While a golf cart’s prime purpose is to get around golf courses easily, it can be used for multiple different purposes, from carrying goods back from your local store to patrolling large grounds.
If you enjoy fishing, using a golf cart is a great way of transporting yourself and your equipment to idyllic fishing spots.
So, let’s take a look at how you can use a golf cart to carry all your fishing gear.
Install Golf Cart Fishing Rod Holders
Most golf carts are designed to travel on concrete and asphalt, and many are able to be driven on grass. So, you can easily transport your fishing equipment to the spot where you wish to fish.
While you can place some equipment on the seats of the cart, you’ll be able to transport your fishing rods more easily if you buy purpose-made golf cart fishing rod holders. They’re easy to attach to your cart to provide you with extra storage for your rods.
Most rod holders for golf carts can hold three fishing rods, too, so you won’t have to choose which rods to use before you leave home. Instead, you can transport a variety of rods that you can use for different purposes.
There are lots of different ways in which you can customize your cart – and you can check out this article to discover how to customize your golf cart – but when it comes to accessorizing it for carrying your fishing gear, installing rod holders should definitely be at the top of your accessory list.
See Golf Cart Fishing Rod Holder On Amazon
Add a Roof Rack to Your Golf Cart
You’ll need to take things like fishing weights, coolers, lures, a tackle box and potentially other gear with you when you go fishing. And if you have a lot of equipment to take with you, you could need additional space in your golf cart.
Thankfully, you can easily install a roof rack to carry things like tackle boxes. You could also transport your fishing rods on a golf cart roof rack. There are a few golf cart specific roof racks on the market, some that work without needing rails, like this one, but if your golf cart has rails to work with on the roof, you can use various different types of roof racks.
Just make sure that you secure the items on your roof rack well. The last thing you want is for equipment to fall off the roof as you drive your cart.
Add a Front Cargo Basket
Adding a front basket is great for placing a tackle box, cooler, extra gear, or whatever you want to have easy access to. They often sit low enough to not really obstruct your view, but add a ton of utility to your golf cart.
Many anglers will elect for just a front cargo basket and a rod holder. Those two items will be enough in many cases to hold all your gear.
Check out this front cargo basket example.
Buy a Mounted Cooler
When embarking on a day’s fishing trip, you’ll want to make sure you have plenty of cool drinks with you, especially if you’re fishing on a hot and sunny day. So, consider getting a cooler that can be mounted on your golf cart.
Coolers for beverages are available in a variety of sizes and by mounting them on a grab bar, you can use the space in your cart to transport more of your fishing accessories.
In fact, you can even use coolers to keep your tackle in.
One product we found cool (ha) is this secure mount cooler system.
Make Your Golf Cart More Suitable for Traveling Off-road
If your cart has the power and stability to navigate off-road terrain, you’ll be able to access far more terrain. Golf carts often don’t come with great off roading tires, power, or a lift kit to get to tougher terrain, except for some more expensive models, Therefore, you should consider changing your cart’s standard tires for all-terrain tires that are strong and durable and which can improve the ability to move along all terrain types.
You might also consider getting a lift kit to enhance your cart’s suspension for off-road riding. By purchasing a lift kit, you can give your golf cart the additional height needed to travel through uneven terrain and the strength to handle bumps. You will then be able to access more secluded fishing spots with all of your fishing gear.
TLDR
So, if you wanted to skip through this article, here’s what you need to consider for your golf cart:
- A rod holder mount system
- A cooler mount / rack system
- A front basket for storage
- A roof rack for storage
- Lifting your golf cart / adding off-road tires
Max DesMarais is the founder of hikingandfishing.com. He has a passion for the outdoors and making outdoor education and adventure more accessible. Max is a published author for various outdoor adventure, travel, and marketing websites. He is an experienced hiker, backpacker, fly fisherman, backcountry skier, trail runner, and spends his free time in the outdoors. These adventures allow him to test gear, learn new skills, and experience new places so that he can educate others. Max grew up hiking all around New Hampshire and New England. He became obsessed with the New Hampshire mountains, and the NH 48, where he guided hikes and trail runs in the White Mountains. Since moving out west, Max has continued climbed all of the Colorado 14ers, is always testing gear, learning skills, gaining experience, and building his endurance for outdoor sports. You can read more about his experience here: hikingandfishing/about