Rod Holders Pros and Cons

sky hawk

Old Mossy Horns
Contributor
This could go in the FW or SW section: I'm looking for a rod holder setup for a bay boat used in both fresh and saltwater. Striper, flounder, drum, etc. Drifting and trolling.

I've used a couple different styles in the past - driftmaster the most. I can't "junk" this boat up like a dedicated rig, everything has to easily be removed. There are a lot of different options out there. I'm leaning toward a gimbal mount rod tree with tube style rod holders. I like that they use the existing flush mount rod holders with no drilling, and lift right out. On a buddy's boat we used mounting plates and a trolling bar across the stern, but I'm not sure if that's necessary. What are the tradeoffs between a tube-style and a cradle-style/ driftmaster? Seems like the tube style positions the rods further out away from the boat, but I've seen inexperienced anglers struggle getting the rod out with certain style cradle holders. I need a versatile system that's fully adjustable and easily removed, but I'm not going to run a ton of rods. 6-8 at most.

Maybe this style:

Cisco gimbal3.png

or this style on a gimbal mount:


CESmithAL.jpg
 
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Going Coastal

Eight Pointer
In my opinion the Cisco tube style rod holders are very well made and you would be hard pressed to find better.
I have used several different types of cradle style in the past and by far the tube style Cisco's are my favorite.

They are expensive!
I would have gone with the gimble style base or the track system, but my gunnels are too narrow.
Hopefully I will up grade to a saltwater boat in the future and add the gimble bases to my cross bars for that boat.
 
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Bailey Boat

Twelve Pointer
IMHO... For your Bay boat the tube style would be more useful and easily detached when not needed. The cradle style is just not as useful....
 

Mr.Gadget

Old Mossy Horns
If you have a ss or aluminum rail on the side or back of the boat look into Fish Bite Rod holders. He makes an aluminum clamp that looks really nice. It is threaded for 1/2" and it may work for you to mount tube type or his rod holders. It is really clean so you can remove the holders when not in use and there is nothing drilled into the boat. He also does custom gear. People mount them on cross members that can mount to existing factory mounts/rod holders.
 

sky hawk

Old Mossy Horns
Contributor
Thanks for the tips.

Going Coastal, are those Cisco holders mounted directly to a base plate?

I am surprised at how much many of these rod holders cost. Even the CE Smith holders like the single one above are high.
 
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Going Coastal

Eight Pointer
Thanks for the tips.

Going Coastal, are those Cisco holders mounted directly to a base plate?

I am surprised at how much many of these rod holders cost. Even the CE Smith holders like the single one above are high.
Originally in the picture with the lady they are mounted to 1" rails with thumb screws mounts. After I used them awhile I did away with the rails and mounted directly to the base plate with backing plates under the gunnel.
I can take them off very easley that way.
A tidbit of info, if you order Cisco's get the type of tube bases that are cut to accommodate gimble rod butts or your rods will spin on you at low speed.
Sorry my pics were turned. That's tapatalks way of forcing a subscription.

Sent from my LGL164VL using Tapatalk
 
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Loganwayne

Ten Pointer
I’ve got Scotty’s you can get flush mount bases. I’ve got the triple holders and 6 rod rockets and 6 regular holders. I’ve got 6 different spots I can put rod holders or the tripple holders depending on the style of fishing I’ll be doing I can change out the style of rod holder.


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recoil

Eight Pointer
My last bay boat I had drift master rod holders all around. This boat I went with flush mount rod holders and I am going to build pvc inserts if I want to drift for crappie or get a horizontal presentation.
 
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