Just Want Something to Tow a Cooler and Some Fishing Gear

[VaBeekeeper]

Hi folks,

I've got a Yanmar 3220D 34HP 4x4 compact diesel tractor, and a 3/4 mile trail to the creek where I do my fishing. The trail is an old logging trail in very rough condition, with some slopes that get really muddy and slippery after heavy rains. Forget about taking a car or van down there - even my friend's 4x4 truck has gotten stuck when the ground's really soft. But I figure my tractor can handle it with no problem.

However, I'm at a loss as to how to transport my fishing rods, ice chest, tackle box, &cet. on the tractor. I guess I could use tie downs to strap the ice chest in the front-end loader, but then where do I put my 7' fishing pole? When I look at trailers, but they seem to come in only two types: little ones for a garden tractor or ATV, and big ones for highway use. Whatever happened to the good old farm tractor cart?

 

[George2615]

Home Depot sells a wide variety of trailers 6,7.5,8,9,10, and 12'long and 4-6' wide that are perfect behind a tractor to haul all your coolers and fishing gear.

 

[motownbrowne]

Or you could build your own "good old farm tractor cart".

I suppose most of them were made by folks who needed a trailer just like you who had random junk laying around. If you don't have an axle laying around, it shouldn't be too hard to find one. If you've got a welder or a friend with one, you can be in business in no time.

 

[MossRoad]

No matter what you do, towing a fishing rod through the woods on anything, be it tractor, truck, ATV, etc.... its going to get hung on a branch sooner or later unless its inside of something, like a long, PVC pipe with end caps, or an enclosed SUV or pickup bed. I'd personally use it for an excuse to buy a monster SUV, but a 10' length of 8" PVC pipe and end caps is probably cheaper. Your reel should fit in there, too, but you may have to collapse the crank handle. Small price to pay VS destroyed fishing gear.

 

[cnice37]

Configure a carry-all to hold what you need on the 3 pt. Much easier than maneuvering a trailer through the woods if they are already tough. A few PVC holders for the poles, maybe some 2x4 pockets on the floor to keep your gear in place.

 

[rd_macgregor]

I agree with cnice37. If you ever slip that tractor into a place where you need to back up on a narrow, slippery trail in the woods, you're better off with a carryall than a trailer.
In the longer term, you might want to consider some box blade work (or even buckets of fill) to ease the roughness of the trail.

 

[bspeedy]

sounds like an excuse to get a side x side or atv to me. Much quicker travel and easier on the spine if it is rough.

 

[bcp]

Get a backpack fishing rod. Put all the stuff in the loader bucket.

Bruce


Example:

Eagle Claw Trailmaster Spinning Pack Rods : Cabela's

 

[newbury]

Based on your description of the condition I'd go with strapping stuff into the FEL (or a carryall or pallet on the 3 point) then take MossRoads suggestion of PVC pipe but downsized.
I'd use a length slightly longer than your pole segments if you can break it down (is it really 7' in one piece?) and half again the size of your biggest guide. If you want to keep your reel mounted get an end piece big enough for that and use a reducing coupling or two to get it down to the size you need for the guides. That way you may end up with a foot of 8" pipe and 6' of 3" pipe. You should be able to strap that stretching from your ROPS forward to your FEL.

 

[fidowanttobe]

Configure a carry-all to hold what you need on the 3 pt. Much easier than maneuvering a trailer through the woods if they are already tough. A few PVC holders for the poles, maybe some 2x4 pockets on the floor to keep your gear in place.

Yup. I agree. 3PT mounted is always better when slippin and slidin. How bout Ron Popeil's Pocket Fisherman?:laughing:http://images.drleonards.com/images/items/19273_large.gif