It’s an uncomfortable thought to be sure, having to repurchase your entire ensemble. It seems that every state has some premier fishery which has the unsavory crowd prowling the parking lots for unattended loot.
Fishing the urban interface is worse, with easy access to riverside parking areas whose cars are left unattended for great lengths of time, whose owners are waist deep in water – and powerless to prevent the snatch and grab…
As the value of the tackle increases and with the ready market provided by Craigslist and eBay, we can only look forward to more of the same – as contemporary tackle eclipses the value of CD players and tape decks.
I stopped using rod tubes for that reason – and if a friend brings one, I’ll remove the cap and hang the sock out of the top within view to avoid the shattered window. Most precautions are obvious, don’t display extra tackle within easy reach – and make sure your tape deck is an eight track …
I wasn’t surprised when I read of the capture of the Missouri Tournament bandit – the debut of the “thousand dollar rod” foretold that someone would start pursuing anglers specifically. This fellow stalked the professional BASS circuit, rifling the boats moored after each days fishing.
When apprehended the police found nearly a thousand items in his garage, all pilfered from nearby lakes.
“They know people will be there with high dollar fishing equipment,” said Sgt. Callahan. “The general public doesn’t realize the dollar value…the rods and reels can be high dollar.”
The last time I calculated the costs of our entire ensemble; including leaders, flies, tippet spools, and assorted dangling vest accoutrements – even I was surprised at the totals – nearly $3300 per man (2007 prices). Figure resale on eBay would generate half of those costs – that’s a tidy sum.
Just keep alert. As the gear grows in value – so do the ranks of those that covet it.
Tags: tackle theft, BASS tournament, eight track tape, eBay resells stolen property, caveat emptor, empty rod tube, anti-theft, thousand dollar fly rod
sad but true. i do the same thing with rod tubes. then again i also drive a car that looks like it already has been broken into.
For years, I’ve fantasized about creating an exploding rod tube to leave in my vehicle. Except for not being able to get my hands on some C4, the plan would be a reality.
The C4 is a great idea, only make sure your friend is driving HIS car.