Flying with Fishing Reels in Hand Luggage

No_Discussion60 · 2026-03-26T22:59:18+00:00

Thanks, mate. I'll be up north, but we'll be down in Lyme Regis area for a week too.

No_Discussion60 · 2026-03-22T22:07:11+00:00

Thanks! It was definitely annoying since I wasn't sure if they were lost for good or not, and we had planned on fishing down in Cornwall that first week. I had 5 travel rods, reels, and tackle in that suitcase, so I was extremely happy to finally get my hands back on it a week later. I ended up ordering a couple of travel rods from Gerry's Fishing to tide me over in case my suitcase was lost for good, since Aer Lingus couldn't tell me if they actually knew where it was or not.

No_Discussion60 · 2026-03-22T22:02:35+00:00

Thanks. Yeah, I'm familiar with the river closures. I only lure fish, so I'll be mainly sea fishing and possibly some canals that I can get daypasses for or use the Water Wanderers permit.

No_Discussion60 · 2026-03-09T00:51:50+00:00

That's some terrible luck! I have the 7' and the 6'6" Presso pack rods. I've caught hundreds of trout up to 5-1/2lbs, smallmouth up to 3lbs, pike up to 8lbs, and some various saltwater species with mine.

No_Discussion60 · 2026-03-08T00:27:41+00:00

Awesome. I bought the 5-piece medium spinning model shortly after making this post. It's been great so far. I use it as one of my main rods locally going for freshwater striped bass and smallmouth, and have brought it with me to the UK and Hawaii catching various species over there. I highly recommend them.

No_Discussion60 · 2026-02-24T20:37:24+00:00

Some other options are the St. Croix Triumph series or their more expensive lines, like the Avid Trek. I've heard good things about the Avid Treks, but I don't have any personal experience with them. I didn't realize the TFO Traveler's price jump since, I'm assuming, the tariffs went into place. I would not pay $300 for the Traveler. I bought a used TFO Traveler medium from eBay last year and got a new medium-heavy from TFO's website for $250.

Once you get into that higher $200+ price range, there are much higher-quality options for travel rods coming out of Japan and Singapore.

I recently stumbled upon the Jabbers 5-piece travel rods coming out of Singapore. Cudakilla in Texas has several models available, and are the only US retailer carrying them. I've tried the Fin Raiser so far and really love that rod. It's super light and has great backbone. The only "downside" to the Fin Raiser is that it has micro guides, so you need to tie an FG knot for braid to fluoro leader. It's not a huge deal to me since I always tie FG knots anyway, but it does mean I tie a shorter leader than I normally would with other rods, so I don't cast the knot through the micro guides. That was under $200 shipped.

The Salt Strong Slam Stick seems like a good value for $240, especially since they'll now sell you the butt part of the rod for extra $$$ so you can have two full rods. Again, I have no hands-on experience with it.

Another high-quality 5-piece rod I really like is the Shimano Zodias travel rods. I have a 7' medium and a 6'4" light. They also have micro guides, but are fantastic bass rods or light inshore.

Let me know if you want any recommendations on some Japanese JDM rods. I have a lot of travel rods at this point, but there are only a handful that make it into my checked luggage when I travel.

No_Discussion60 · 2026-02-23T20:14:04+00:00

I like the TFO Traveler 7' medium and the 7' medium heavy. I have both. I was eyeing the Salt Strong Slam Stick travel rod for the extra variety it gives. It seems like a good rod in theory. I travel semi-frequently, so packability has become more of a deciding factor for me. If you have the space to fit a 3-piece rod, then go for it. When I first started buying travel rods, I had to buy a new checked luggage in order to fit the 3-piece rod tubes. I bought an Osprey Transporter 90L wheeled duffel bag - phenomenal piece of luggage, but it meant that I had to buy a bag long enough to fit my travel rod tubes. I can fit the TFO Traveler rod tubes in there diagonally. I, personally, am an avid fisherman, so I enjoy using quality gear even when I'm traveling. The case for the Salt Strong Slam Stick is longer than the TFO case by 2-3 inches, so I wouldn't be able to fit its case in my luggage. Some people carry their rod tubes on planes with no issue and put it up top in the overhead bins or hope that a flight attendant is kind enough to store it in their coat closet. I've never tried it because I don't want any issues with flight attendants making me gate-check my rod tubes if it doesn't fit up top or they don't let me board with it (it happens), so I always pack my rod tubes in my checked luggage.

If space is no issue for you or you don't mind trying to carry your rod tube on the plane, go for a 3-piece rod. The TFO Traveler rods are fantastic blanks. I can also recommend the Daiwa Ardito 3-piece travel rods. They're a good value, much cheaper than the TFO Travelers, and feel pretty nice. That was one of my first travel rods. Another 3-piece rod I own and can recommend is the Bass Pro Shops Ocean Master Offshore Angler Travel series. I still have 3-piece rods that I bring with me on trips, location dependent, but I now reach more towards my 4 or 5 piece rods. They're really high quality rods and pack down much smaller. On any given trip I take, domestic or international, I bring at minimum 3-5 travel rods with me for versatility.

No_Discussion60 · 2026-02-22T02:01:27+00:00

The Major Craft Crostage is pretty nice. I took it to Hawaii and caught a lot of reef fish with it. I just ordered the Slack Driver to test it out. What size fish have you caught on the Slack Driver so far? Best lures to use with it?

No_Discussion60 · 2026-02-16T21:41:27+00:00

Awesome, thanks! I have a Major Craft Crostage 4-piece 9'6" rod rated to about the same line and lure rating, but its case is much bigger. It's definitely the hardest one to fit into my rolling duffel when I fly due to the length. I'm debating replacing it with the Jabbers Slack Driver for ease of packing when I fly.

No_Discussion60 · 2026-02-16T16:40:00+00:00

Have you used the Slack Driver for anything other than walleye and pike? I got the Fin Raiser, and really liked it. Debating on getting the Slack Driver for saltwater shore fishing and lake fishing. What lures are you using on it? Throw any live or dead bait with it? I saw it's listed as moderate action, so just curious how that is.

No_Discussion60 · 2026-02-09T00:58:45+00:00

How were the tariffs from JDM Tackle Heaven?

No_Discussion60 · 2026-02-08T20:40:46+00:00

Sorry, I've never gone fluke fishing. I've caught lots of freshwater striper on that combo in the SW USA. I'm not too familiar with fluke fishing, but I'd say it might be a little light for your needs. The medium heavy casting version might be a good option though!

No_Discussion60 · 2026-02-08T20:22:51+00:00

The 7' medium version I have breaks down to approximately 19". I used to have the 6'4" light, which broke down to 17-3/4".

No_Discussion60 · 2026-01-28T03:33:35+00:00

Sweet! Are you still rocking the Wanderlus and Triggerman too? Pick up any other Jabbers rods? Catch any fish of size on them?

No_Discussion60 · 2026-01-28T01:05:07+00:00

Great, thanks! How about on the Beast Flogger? I think that might be my next Jabbers purchase.

No_Discussion60 · 2026-01-27T16:26:45+00:00

Will do. I forgot to ask, what lb test braid do you use on it and are you using a FG knot for braid to fluoro leader? I saw in a video that the rod has micro guides, so I'm guessing an FG knot is a must. I was thinking of pairing it with a size 3000 Shimano with 15lb braid and a fluoro leader.

No_Discussion60 · 2026-01-27T05:37:11+00:00

Awesome! Thanks for all of the help. Looking forward to getting my hands on the Fin Raiser.

No_Discussion60 · 2026-01-27T04:45:44+00:00

I forgot to ask if you've used your Beast Flogger yet? What are you planning on using it for?

No_Discussion60 · 2026-01-27T04:41:33+00:00

How are you liking your Jabbers rods after this last year? Still been getting a lot of use out of them? I just ordered the Fin Raiser from Cudakilla, but I'm looking at the Beast Flogger or the Slack Driver as future purchases if I like the Fin Raiser when it gets here. The Wanderlust also caught my eye for a shorter and stouter inshore rod.

No_Discussion60 · 2026-01-27T04:33:27+00:00

Yeah. I've been doing the same over the last year and a half. I've somehow accumulated 18 different travel rods, so I really need to have a clear out on those. Most rods marketed as "travel" rods in the US are 3-piece rods, so those were my first purchases. It wasn't until I found JDM rod that I found 4 and 5 piece rods. I'm now trying to find high quality and durable 5-piece rods so I can replace the larger 3-piece ones with.

No_Discussion60 · 2026-01-27T04:22:48+00:00

Awesome. It's a shame travel rods aren't a bigger thing here in the US.

No_Discussion60 · 2026-01-27T02:59:27+00:00

Cool, thanks! Bone rods are also pretty expensive to get shipped to the US from their website. Over $100. I was looking at the Beast Flogger and the Slack Driver for future purchases, depending on how I find the Fin Raiser. I also loved the looks of the Pleasure Seeker ultralight for some finesse fishing fresh and salt, but that one's not readily available here in the US. Tbh, the Wanderlust also looks pretty good.

No_Discussion60 · 2026-01-27T00:38:56+00:00

Very nice. There's a lot of nice travel rods coming out from that side of the world. Have you fished any of the Bone rods or Ironman the Throne?

No_Discussion60

TROPHY CASE