im planning on traveling to florida to visit my parents and i figured i would take advantage and fish some ponds/lakes see what my father and i could get..how would i go about getting my rods safely to florida and then back home?  anybody have ideas?  thanks for helping

Are you flying or driving?

You could just buy a couple of combos when you get here and leave them for your folks to use and they'll be here on future visits.

If you're going by plane you can buy rod bags at BPS or Cabelas or even at your sporting goods store.

here's the Frabill Pack-A-Pole from BPS

A good sturdy rod tube is a wise investment for any angler that travels. My kids gave me a telescoping Plano rod tube for father's day many years back. It is now discontinued, but similar items are available. Take a hard look at the tackle you might want to transport( not just this trip, any trip in the future) and find a permanent solution. I picked out the tube I now have 14 yrs ago, and it still works for me, I am able to transport 6 rods on Amtrak, and this should work on the airlines although this would have to go as checked baggage. Tom
Fishin' fool in NE Illinois

You could always FedEx or UPS them ahead of time. A friend of mine does that all the time. 
Always drink upstream from the herd ----- Hayward Lakes Area, Wi ----- Life member since March 1990 ---- NAHC Life member since December 1996 ----- Endowment Member NRA

Shipping a rod tube can be expensive, the shipping outfits don't like long packages, hence the surcharge from BPS and Cabela's on rods longer than 6'. I have never flown with my rod tube(which is 5' long due to 2 piece rods) but Amtrak has no problem with it. I have UPSed my tackle box and other items when traveling by rail, it makes boarding a lot easier if you are taking a lot of tackle on an extended trip. Tom
Fishin' fool in NE Illinois