How do you attach your rods

I have to agree with Rich/Dustin. I don't leash my rods only my paddle and drive unit. Never peddle during launch/landing. My drive unit is buckled and tightly bungied to the boat while surf launching, so it goes nowhere if I roll.  (out of the drive unit hole) The paddle leash is rolled and clipped onto the shaft of the paddle. After losing a rod when I pulled out my paddle hastily in frustration one time, resulting in lifting the back rod out of the holder and into the drink... I came up with a secure, simple one handed way to secure my rods in their holder while not in use or even in use. It's a loop about 10"es of small diameter bungie, attached to the end of each of my rod holders. I simply stretch the loop over the reel and voila! The rod stays in the holder, even when the boats upside down. No leashes to tangle in, no losses. Now about loosing it when it's in your hand. Let's not talk about the salmon that yanked the rod right out of my hands up at the Klamath 2 years ago.... I try to keep my deck as clear as I can. When I surf launch, I put my boat into what I call "submarine mode" Not worrying about your gear or being tangled with your boat goes a loooong way in reducing the butterflies that come everytime we negotiate the surf. As for attaching foam noodles to your rods. If your looking for a simple easy to apply/remove system. Get yourseld some of that one piece velcro strapping. Cut a couple pieces and throw a quick wrap around the foam. Strong, secure, easy to apply/remove and rust proof. I use that stuff for tons of stuff including my net. Oh, and did I mention it's cheap...

I leash all my rods. I leash my paddle. The only time my paddle is unleashed is during launch and landing.

I normally don't leash anything except my lip grippers.  On the Islander I did leash a few more things as I left them on the kayak and didn't want to risk losing that as the kayak went on and off the boat, but it felt weird.

-Allen

I like the zip tie option.

Montana. That's why I keep my dive knife on me even when fishing. If a sturgeon pulls me over and wraps me in braid I'd at least like to have a chance of cuttin the line.

Under the kayak and wrapped in a rod leash and you are going to find your knife and cut through the lines while holding your breathe. Much easier to say than to actually do this in practice. With my scuba gear if i got the valve caught on fishing line I would take the tanks off while keeping the regulator in my mouth and then cut the line and then put the BC and tank back on. I cannot see this happening in the kayak rollover situation that was mentioned. Expect we will not get an input from the people that found themselves in this situation and failed to cut the lines.

I look at it in terms of possibly losing a $400 rod and reel rig or possibly losing my life. I opted for attaching rod floats to the rods like the ones from Blakemore which should at least slow the rate of descent of a rod dropped into the water.