Tight Line Enterprises Magnetic Rod Transport System For The 5th Gen 4Runner – Review

Tight Lines 2 x 2 Magnetic Fishing Rod/Pole Transport System – Review & Roof Rack Modification For The 5th Gen 4Runner

Fishing rods are an investment for any angler. The last thing you want to do is damage or break them on the way to the river or lake. Taking them in and out of your rig is less than ideal. Tips can break, ferrules can bend, or you have rods and sharp hooks dangling by your head as you drive that also get stuck in your seats. Tight Lines Enterprises has designed a magnetic rod transport system to keep your investments securely in place on the way to your favorite fishing hole.

After 5 years of owning the Tight Lines Enterprises Magnetic Rod Transport system, I can say that they are bombproof and a great investment for any angler. It’s an easy and secure way to transport rods between fishing spots.

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• Tight Line 2 x 2 Magnetic Rod Transport System: Check Price

Overview

Tight Line Enterprises is a company based out of Tulsa, Oklahoma that designs fly fishing accessories and gear. This rod transport system works well for any rod that is longer than the width of your windshield.

Why might you need a rod holder? In addition to having your rod secured and out of the way of you and your passengers, it just saves time. This rack’s simple design allows you to quickly secure your rods to the roof and hood of your 4Runner. This is especially true if you are fishing longer rods that have to be broken down to fit inside the cab of your rig.

Spey and surf anglers especially benefit from this rod holder as they save time by leaving their rod fully rigged and ready to cast as soon as they step into the next run.

Another benefit of having a rod holder is fewer line tangles. When you and all your buddies hit the river with two or three rods each thrown in the back of your rig, tangles are inevitable. This system solves that problem.

Construction

The Tight Lines Magnetic Rod Transport System is made in the USA with a simple and efficient design. It is super lightweight and made from injection molded nylon, stainless steel non-corrosive nuts and bolts, 1/4 inch bungee tie-downs, foam pads, and magnets.

The 2 x 2 magnet transport system is held down with four 95 lbs. pull magnets. The magnets have rubber covers to protect your paint. This magnet system is to be used on “ferrous metal”, i.e. steel hoods and roofs.

Tight Lines Enterprises offers other configurations of rod holders including a three-magnet holder and suction cups for surfaces that aren’t steel.

Durability

I have personally had this product for over 5 years and have only had to change the rubber magnet covers. The rod holder also needs an occasional bolt to be tightened from all the jostling on dirt roads. However, that only takes an Allen wrench and 20 seconds.

Most of my fishing buddies have the exact same rod transport system as well. These racks have outlasted many of our vehicles. If you switch to a rig with an aluminum or carbon fiber hood, there is a conversion kit from magnets to suction cups.

Performance

Tight Lines recommends these rod holders only be used to transport up to four rods at speeds under 50 mph. I can confirm that these magnetic rod holders can be used for more than what is advertised, though. For example, I have had up to six spey rods and reels on my holder. Admittedly, I’ve also exceeded 50 mph as I try to get to my fishing destination or next run.

I have never had a failure with using this product, even while pushing its limits.

Modification For Gobi Stealth Roof Rack

After I installed my Gobi Stealth rack, I lost a solid spot to place the magnetic rod holder on the roof. So, I modified my roof rod holder and cut the bottom magnet brackets off. Then, I attached it directly to one of the light brackets on the Gobi Stealth rack. This modification took just a couple of minutes.

The Steps I Took

1. Cut the bottom T brackets for the magnets off of one of the holders.
2. Use some large washers to attach the rod holder to the rack via the passenger-side light bracket.

My rod holder sits about 1/4″ taller than the top bar on my roof rack, which is perfect.

Pros & Cons

Pros

One of the best parts of this rod transport system is how simple it all is. Tight Lines designed it to be easy to repair if necessary or change out the magnets for a suction cup.

These rod holders are also super simple to use. Just stick your rod on the foam, check that the eyelets or ferrules of your rod are not rubbing, strap in the bungee, and go! These rod holders are built with extreme attention to detail.

Cons

I have had to replace the rubber feet. After having the rod system for about 3 years, I noticed the metal housing for the magnets had started to wear through the rubber. I replaced the feet and have gotten another 2 years out of them. I am about ready to replace them again, however.

As stated earlier, I was not able to secure my roof rod holder after I installed my Gobi Stealth Rack. It was easy enough to cut the rod holder and fasten it to the available light bracket but if you have a full-length roof rack, this system will need some modifying to work.

A fishing friend of mine had a ferrule on his fly rod break when driving from one fishing spot to the next. This was a user error as we had placed the rod with the ferrule on the foam pad, which caused it to break. This really isn’t an issue if you check every time you put your rod on the rack. Luckily, an easy fix is to just move one of the rod holders forward or back so that the rod contacts the foam instead.

Final Thoughts

As you can tell, I enthusiastically recommend the Tight Lines Enterprises Magnetic Rod Transport System. I have convinced multiple fishing buddies to give it a try, and they are all still using it today.

There are definitely some other rod holder systems out there. However, I stand by this small USA business’ product. If you fish long rods, want to avoid line tangles, or just want to get your rods secured and out of the cabin, then this rod transport system is a great option.