Rod holders

[True]

Hey all of you with boats what kind of rod holders do you prefer?I've been trying to buy some ,but having a heck of a time making a decision.

Thanks True

[SteveD]

I've got Roberts, Scotty's, Cabela's, and Driftmaster rod holders. They all work fine. I prefer to use the Driftmasters because I can better adjust the rod butts in the holder. Driftmaster also offers a wider range of options for mounts.

[DTro]

I also really like the driftmaster rod holders. They are simple, durable, and easy to use. Probably my favorite.

Ram also makes a nice holder.

I use Cabelas branded Scotty holders and they are nice too.

[aanderud]

Driftmasters work great, you can point them any which way and they seem very sturdy. I might pick up a few of them for giggles and put them on my john boat.

Right now I have scotty holders, which also are sold under some cabelas brand, and they work OK. They're easily removable, and the guy who owned my crestliner before I did put like 4 of them on there. I didn't want to worry about finding some other ones that had exactly the same mounting holes, etc. so I just got a couple more of them and a few more mounts for my second boat and voila....rod holders in both boats. Of course, that is only if I remember to grab them out of the 'other' boat whenever switching boats.

[hanson]

I've got RAMs on my boat.

I think they are made from the most durable plastic a guy is going to find and I really like the design of them as well.

With pretty much all the name brand plastic holders - Scotty, Atwood, Cabelas, Ram, etc they all use the same style of base. So that might be more important. Find a good rod holder base that works on your boat (flush mount, rail mount, bulkhead mount, etc) and then you can just interchange the rod holders as you see fit.

With the Driftmasters, you'll be locked into the Driftmaster mounting brackets and holders, you can't really interchange them with the other brands.

I'll shoot some photos of my rod holders this afternoon as I have 3 different mounting styles on my boat.

[True]

I'll shoot some photos of my rod holders this afternoon as I have 3 different mounting styles on my boat.

[RAB]

Last year I switched to Folbe

[crazyice]

I don't have my own boat, but I have fished out of plenty of other's that have holders. I think that part of what may make one work better than a another, is what type of rod and reel you use, I have found the Ram not to work as well with a spinning reel system but it does seem to work better with the baitcasters.

[Gordie]

those are sweet can I ask what they cost RAB.

[stam34]

Driftmaster all the way .

[harvey lee]

I have 8 Ram mounts on the boat.

[A.W.Wolfram]

I have 14 scotty's on my boat

[hanson]

Here's some photos of whats on my boat for rod holders:

"Flush Mount"

I have these up on the bow of my boat. They don't get used much unless I anchor sideways or have 3 people in the boat. One specific instance where I anchor sideways is in front of snags, that allows me to spread baits laterally more effectively and cover the snag. On the Red River I sideways anchor a lot as you are allowed 2 lines per angler. I could have put these on the back/sides as well but the rails I installed allowed for a little more adjustability.

"Rail Mount"

This style mount is pretty self explanatory, it mounts to a rail. However, on basic v-style aluminums or jon boats, you can use longer bolts and mount these right to the top of the gunnel. The rails on my boat allow for a little more forward/aft adjustability.

"Bulkhead Mount"

The bulkhead mount is essentially a side mount. I have my bulkhead mounts in the back of the boat on the splashwell. These are the rod holders that get used the most in my boat. I could have done bulkhead mounts all the way around my boat but I wanted to get my rod holders moved a little further outside which is why I went with rail & flush mounts around the rest of the boat.

Now my boat has wide gunnels on it vs a jon boat style rail which is why I have a few options. However, with a basic aluminum V style boat or a jon boat, you can use the "rail mount" style rod holder bases with longer bolts to mount them on the top of the gunnel, or you can use the "bulkhead mount" style of rod holder bases and just mount them right to the side of the boat.

Hope this helps ya!

[A.W.Wolfram]

Nice set up Hanson

[harvey lee]

Boy Andy, you must have alot of rods to fill those 14 rod holders.

[hanson]

Boy Andy, you must have alot of rods to fill those 14 rod holders.

LOL! I've got 8 rod holders and am planning to add 2 more as well. Its not so much the number of rods but being able to have options when fishing on the river. Sometimes I anchor sideways with my left side of the boat downstream, sometimes its the right side of the boat, sometimes its the back downstream, sometimes I have 2 guys, sometimes 3, sometimes 4. I thought I had enough and then ran into situations on the Red River where I didn't have them in the right spots, so I added more immediately after. If you have 3 guys on the Red and you anchor sideways, you need to get 6 rods spread out from one end of the boat to the other. More rod holders, the better options you have!

On a side note, I still think these are the best rod holders on the market. They work great with baitcasters. When I use them with spinning reels, I just stick the butt of the rod into the holder, that way all you have to do is pull it straight out. Simple. Effective.

I've used the Folbes a few times and I've had rods hang up in them. Maybe its just me, I don't know. They are awesome rod holders but not my favorite.

[A.W.Wolfram]

It's nice to have one set for every direction. I added 2 more mounts for the back and 2 for the frount deck.

And if it was legal here I do have a rod for every holder

[DTro]

I know others who love their Folbes too, but the couple of times I tried them I had issues as well.

The ONLY holders that I've seen people NOT have any issue with trying to get big butt rods in or out and whether or not they work with both spinning or casting, or just plain getting your rods out nice and smooth are the Driftmasters and the straight stainless steel tube style holders.

[Here-Kitty-Kitty]

Captain I'm still waiting on them pics of this new rod that you have coming lol. Not to change the topic.

[harvey lee]

I agree with all the different rod holders for how one positions the boat. As I stated, I have 8 but will more than likely add a few more before years end.

[RAB]

those are sweet can I ask what they cost RAB.

Folbes are not cheap, I think I paid $35 each but got free shipping when ordering 3 or more.

They do take some getting used to, because you have to pull straight up with 2 hands, one above and one below the holder. 10 minutes in the driveway doing simulations and you should get the feel for them.

[bigd250]

i also recommend driftmasters, ive got 4 of them in my little boat. 2 permanent bases on each side and ive got two clamps for the odd time i want three of four rods one side or the other. cheap, unbreakable, lifetime warranty, and just plain work well. easy in and easy out. the only thing against them is they arent as versatile for other kinds of fishing, like trolling or maybe even drifting. the bases are also aluminum and can strip out if your not careful, but they are only five bucks.

[harvey lee]

Welcome bigd250. Glad to have you with us here in the greatest forum on earth.

[ec30_06]

Scotty's and cabelas work good on my boat.

[Ralph Wiggum]

I like Folbes but not the price. I've got RAMs on my boat and like them a lot.