At the Havnehyggecup 2018 Jonas Bosse Johansen got a lot of attention thanks to his cool fishing bicycle with mounted rod holders. Three persons have contacted me afterwards to learn more about the bike, so I asked Jonas to share how he turned his bicycle into a lean mean streetfishing machine. In his guest blog you can learn what gear you need and how you mount it and turn your bicycle into a cool fishing rod transporter.
(This is a guest blog by Jonas Bosse Johansen who is the fishermen to the left on this photo)
I’ve experimented with a number of different versions of rod holders for my bike until I found a simple solution that worked for me. This setup has made it really easy for me to transport my rods on the bike and be extremely mobile when switching between fishing spots.
I fish a lot on Amager and Copenhagen harbor and this setup allows me to concentrate on keeping my lures and baits in the water as much as possible and I can change spot very easily and fast.
What you need
For my setup I have used the following:
- 2 black rod holders in black plastic
- 4 hose holders – Ø 10mm
- A socket wrench with an 8 mm top
- A flat screwdriver
- 10 minutes of working time
In the bottom you can see pictures of the materials, so it is easy for you to order it home. In total it will only cost you 70-100 DKK in materials so it won´t ruin your monthly budget.
Rod holders
The rod holders come with two bolts and two lock nuts. They can be purchased on eBay or AliExpress from 25-40 DKK and you can find them by searching for “fishing rod holder” or “plastic rod holder”. They are available in black, white and gray. (Note that there may be a delivery time of up to 30 days.)
Hose holders
I have purchased my hose holders at http://www.bue-net.dk (search for “slangeholder”). They are available from Ø 10-60 mm in size so you should measure the spot on your bike, where you want to place it. You simply measure the thickness of the bicycle frame or the frame on the rack depending on where you want to place it.
The hose holders are rubberized so they do not scratch the frame. The price ranges from 11 DKK and up and you need two pr. rod holder. If you prefer to order from eBay or AliExpress you need to search for ‘hose clamp rubber’ or ‘pipe clamp.
How you do it
Everything is pretty straightforward when you have the parts in front of you.
Begin by placing the hose holders on the frame where you want them placed. Now insert the bolt through the rod holder in the pre-drilled holes. Then push them through the two holes on the hose holder and put the lock nut on and tighten. Before you tighten completely you can adjust up and down until you find the right height and angle.
How I use my rod holder
I usually have my rods ready to fish when they are on my bike.
However I am of course aware that I am slightly higher than normal when I move around and so should you be. So beware when driving under bridges and stay clear of branches hanging from trees, etc. It would be a shame to break your rod.
You can easily separate the rod and place it in the bar holder too, but here I would recommend that you put an elastic around both ends of the rod so it doesn´t slide through the tube.
Right now I am waiting for a set of rod holders more for my bike. I often have a friend with me when I fish and then it is cool to have space for four rods so we can bring a couple of rods with us each.
If I go out and need space for even more stuff like a big lunch package, a barbecue or the dog then I will use my bike trailer instead.
If you install this setup then you can surely expect some extra attention when bicycling around the city.
Enjoy and tight lines!
// Jonas Bosse
Pictures of the needed materials
Fishing Copenhagen 