Looking for rod holder advice

[Eyezcrazy]

I think I paid around $25 each for those holders. The beauty is how adjustable they are, up and down, side to side and they each have a twist lock so they can't slip out.

If you don't want the expense of the fancy holders you could still use my cross member idea and secure your tube idea to it. By using the angle across the full width of the stern you could probably add 8 holders. If your buddy doesn't have a deck mount in the area you want to mount it all he has to do is buy a quality stainless steel deck hinge mount and put one on each side where it will best work to secure the "rod rack" and you're in business.

It is super easy to put on and off and like I said, when you remove it, you never knew it was there.

[Eyezcrazy]

I just checked and I paid 22.50 each for the holders with free shipping on eBay. Worth every penny!

[OffShore24]

With limited gunwale space you should use vertical trees for board rods. This way you can put 2, 3, or 4 rods vertically in the same space that 1 rod holder takes up. For multiply dipsys you want the rods lined up horizontally.. You could mount a track in that space. Your tree mount will mount to the track and so will your dipsy cradles.

I would NEVER use a system that runs the rods across the transom wall. How would set lines off the back of the boat? You would have to reach over and around etc to net a fish. The back of the boat needs to be open to let lines out and bring fish in. Look at the way a charter boat is set up. Rod holders down the side walls and the transom area open to work lines and bring in fish.

[freddie]

The more I thought about the transom mounting rail like you have, Eyezcrazy, the more I was worried bout the space it would take up when not in use.

I thought about trees but they just look so different to me.. Lol.

[Eyezcrazy]

To each his own, I think the tree system doesn't allow a good separation between the lines when running inline boards, with big boards it wouldn't matter. As far as netting goes, you will notice that my holders are mounted 3 and 3 with a gap in the center for access to the back of the boat, however most of the time we net the fish on the whatever side the fish is hooked on because the access is better.

I can not run my lines like a charter because I have a small 21 ft pleasure boat with a fairly large swim platform on the back. When the waves are calm, it is fairly easy to step out on the platform to net fish but we have mastered the steering to where it is just as easy to net from the side.

Just passing along my idea and it works fantastic for me in my situation. It stays in my boat most of the time but if we are skiing I just pop it off in about 30 seconds and store it in the garage.

[freddie]

We also net alongside the boat, as it is quite a reach over the engine cover and back seats, it's just easier to pull/move lines out of the way to net fish alongside.

I think we're going to try the original design and make any necessary adaptations..

[OffShore24]

i guess the biggest difference is my advice and set up is on a fishing boat. You guys are working around fancy padded seats and an engine box etc. I have a high transom wall with an outboard main and a kicker. We having a "netting zone" on my boat. that area is beside the main outboard in the back opposite side of the kicker. As the fish is coming in we make adjustments to get the fish in that netting zone to be netted with no interference or any issues. if it is a big fish that is swimming deep we also control the boat to get the fish to rise up in the water column.