Airline Travel with fishing gear

I’m sure there are a few people who have done it. I want to bring a few travel rods down to Florida in a few weeks here. Only problem is I’m not checking a bag. I can’t find any exact rules on it.
Can I bring tackle and fishing line and reels or a telescoping/takedown rod as a carry on? Or is that frowned upon.
I usually bring a few surf rods but I’m not bringing my rod tube.

Not sure about the rod, but I could see certain tackle being a problem.

Tackle and reels should be ok….make sure you don’t have knives or pliers. I’d suggest calling the airlines but I’ve never had issues on delta with tackle. TSA has never been an issue.

The rod is another story. Anything over 3 feet long and they will probably make you check it. You can try and get through without and possibly gate check but I doubt you make it through.

I usually just jam everything in the rod case and check it. May cost you a little but no hassles.

Throw everything in a box and UPS it. Buy a rod down there and ship it back.

I carry on three piece 8’6″ rods every time I fly. With big hooks on my lures (musky size)I’ve always had to check them. With smaller hooks and lures you should be able to carry on.

I’ve taken takedown rods and a reel down to Florida multiple times, but I’ve never had carry on lures/pliers etc. I like the UPS idea from Dutch though!

Small hooks will be ok. I take light tackle for backwater fishing all the time. If the rods break down small enough you’ll be ok. Over 3 feet long can be considered oversize. I travel with conference banners that are 3 feet and usually I’m asked to check thise.

Call the airlines just to be ok.

TSA agents and I have become very well aquatinted since all the travel changes. The simple recommendation is to check a bag. Depending on what your bringing, you can encounter some very awkward situations. Remember, many people don’t fish and will have no idea of what your traveling with.

Just a few experiences of mine
Flasher – Unknown electronic devise in my carry on and was held up for inspection.
Hooks/Lures – considered as a knife and was taken
Lures – Forbidden from carry on and had to check another bag

But my all time favorite for shutting down a gate in Milwaukee was finding out that some plastic baits like GULP and some paddle tails will X-ray with the same properties as C-4 and other explosives. It didn’t go well and it made for a heck of a freak’n mess and time delay.

LOL Randy!! Note to self, no GULP ever on the plane hahahaha

This tells how porous our security is. I just flew down and back to Florida with Gulp products in a backpack (in a plastic sandwich bag) and a small case of hooks and lures. Never got a single sideways glance from anyone. Probably the third or fourth time I have done that.

I’ve flown domestically and internationally with rods. These will almost never be allowed as carry-on except in small planes where there is no baggage hold.

As Matt points out, the problem is the maddening inconsistency of the TSA. You cannot count on the same treatment of your items on the return flight that you had on the outbound flight. How your items were treated on one flight is no guarantee they will be treated the same way on the next flight.

Bottom line is if traveling with rods, you may as well get a bag that can hold both the rod tubes and all your tackle and check it. That way you know you’ll be getting through.

Sending the gear by UPS/FedEx, etc is another option, but shipping prices have gone up rapidly and this is no longer cheap either.

Grouse

Randy Wieland wrote:

But my all time favorite for shutting down a gate in Milwaukee was finding out that some plastic baits like GULP and some paddle tails will X-ray with the same properties as C-4 and other explosives. It didn’t go well and it made for a heck of a freak’n mess and time delay.

I can see the new ad campaign; Using Gulp is like fishing with explosives,,,,,,, it’s Dynamite!

Just got off a delta flight from Ft Meyers. I had 3 2-piece spinning rods and 4 spinning reels in my carry on along with a tackle tray of the necessities and a bag full of soft plastics.

I had the rods tied together with rubber bands. Put my bags in the over had and laid the rods on top. No problems and only friendly inquiries for fishing reports.

I flew in a massive airbus and a 737.

Obviously tools are important in salt water…..I put my pliers in my wife checked bag. If we had not checked it I would have just bought a cheapo down here and donated it on the way home.

Bought my gulp down there and left it there.

I had 7 inch pliers taken by TSA in Fort Myers in Feb. Sounded like if the were 5-6 inch would have been ok.

I’ve flown several times with pliers, hooks (walleye sized tackle), plastics (including gulp) and rods as carry on. The three piece travel rods in the case are just fine as carry on in my experience. There’s always a chance that TSA will bug you but I’ve never had a problem.

Spend the money for checked luggage. Done.

Call Goodwill or similar organization at your destination and see if they have any equipment that works for you. May cost less than baggage check and less trouble. Just donate back to them before you leave. Heard of this being done with golf clubs.

I guess it depends on where you are flying from and to. If you fly Alaska Airlines from Seattle to Anchorage or vice versa in the summer, there will be several people with rods or rod tubes on your flight. We have never had an issue with carrying a rod tube that is 6 inches in diameter and 54 inches long with 8 or 9 rods in it past the boarding gate. In some planes that tube will fit perfectly in the back of the overhead compartment. Sometimes we just gate check the rod tube.

Never had an issue the last few years.

Buffalo Fishhead

I spoke with a TSA officer earlier this year and he said that there is a 7″ limit on tools. Of course, nothing sharp.