A protective harness for a fully-rigged fishing rod during transport and/or storage, comprised of two hollow tubes that are closed at one end and open on the other end. The tubes are connected by an elastic cord attached near the open end of each tube. One tube slides over the upper (tip) portion of the rod, and the other tube slides over the lower (handle) portion of the rod, with the elastic cord stretching between the two tubes and maintaining tension, thus creating a protective harness that adheres to the fishing rod. This easy-on easy-off protective harness may be used on a one-piece or a multiple-piece fishing rod while it is fully rigged with tackle, acting as a lure guard as well as a rod protector. The tubes may be transparent to maximize viewing of the contents. When not in use, the tubes nest inside one another for convenient storage.