lot of $$$.

    ReplyDelete
  23. This comment has been removed by the author.

    ReplyDelete
  24. thanks for sharing this!
    how did you attach the metal clip to the plastic crate?

    ReplyDelete
  25. This comment has been removed by the author.

    ReplyDelete
  26. This comment has been removed by the author.

    ReplyDelete
  27. Hi, palmettokayakfishing, You have a greate article, I really like to read this article, Thanks for sharing this article, I hope this article will be help full for your blog reader, if you need to know about yacht rental dubai then please visit our website

    ReplyDelete
  28. great post about <a href="https://bookanyboat.com/country/ae/yacht-rental-dubai> yacht rental dubai</a>

    ReplyDelete
  29. This comment has been removed by the author.

    ReplyDelete
  30. Hi There! I really like your blog and your blog is very informative and knowledgeable thankyou for sharing this type of content

    ReplyDelete
  31. Hi dear, Your blog was great, it has lots of excellent information, thanks for providing these kinds of information.

    Here is our services
    https://tigerdrive.yolasite.com

    ReplyDelete
  32. Hello, your company is very good, I was looking for a similar company, thank you,

    ReplyDelete
  33. Hi!
    Ich bin immer auf der Suche nach qualitativ hochwertigen Beiträgen und Artikeln und habe sie hier gefunden. Vielen Dank, dass Sie diesen freundlichen informativen Beitrag mit uns geteilt haben

    ReplyDelete
  34. Hey, ich bin beeindruckt von deiner tollen Arbeit. Ich mag deine Artikel sehr. Danke, dass Sie diese Art von Inhalt teilen

    ReplyDelete
  35. Hi, your company is doing very well, I am very benefited, thank you
    This is our service.

    ReplyDelete
  36. Hi, your company is very good, I like it very much, I got a lot of new information, thank you
    This is our service.

    ReplyDelete
  37. That is so cute, I would of never thought of that.

    ReplyDelete
  38. I've been surfing the web more than 3 hours today, yet I by no means discovered any wonderful article like yours. It's fascinatingly worth it for me. As I would see, if all web owners and bloggers made amazing content material as you did, the net will be much more beneficial than any point in recent memory Thankyou for sharing this type of content.

    ReplyDelete
  39. Hello, this is probably the best article I've ever read, I feel great.

    ReplyDelete
  40. Fishing is one of the most activities people love to enjoy during holiday time. Arabiyan Yachting is Yacht Rental in Dubai that also has additional activities please check the website for more details https://www.arabianyachting.com/

    ReplyDelete
  41. What a lovely post I like it . its is very useful for us
    This is our service.

    ReplyDelete
  42. Hi, your company is doing very well, I am very benefited,

    ReplyDelete
  43. I will encourage your allies to visit this site. .Appreciation for the article. David Byrne Big Suit

    ReplyDelete
  44. This information about yacht charter in Miami is valuable! For those seeking luxury and comfort, check out Yacht charter Miami Beach. An incredible option for a memorable time on the water.

    ReplyDelete
  45. Arabian Tea House is one of the best restaurants that serves halal food in podgorica

    ReplyDelete
  46. I love the versatility of USA Jacket Store’s jackets. They go well with almost any outfit.

    USA Jacket Store

    ReplyDelete