DIY 8ft Stakeout pole for under $10 (not PVC)

As I didn't have the money for the Stakeout pole I wanted, I began searching for a DIY solution and I found one that has gained some popularity with the Bass Anglers I chat with (mostly on Facebook).

I began by heading to Home Depot and looking for pole type objects.  Rebar is too heavy (and rusts), Dowls aren't sturdy/stiff enough, and Stakes for fencing are too large and/or cumbersome.  My last stop was the garden department where one in particular grabbed my attention.  It was the plastic coated stakes by Vigoro (online they are by the brand Gardener's Blue Ribbon) and they also had a pointed ends (BONUS)!  They come in various lengths, but I knew I wanted the longest one they carry which is 8 feet.



link to them online:  http://www.homedepot.com/p/Gardener-s-Blue-Ribbon-8-ft-Sturdy-Stake-ST8/100615760

 After finding the stake, I knew I would need a handle/way to help drive the stake into the bottom, so I went to plumbing where I found a 1/2 inch "T" fitting that fit on top of the stake about as close as I could get. 



I then headed to electical and grabbed a roll of electrical tape to wrap around the end stake to make the "T" fitting fit more snug. 



What it looks like assembled:



Here is what the pole looks like up close:


It is a hollow steel pole/pipe with plastic coating.

It worked extremely well the first outing, but one of the guys I went with over tighted the rachet strap and kinked the pole.        I said that this isn't PVC, but I did end up using PVC in my 2.0 version by inserting a stake into 1/2 inch PVC.  This took some work as the pole has "nubs" all around it to help keep it in the ground.  To remove the "nubs" I shaved them off with a utility knife as best I could and then used some sand paper to get them down some more.  After inserting the stake in the PVC, I put a 1/2 inch "T" fitting on the end. (Please note that inserting it into PVC isn't necessary as the stake will work just fine with just a "T" fitting on the top, this was just my way of beefing it up).

What it looks like now:



Note: I did add a GoPro handlebar mount near the top for some additional video angles etc.

It is quite a bit heavier now, but is much more "sturdy" and can take the abuse...  It does float too, so it often just floats along with me while staying in the rings...

Instead of a trolley line, I attached carabiners with a steel ring to the handles located on both sides of my Coosa HD (by Jackson Kayak) , which are just in front of the seat.  Like so:



One plus with the PVC is that the nubs make a lot of noise and vibration going through the rings whereas the PVC is smooth and eliminates most of that.

So if you are looking for a cheap option for a Stakeout pole this works extremely well even without being inserted (I was being overly cautious) into PVC.  Everyone that has made one (so far) has been happy with it.   These stakes are really strong an won't kink/smash easily, but they can cause lots of noise/vibration when being inserted into a trolley ring.

nice innovation

I found these don't work very well in deeper water that has a soft bottom. They won't hold and float out.
Osh has some solid fiberglass ones gonna give those a try next.

Nice work.

Just FYI... I made a couple pokepoles out of those stakes, and the saltwater rusted them out after just one trip. You couldn't tell from the outside, but then it just broke cleanly in half and a bunch of rusty crumbs fell out.

I used a piece of that as a flagpole on my bike at Burning Man last week.  It didn't last 1-week before it broke ... twice.  I could not see using this for a stake out pole IMHO.  I think a piece of PVC pipe by itself would be far better.  Bamboo ... PVC ... Fiberglass tube if you can find some cheap enough.  Heck, I think an old, broken saltwater rod would work.

Thanks for sharing the idea though.