Retract-a-Rack Fishing Rod Storage [VIDEO REVIEW]

It’s review time!

In this video, we review the new “Retract-a-Rack” overhead storage solution (than can stow away fishing rods, wake boards, skis, and more).

In particular, we are going to install, test out, and review this in terms of how well it stores fishing rods and reels.

You will get to see the Retract-a-Rack in action, including a super sped up install, along with the pros and cons of this cool overhead storage unit.

To learn more about the Retract-a-Rack including how to purchase, click here for their main website.

Note: For $100 Off the Retract-a-Rack, click this link and use coupon code: “saltstrong”

The Retract-a-Rack Contest Giveaway

A few weeks ago, we announced that we would be giving away this $300 Retract-a-Rack overhead storage unit to someone in our audience (you can see the original contest here).

And part of the prize was that not only would the winner receive this new storage system from Retract-a-Rack, but we would have a professional install it while Luke and I came over and talked fishing and hang out.

Then after the installation, we would do a review with the winner in the video.

Lucky for us, an incredibly cool Largo firefighter by the name of Josh Arney won the contest, and we had an amazing time talking about fishing, seeing his brand new kayak, share some fishing pics and tips, and even meeting his dog, Bo.

Thanks again for letting us spend that time at your place, Josh. What a great time.

Now let’s get into some of the pros and cons of the Retract-a-Rack.

Note: Video review below

Pros Of The Retract-a-Rack

• Very simple to install. Although we hired Marco to install it so we could spend some time talking fishing with Josh, Marco had the entire thing knocked out just a couple of minutes past one hour. And that includes cutting open the box, going back to his truck for a stud finder, etc.
• Very sturdy. This overhead storage unit it built tough for sure, and when it locks into place on the way down, there is no risk of it popping out of place. It’s recommended max load is 30 lbs (which is a TON of fishing rods), but it felt sturdy enough that it could hold me if I held on and lifted my legs (not recommended)
• It looks sharp. The Retract-a-Rack definitely looks cool sitting up on the top of Josh’s garage.
• Easy to use. Once we figured out there was a button to release to locking mechanism, we were off to the races! Super easy to load and unload the fishing rods. It did come with two straps, but we didn’t even need them as the rods weren’t going anywhere.
• Gets your fishing rods out of the way (especially if you have young kids or a wife that hates seeing your rods up against the wall). I personally have two young kids, and the last thing I want is them having access to my expensive rods and reels. I really like the fact that this is up, out of the way, and on the ceiling
• Can hold all different lengths of fishing rods. We tested this out with his son’s kids rod all the way to a longer inshore rod. No issues at all as long as they were places in the correct direction.
• Noise-Free. The hydraulics work great on this Retract-a-Rack and it didn’t make any noise going up or down. Also, the hydraulics were tuned to the point the rack would not fly up and hurt your rods even if you accidently let go of the rope on the way up.

Cons Of The Retract-a-Rack

• It’s not cheap at $300, but then again you don’t want a “cheap” overhead storage unit that could come crashing down at some point in the future. This Retract-a-Rack is certainly going nowhere if you have it in a stud.
• Needs a thicker pull rope. The rope/handle was the same size as a normal attic line (which is not that big of a deal), but our recommendation was to get a rope the diameter of a boat rope so the angler feels like he or she is right at home on the dock. And it will help prevent the thin rope from slipping and having the rack go up too quickly over time. Also, the rope currently hangs down quite a bit, so it would be nice to have some way to have it sit up higher and out of reach of kids.
• Extenders. Although it can easily hold 8-10 rods, it would be cool to have extenders that double the length of rack for anglers that have the overhead room and tons of rods (perhaps Retract-a-Rack already makes these, but they didn’t come standard).
• It is made for ceilings in the 8-10 foot range. Any higher (or lower) this Retract-a-Rack will not work as well (or at all if you have 16-foot ceilings…)

The “Retract-a-Rack” Video Review

Conclusion

Overall, this Retract-a-Rack storage unit is pretty darn cool.

For someone like me that has run out of space and has two young kids around, having an overhead storage unit built for my fishing rods (that ensures my kids aren’t destroying my gear) is reason enough to have it.

The fact that it looks sharp, it’s easy to install, and it is very well made / sturdy is an added bonus.

To learn more about Retract-a-Rack including FAQs, specs, purchasing, etc, click here to go to their main site.

P.S. – If you think your angler friends or fishing networks would like to see this, please Tag them or Share this with them. You Rock! Pa-POW!