Affiliate Links: This post may contain affiliate links. Meaning I may get a small commission, at no cost to you, if you decide to make a purchase through my link. Please read my DISCLOSURE for more information.
Last ice fishing season I searched far and wide for a reasonably priced ice rod case and I’ve finally found it in the Flambeau Bunk Box. There are a number of rod cases on the market that range from a basic bag to the most luxurious storage devices. As you can imagine, prices for ice rod storage containers also range from budget to extravagant. I’m a firm believer in “you get what you pay for”, but there is such a thing as good enough and the Flambeau Bunk Box will suit most anglers needs perfectly.
It’s important to keep your tackle organized and that’s especially true in the winter. When the cold sets in it’s easy to start to forget things, like where you set those pliers or if you packed that rod up. Keeping it all in one place reduces those mix ups and keeps your gear and tackle from getting buried in the snow.
Another big benefit of using a case like this is that you can store your rods rigged and ready to deploy. I keep a different style of lure on each rod depending on the species I’m targeting. That way I don’t have to mess around tying on lures when I get to the spot.
The Bunk Box is designed in a dog bone shape and will store two, two-piece 6.5’ rods and two, two-piece 6′ rods. The interior dimensions are 40.5″ long in the middle and 42″ at the edges by 9.5″W and 5″D. It’s well suited to storing my most used ice rods as well as the majority of my ice fishing tackle.
I store 4 ice rods in the case, the longest being 29”. You could get away with 32″ rods in the configuration pictured. If I kept my tackle elsewhere I could fit at least two more rods in this case but I usually only need 4 per trip. My 42″ lake trout rod fits along the edges with the tackle boxes removed making the Bunk box pretty versatile.
My ice tackle is stored in small Plano 3500 boxes. The four boxes are pretty much all the tackle storage I need. Any plastics or bait I bring gets stuffed in the compartments under the rods or to the sides of the tackle boxes.
Some anglers comment that the plastic is thin and flimsy. I can confirm that it does seem thin but overall the case has proven to be tough. Even in the coldest temperatures the plastic hasn’t cracked or broken and has withstood being thrown around in the sled or riding on my ATV. One thing you should watch out for is the latches icing up. Ice and snow can build up under the latch and once it does it’s easy to break the latch when trying to close it.
If you are interested in the Flambeau Bunk Box you can help support the site by purchasing through the affiliate link below:
