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Can anyone give some advice on where is the best place to mount rod holders on my 170's rails. I originally had two mounted on the aft section of the horizontal part of the rail. I was thinking of trying to mount them on the small vertical section of the rail most aft. These rod holders will be for trolling.
I'm realizing that rail mounted rod holders are far from perfect but was hoping to get some help. Any suggestions on brands or styles of rod holders will be helpful too. Thanks.
Hello surf204z, rail mounted rod holders can be an interesting dilema.
If you have a West Marine in your general area they offer their own brand which are manufactured quite well. They are Stainless Steel with a ratcheting "clam-shell" clamp design for 7/8 inch diameter tubing. The rod tube includes a black plastic protection sleeve with a perferrated base for drainage.
They are typically sold in pairs and when on sale they go for roughly $29 dollars and change (+ tax). Confirm your rail tubing diameter which should be 7/8 inch diameter.
One thing that I immediately notice during a boat launch after having installed the rod holders was, depending on the tide (if high) the rod holders would come into contact with the dock pylons or the actual dock. I had mounted them on the outside of my rails then, eventually I remounted them on the interior side of my rails and no more issues. Something to consider...
I have four of those rod holders mounted on my Montauk's rails. Two are vertical for storage and two are on 45 degree angles for trolling.
The angled ones bring the rod tips closer to the water and move the lines further from the boat allowing a greater area of coverage when trolling. I just use a bungie to make sure the rods stay seated.
I had originally had mine mounted on the horizontal rails but moved them to the vertical sections. I found during a fish strike or snag (even with the drag set properly) the leverage of the rod bending was enough to twist them downward toward the water. That problem was eliminated by mounting them on the vertical rail posts.
If you do mount them on an angle be aware of the clearance inside and out. You don't want the top contacting the dock as mentioned or the bottom sticking out into the boat where you can bump into it while moving around.
