# Best way to mount rod holders on 15’ aluminum boat?



## NonTypicalCPA (Feb 16, 2007)

I’m setting up a new to me 15’ boat for pan fishing and pike trolling. I’m looking for suggestions for permanent mounting of trolling rod holders to the gunwales.


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## Quack Addict (Aug 10, 2006)

I just went through this myself last year with a 14' Starcraft. My solution wasn't super easy and I'm fairly well skilled in metal fabrication + have access to all the tools needed.

I chose to use 3"x3" aluminum angle. This gave me a 3" horizontal surface to mount Berts tracks to, as well as a 3" vertical surface to run bolts through the side of the boat under the gunnels. The hard part was figuring out the backspacking needed on the angle to get the horizontal surface horizontal. I ended up making some blocks with 3/8" and 1/2" aluminum bar stock to set the back spacing. The 3/8" blocks were at the ends and the 1/2" in the middle to account for curvature of the hull. I could have welded those on, but that would have seriously tied my hands for adjustability, so I drilled and tapped them. 

From the exterior of the boat I have a 1" wide x 1/4" thick aluminum bar I bent to the contour of the side of the boat. Ran 3 bolts through each side with Nylok bolts on the outside. 

My setup is rock solid. We run this boat for trout & salmon when the weather is too cold to have my big boat out. No problems running 3 rods per side with inline planer boards attached. When I want to convert the boat for duck hunting, remove 3 screws per side and the whole rod holder assembly comes off leaving 3 small (5/16" diameter) hoes in the sides.

I'll post some pics later.


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## Quack Addict (Aug 10, 2006)

Here's some pics of my setup. 

The first 2 pics are looking from the outside of the boat. The 3rd pic shows the backing blocks I had to install to get the top to be horizontal. The 4th pic is the view as seen from inside the boat with the fasteners for the blocks countersunk flush and button head cap screws to hold the setup on.

I don't like using regular hex or socket head screws on boat interiors. They catch and wreck fishing line and chew up your knuckles at the worst times.


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## NonTypicalCPA (Feb 16, 2007)

Thanks quack, that is a heavy duty looking set up!


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## 1morebite (Apr 9, 2016)

Nice work Quack, looks solid!


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## piketroller (Oct 24, 2016)

Just get some clamp on Down East Salty S-10 clamp on rod holders and don’t look back. I can think of only two cons with these. One, they don’t like the modern bass style baitcast reels with the gearcase that hangs down below the reel foot. And two, if you want to adjust the angle of the rod (to put the tip underwater for floating weeds or put the tip up to make a bait run shallower) then you have to loosen up one of the clamps first before adjusting the rod angle.

On my boat, I run four of these plus two Folbe Jr plastic holders. You could just bolt the side mounts for the Folbe holders right to the sides of your boat.

Most of the guys on here are going to suggest track systems and the various holders designed for them that are great on bigger boats set up for walleye and salmon trolling with planer boards and down riggers. I’ve been fishing out of a 16 foot tiller for pike for a long time, and I can’t even start to count how many pike I would have missed without being able to quickly get a rod out of a Down East of Folbe holder by just grabbing the rod but. Having to stand up and pull a rod out of a tube style holder is not what you want for pike trolling unless you are going to be standing up the whole time.

Feel free to PM me.


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## piketroller (Oct 24, 2016)

These are the Folbe side mount brackets in either a singe or triple setup. Using U bolts the will mount to the insides of your gunnels very easily.


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## gatorman841 (Mar 4, 2010)

I added rod holders to my 16’ aluminum , not pretty but they worked and were stable and cheap. I just mounted the rod holder to a 6x6 1.5” block of treated wood. Then mounted the block to the wall, drilled 4 holes through block and wall of boat and threw 4 bolts in. Tightened them down and good to go cheap and fast and held up to pulling boards. 3m the holes and was finished, hope this helps with ideas. I had to use the blocks of wood cause of gunnel , rod holders wouldn’t fit in right without it.







View attachment 360565


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## piketroller (Oct 24, 2016)

Just below the catfish is one of the side mount rod holder brackets U-bolted to my gunnel.










Second picture shows a down east S-10 clamped onto each side of my boat. The black rod holders with rods in them are Folbe Jr mounted to risers with 3.5” track up top. But you can just get side mounts for them too.


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## yooperkenny (Jul 13, 2004)

I installed a setup similar to Gatorman's using 3/4" thick cedar with Scotty type rod holders on my 16' Lund Fury. Had the same setup on my 16' Lund Explorer before I sold it after buying the Fury. Works great for LBDN and inland lake pike and walleye, and salmon/trout trolling with dipsies and lead core on boards on Lakes Superior and Michigan. Not the Cadillac, but never had a failure or problem, it's simple, inexpensive and catches fish. Good Luck!


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## Skinner 2 (Mar 19, 2004)

One word... securely....


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## Far Beyond Driven (Jan 23, 2006)

Please excuse the poor choice in head gear from my guest.

I bolted a 1x6" piece of 3' long cherry down each side of the boat through the oar lock, and then with a dropper down to the brace on the seat. Then mounted every thing to that. It's solid enough that I mount down riggers on it and run 12# balls bouncing them off the bottom in 100' and a pair of wire dipsy divers at the same time.

Be warned anything that sticks out beyond the side of the boat will sooner or later get removed by a dock.


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## Quack Addict (Aug 10, 2006)

Far Beyond Driven said:


> Be warned anything that sticks out beyond the side of the boat will sooner or later get removed by a dock.


I haven't had that problem with mine but do have to pull one of the PVC tubes off my trailer guide to launch and recover my 14'er. It seemed like a good idea to hang them out there when me and my good Buddy Weiser installed them during the winter months out in my barn. 

I'm tempted to flip the angle aluminum and move the rodholders inboard to reduce reach and boat tip when handling rods. But I recently picked up an 18' tin boat with wide gunnels that I might transition my little boat gear onto.


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## Far Beyond Driven (Jan 23, 2006)

I have one rod holder on my 215 that ends up being like 1/2" outside of my rub rail. I've replaced that thing like 3 times, but to move the downrigger inboard 1" is a huge tear up. So I have a spare rod holder on the boat.

Doesn't help when you drop the allen wrench in 210' of water.


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## piketroller (Oct 24, 2016)

Far Beyond Driven said:


> I have one rod holder on my 215 that ends up being like 1/2" outside of my rub rail. I've replaced that thing like 3 times, but to move the downrigger inboard 1" is a huge tear up. So I have a spare rod holder on the boat.
> 
> Doesn't help when you drop the allen wrench in 210' of water.


That’s a pretty heavy boat to try to stop from moving with just a rod holder. I’ve slammed the clamps on the Down East holders, and even the holder part of them on my outboard mounted ones against countless dock pilings for years without breaking one. But my boat is down around 1000 pounds total between hull, motor, batteries l, fuel, and everything else. No where close to the impact of trying to stop a 20+ footer with lots of freeboard from moving.


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## Far Beyond Driven (Jan 23, 2006)

About 4300# geared up. But most of the time the boat is tied to the dock, and the person holding it there isn't paying attention, and the boat moves fore and aft and add a little wake and the holder bumps the piling and that's all it takes. Plastic bases on the Walker Rigger rod holders are not the best design.

I've got Tite Lok with that zinc washer that is supposed to strip if you hit something. Those take a lot to break. To the point we use the rod holders as handles to push the boat (the 14') through mud or ice.

Salties are great. Run my wire divers on those.


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