Stolen tackle

[wbranch]

If any Forum members are planning a trip to the Missouri River over the next few months be very wary and careful about what you leave in your vehicle. My friend parked at a pull over near Craig and had a back-up Sage rod and retro Hardy Princess reel and a new Orvis Hydro line on the rod. Someone smashed the back door glass and stole the rod, reel, and his cooler. I guess the thief was hungry.

He called the Helena police department and they told him there has been a spate of vehicle break-ins all along the Missouri River this year. They do it in two ways; if you rent a boat and have your car shuttled to one of the parking lots with a ramp the thieves look all around the car, in other words, all the usual places you would tell the shuttle driver to put the keys. When they find the keys they casually open the trunk and take whatever is inside. The other method is to just break a rear window and take whatever they can reach.

My buddy went into the Trout Shop and was talking to the owner about the theft and the owner told him one of his clients had $5,000 worth of rods, reel, flies, etc. stolen out of the truck of their rental car.

 

[poopdeck]

Seems this is a good public service Announcement no matter what state your fishing in. It's really hard for me to understand why people still leave expensive fishing gear in their cars. Sadly, nobody should be shocked anymore to find expensive stuff stolen from their cars.

 

[wbranch]

Poopdeck wrote;

Seems this is a good public service Announcement no matter what state your fishing in.

This is a god comment. Over the years cars have been broken into that were parked along the West and East branches of the Delaware and the main stem. I once had a cooler stolen. Admittedly I left it outside the car in the shade of my vehicle but that shouldn't of given some lowlife the right to take it.

Now I never bring an extra rod with me. If I am going to wade fish I bring just my rod, reel, vest, waders, whatever I am going to be wearing on the river.

 

[Biggie]

Please tell me how to avoid leaving extra rods and equipment in your car if you are staying in a motel and it is your last day before heading home. You have to take everything out of the room and the only place to put it is in your truck/car. Anyone have any answers on what to do in this case?

 

[salmonoid]

Biggie wrote:
Please tell me how to avoid leaving extra rods and equipment in your car if you are staying in a motel and it is your last day before heading home. You have to take everything out of the room and the only place to put it is in your truck/car. Anyone have any answers on what to do in this case?

One of the features I wanted in the last vehicle I purchased was a cargo cover. My brother's rental vehicle was broken into when he was in California a few years ago and they lifted some camera equipment and clothes(!). I ended up buying a used Subaru Forester which nicely had this option already installed. I can fit up to a two-piece nine foot rod in a tube in the trunk area and no one can see what is back there.

 

[poopdeck]

The only 100% secure way is to leave your equipment at home which would make the trip just a car ride. Other then that the answer is don't take extra stuff. I don't take extras to leave in the car. I don't make contingency plans in case I break a rod nor do I ever carry hundreds of flies for every conceivable scenario only to fish 5% of what I brought. I think the chance of theft is higher then the chance of me breaking a rod or not catching fish on the limited amount of tackle.

I am very sensitive to theft and go way out of my way not to have my stuff stolen. I don't leave stuff in my boat when trailering because I'm afraid when I stop for coffee somebody will steal my favorite rod. Everything goes in the truck where it can't be seen without great effort but I guess since it's an unmistakable straight up fishing boat it would be easy to guess where the rods are but I'm only away from vehicle for a very short time.

 

[Aducker]

Biggie wrote:
Please tell me how to avoid leaving extra rods and equipment in your car if you are staying in a motel and it is your last day before heading home. You have to take everything out of the room and the only place to put it is in your truck/car. Anyone have any answers on what to do in this case?

One of the things I thought of for this would be to ask a fly shop to hold on to your stuff while you fish the last day. Assuming they would be open by the time you finish.

Also, even if you check out of your hotel, some will hold your stuff for you.

Naturally these options depend on location and timing.

 

[Bamboozle]

Not having the latest/greatest ride or tons of Simms, Sage or Orvis stickers plastered all over your car might help too!!

Maybe an NRA sticker might help though...

 

[ColdBore]

Aducker wrote:

Also, even if you check out of your hotel, some will hold your stuff for you.

Most hotels will do a courtesy storage for the rest of the day, after you check out.

It may not be convenient to go back, depending on motel location versus the airport or your intended route home, in relation to the stream, but if your gear is expensive enough to care about, you can possibly modify that day to allow for the time needed to go back and get it.

 

[hunter1]

That's what I do. I don't take Xtra stuff. I just leave an M T wader bag open and an M T rod tube.