Rack’em and Go Fishing, a Quicker Rod Draw with Bedrack (continued)

During field tests I constantly found the Bedrack to be extremely easy to use, and by installing the rod holders close enough to the edges of the truck bed it is possible to drop in outfits and remove them on the fly without ever having to climb into the back of your truck. I found that my freshwater rigs were so light that they would bounce around a bit in the rack when going offroad, but the company has already thought of that and provides two bungee cords with the kit to help keep your reels pinned to the rod holder.

Looking through the rod holder you ca see the stainless steel bar that holds the rods in place yet allows the holder to drain easily

This rod holder works with saltwater rod butts to lock reels in place

The Bedrack is absolutely great for big game outfits and the bottom of the stainless steel rod holder has a crossbar that helps lock the aluminum fighting butts of these rods in place so the outfit will not rotate at all when transported. During testing I didn’t experience any failures, the Bedrack does exactly what it is advertised to do, and held up well to abuse and 24/7 exposure to the elements.

Once dropped in this large saltwater rig never rotated during driving

Price & Applications: The Bedrack (fishing configuration) comes with everything you need to hold two rods securely and retails for 129 dollars without the lock or just 20 dollars more with the lock. I highly recommend the lock version as not all cable locks will fit through the hole over the latching bar to secure the rock closed. Even with the lock the entire kit (2 rod holders) for only $189 dollars is a reasonable price. This rack is built just as well as those that you will find from other mainstream brands like Thule and Yakima, and the stainless steel rod holders are built better than anything else we have seen, they are definitely saltwater grade.

For lighter outfits like this swimbait rig the company bundles bungee cords

So who should be interested in the Bedrack? While a truck is a prerequisite any anglers that have a truck bed and are constantly on the go will love the flexibility and fast access that that the Bedrack provides.

It was nice to cruise up and down rivers and creeks with fully rigged outfits

If you are a shore angler and are constantly changing locations along a river or lake bank the Bedrack is absolutely awesome. Saltwater anglers will also love the Bedrack as it keeps large, and very expensive, inshore and offshore reels up and off the bed protecting them from bed rash during transport. I even found it was easier to rinse the entire outfits down after use with the Bedrack holding them in place.
 

A look at the rack holding a bass rig

Perhaps the very best application of all is surf fishing, where having a rack enables anglers to drive up and down the beach chasing fish without ever having to break down those large outfits. If anglers want to hold more than just two rods it is good to know that Bedrack sells additional rod holders that can easily fit onto the rail, though for $52.99 each I’d rather just pick up a second complete kit for 169.99 with two additional rod holders and a second rack.

Even rinsing down gear is made easier with Bedrack

While I found the Bedrack very convenient for conventional fresh and saltwater rod transport the one application that I kept thinking the rack would be perfect for is fly fishing. I love taking my truck offroad on the river while fishing in waders and a rack like this would definitely be more secure than keeping rods fully rigged trapped under my windshield wipers. Unfortunately the current rod holders will not accommodate fly reels so I reached out to the company and it is something that they are considering for the future.

The entire rack can be removed in seconds should you need the bed fully opened up

The Bedrack is a great solution for transporting fishing rods but it also can be used for so much more. The company has already designed bike holders that will enable cyclists to transport two bikes upright in the back of the bed utilizing the same main rack. Remember what I said about that second rack? By installing two racks in the bed it is possible to put longer items stacked above the bed, increasing the ability to store and transport products in a more organized multi-tier fashion, like snowboards or skis, and during the work week anglers could use the Bedrack for transporting tools and 2x4 beams for example.

Talk about strong and secure (not recommended, but we really wanted to see just how well this rod holder would hold up to pressure)

Throughout our tests I was pleased by just how durable the rack was and how solid it felt installed in my truck bed. The Bedrack is so robust it could even support my full weight when standing on the bar! It has also proved that it can stand up to the elements quite well. Rain, snow, even sand did nothing to the rack.

The ability to have your rods with you fully rigged, and locked in, was a very nice plus when fishing from shore

The only area that requires a little bit of attention is the gear teeth on the rack itself. I did notice that after winching it down multiple times some of the black coating started to chip away. It was nothing that affected performance but it is probably a good idea to apply some grease to this entire section of the rack once in a while. Keeping the rack clean is as simple as keeping your bed clean. Simply blast it with a hose and the Bedrack easily sheds any dirt or grime it has picked up during your most recent adventure.

Ratings: (We've re-calibrated our ratings standard for 2008 and have included a key at the bottom of the following matrix as a guide):

Pluses and Minuses: