Rowdy's Rod Rack

[spoiler][/spoiler]Ok, I want to post this topic here if it's OK. If not can tack it elsewhere. This is my attempt at making a rod rack, The Rowdy way lol. Heck first thing was I wanted something I could remove easy enough and no holes in my boat. Tuff challenge right from the start for a bassboat.

I decided I could build said rod rack and mount it to the cleat of the boat. Heck this Triton has heavy aluminum backing plates all glassed in and is more than strong enough, I have lifted more than a few boats with straps from the 4 cleats on a boat. Why could I not be able to mount a rod rack, simple enough after getting the removable part, least so I thought...

Well as it turns out the cleat while works great for a rope to tie off your boat, doesn't work at all to mount a removable rod rack. So after I get the rod rack all built to fit the cleat on my boat, I get to build a better cleat that will serve double duty...

new stainless steel 316L cleat

Made this from some 13/16" solid stainless 316L round rod I have... I also took the 10-24 tapped mounting holes in the gunnel of my boat to a 12-24 size, bigger is always better lol... Here is the new cleat mounted to the stern, starboard side.

Mounted Cleat

Next had to rework my rod rack base to better fit the new cleat, which was not a big deal, just more of a irritation from the fact the oem cleat was not ever going to support a removable rod rack. Here is a pic of the modified base U-bolted to the new cleat.

base mounted to cleat

base mounted


Here is a view for the rack and how it's indexed on the stern, starboard side.






Then this last one has two of the actual rod holders I bought at Cabela's and I must say not impressed with them at all.
I have these pix all cropped down and they are losing what I wanted you guys to see. Least here on the rod holders and how I drilled and tapped them in this 2" aluminum tubing... I have more to do with better cropping of my pix. So more to come later.

Rowdy! Did you fab all that from scratch. Dude you have some mad skills! Very nicely done...

Wow, that is impressive!



You could lock me in a garage with a 100 power tools for a week and I couldn't do that. I admire you guys who have these skills.

That is a pro job for sure.

Thanks guys, I have somewhat had more trouble tacking up pix of all this than I have building the stuff lol. I am going to use it as is once or twice before doing anything else, but I am thinking I want something that might hold up the fish to shoot pix of before releasing them. I have ran into issues trying to do that before.

I am not so keen on the rod holders I bought at Cabela's either, I bought four of these and I don't really like how the rod comes in and out of it, I hope they work better than my first impressions are. I made some rod racks 30 years ago that are made for bank fishing. These have worked so much better, unless I really warm up to these with on the water testing, I may be buying some stainless bolts and some solid stainless round round rod and weld some of my own to replace these. Just thought these would be OK and something I wouldn't have to make... Guuurrrr

Some of the pix I have to tack up here might give some of you ideas to build or modify your own. I like to see and or hear what you guys like, want and/or need. We all help each other with stuff like this. Hope it's OK I put this thread here as you guys use stuff like this more than most I feel and was really wanting any input good or bad from you guys here.

These 6 pix are of the solid round 316L stainless I cut parts out of to make a cleat. These are just the parts before welding them up. I never thought the oem cleat would have never worked. Guess I could have figured this out on the lake with a few of my sticks in the rack, that could have been really bad. As it was, I bolted the rack down and gave the rack a tug and it wouldn't stay up right. So, here we go like this lol...

The raw aluminum will be painted just not sure what yet though, but in raw format as is, you get this nasty lead looking stuff all over you the more you handle it. Just need to see what changes I need before like powder coating or whatever I end up doing to seal this all off. I like the aluminum color enough, but not opposed to having it hard anodized a burnt bronze either. So you guys throw stuff at me on that to if you like plz...

Here it's in the beginning of fit up to the oem cleat, fab the angle of the break in the base and getting the angle of the rod slightly off the starboard tail and it placed just right for the anchor light to light this all up if out at dark thirty. Got me a new high performance led bulb on the anchor light stick too.

Rowdy, like I said, you have some skills when it comes to this stuff. I made some rod racks for my old boat out of 3/4" black pipe and they served me well. When I got my new boat I got a set of Mul-T-Bar rod racks and they are industrial strength for sure. The best, most adjustable design and paired with the smackdown rod holders I just love 'em. There are other good ones out there. Monster, Fish Bite, Bee Ready to name a few but I am really happy with mine. They were not cheap but they will outlast everything else on my boat, including the boat!

Second point, I am not a tinkerer as you seem to be. I want to fish, not build fishing stuff. I have been sitting at my desk tying rigs while on conference calls so I will have them ready when I hit the water but I don't have the patience to fab, test fit, fab some more... etc. I just wanna fish. I admire guys like you who can picture something in your head and them make it a reality...

CT,

I have seen the Monster rod holders, online only, like the look of those, these I bought are Driftmaster. These would not be such a problem if they were bolted down to pipe or tubing that is half the size of my 2" tubing, or maybe even some really nice heavy flat bar or some angle aluminum. I built everything here with hand tools, drill and a hand held bandsaw, sander and a welding machine. The rod holders I just thought I would buy lol, I am laughing about that now...

What is happening with these I drilled and tapped the tubing and once the length of the stud goes through 2" and then enough to lock in place with a nut on the bottom side, the rod holder doesn't have enough room left to get the rod in and out of the holder.

Now I admit on all my rod butts, I have "The Balancer" slipped on. These make the butt of the rod bigger and enough so these rod holders will not allow the rod to slide in or out, you need to use the cut to come in or out. I guess if push comes to shove, I could remove the rod Balancer, but these things are some really slick stuff once setup correctly and it really does the trick to balance the weight of the tip of the rod. Makes casting them much easier, but really changes the whole feel of the rod when holding it and trying to feel the slightest bites. With the Balancer on my Gloomis GLX sticks I tell everyone I can feel the fish looking at my bait lol...

So my problem with these rod holders is my own doing, by wanting the 2" tubing for the cross bar to mount the holders as well as wanting the Balancer on my sticks. So we will have a water test and see how these work. Ultimately the last thing you want is having a hard time getting the rod out of the holder while fighting a fish.

Rowdy, The Smackdown rod holders I use are wider and they come with a 8" stem. I think they would solve both of your problems...

Very nice work.

I made an easy backyard one a few years ago for my tin boat. I didn't want to drill holes in the boat as I was just playing with my drifting set up.

Mounted a seat pedestal base to a piece of 1/4" 3x3 aluminum angle. Then mounted the rod holders in the top of the angle. It fits is in the rear deck seat mount and spans across the rear of the boat. On each end of the bar I have a piece of paracord that I tie off to the factory boat cleats to keep it from spinning.

Works great as it also gives me a place to tie off my drift sock to the pedestal for drifting.

Thinking about refining it and redoing it, but have too many things going on to get into the shop.

I do want to change out the academy rod holders as they are a pain to get rods in and out of at times.

Well, loaded the boat and all sorts of stuff I didn't need lol, headed to the lake yesterday just before dark. Yep dark thirty, didn't plan it that way, it just happened that way. Yesterday was really nice day here, and last night was awesome as well, least till 2:00am, the humidity came up so abruptly that if it had started to rain I would not have gotten any wetter lol.

The rod holders are not going to ever win me over, I just had to go splash the boat and float around and get away and what better excuse than to need to see how my rod rack would work. It was all I needed. The rod holders are going away and something else is going to replace them. I wouldn't like them if they were bolted to flat surface and/or taller to make better clearance to clear the handle of the rod. That just about all I will say about them for now anyway.

I shot a couple of pix while there, the full moon and the night mode on my cell phone camera makes it almost look like day out, if I hold it still enough. You guys can have a look see at that since I never once even lost a bait, which was frozen shad. I was going to stay down there so of today as well to better hunt for our fair skinned fish, but things started to get so wet and hazy, I didn't won't to get caught up the lake into the river portion where I was in the dark and have really heavy fog roll in.

Just to many stumps and by 5:00am I felt the fog was right on me so I fished my way back to the ramp. It allowed me enough time to get all the darn stuff I just felt compelled to take, cleaned and put back up before it started to rain a little here. We need the rain really bad as the lake is just a few inches shy of 10' low, hence all those cedar stumps I didn't want to braille my way back to the ramp in the fog lol.

So bottom line, no fish pix, no story about even the one that got away lol. Just a great trip on the lake and a beautiful night.

Edit: well apparently the pix I shot last not are not allowed to be tacked up here for whatever reason. May be that night mode I shot these in and if not that, I have no idea lol. Sorry guys, I had two really neet looking pix...

^ maybe no pix but that is a story for sure!

Hey Rowdy, I am going to pm you my mobile number, and you can send me the pictures if you would like and I will post them up for you in this thread. I store my pictures on a SmugMug hosting site so I don't use the TXFF site software.

I am always nervous when I go out and it's dark! I worry about logs/timber, getting bit by a snake, falling in, my boat not starting and my boat sinking lol!

PS I think CT was right on the money with the Smackdown rod holders fwiw.

Nice job!

BCB,

Just got the pm, thanks for the offer. Heck when I first got on this site many years ago, I started using shutterfly and I have been ever since, but for some reason I still have problems lately getting things to tack up. I have usually posted a hyperlink to the pix but they were a good pic and I thought it was not using up the bandwidth of the tff, heck I sure don't want to jack that up at all.

Anyway I have yet to figure how you guys post some of the best pix for all to check out, then you guys really set the bar and catch all these freaking monster fish on top of that lol. I use to catch fish is all I can say anymore lol. Heck not even the story of the one that got away lol.

Anyway thanks for the offer

Hey Rowdy,

Looks like a beautiful evening.



Posting that shot up via a link to my Smugmug file.

That's an amazing picture.

Thanks so much for tacking that up for me BCB.

Nicely done.

Rowdy, everything I see you doing here is quite impressive!

I'm with CT though. I'm capable but not willing. I'm a little impatient. All I know for sure is, you've missed some valuable time on the water!!

It's all good man! You are a true DIY guy! Also, that pic with your boat tied up to the dock is absolutely amazing. Great job on everything. Let us know how those rod holders work!

Skeet,

Thanks for the compliments, the pic did turn out really nice, least I thought so, I just didn't get another pic like it with me and a fish lol. There is always next time though. You could not be more right about wasting alot of good time to have been fishing. That is why you guys are better at catching fish and just fish in general than I am...

This all really got all amp'd up back in April when I bought this boat. I have been getting this rig all fixed up with different things, stuff that sort of worked but not like somebody would want it to. Well now I am really much closer. But these rod holders I bought are not anything I would ever be satisfied with. They just don't work smoothly in and out with your sticks, and when you have your sticks in them, I just don't feel all warm and fuzzy trusting the rod to stay in the rack.

So I will be fabricating my own and use them instead, least then if I loose a stick to the lake, it's my on doing...

Awesome pic Rowdy. If you ever get out this way, let us know. I know at least a couple boats that would have a seat in it for you. Tight Lines and God Bless...

CT,

Thanks man, I would like to take you up on ride. I desperately need some schooling on using the sonar as well as using the charts they have. Then if we were to boat bait that would be a blast as well. We would probably need to stop there at the bait. We was to go and score any fish with those bait, heck I would be ruined.

That is saying alot right there as I am rotten all the way to the core already lol. I get much worse I am not sure how I am going to manage myself from one day to the next lol. Coarse long as I have something broken or just in general, not working, that pretty much keeps Rowdy on point and busy, things always come around here all the time like that too, lots of it I will volunteer for, or I get volunteered for, which I will admit I usually happy to see if I can help.

My biggest challenge so far is I live way, way to far from most of the water here in Texas and that all but land locks me. There has been several guys on this forum I could have helped with stuff I do really well. I am just all the way on the other shore of Texas.

5 hour drive Rowdy. Piece a cake. Come see us. We'll have a blast!

^ Rowdy, you should take Tim up on his generous offer!

CFT knows more about Cat'n in his little finger that most of know. Make a trip of it and maybe we can fish a couple of days. I would be more than happy to take you out on my boat, but your odds of catching a whopper would likely be a LOT less lol!

Don't let winter weather put you off. We have our best days on Lake Lavon when the weather sucks (technical phrase).

I see you guys are getting rain over there. I heard you guys have had some bad weather too. The rain is good, but that bad weather we hope no body gets. That is a big frontal line moving across, hope you guys get more run off into all your lakes.

Now far as the going out fishing with any of you guys, sure catching fish is a perk, but Rowdy just likes getting out on the water, and being around boats, ramps, docks and fishing equipment, other people that like these things as I do. Actually catching fish is just an extra add on lol. I really like seeing how guys have their stuff organized and setup and/or just stuffed in every available square inch.

So we don't get so twisted up on catching fish, you can enjoy the company and share the different ways we go about this sport and have a really big time. Least I always do. It's really hard to get around some of that and not, for me anyway.

Looks like we have a bunch in common. I’m a build it myself kinda guy also

I have made 3 baitcaster holders that will mount in this rack, and one bona-fide rocket launcher for open face spinning reel, that I saddle cut the end of the rack at an angle and then welded it on the rack. Everything is still rough and nasty but I do have pix.

Before I do much more I want a on the water test and see what is next. I got 4 little threaded eyes I am going to drill and tap to the rack that might take place tomorrow, just not sure yet though, this up coming arctic blast we have coming is probably going to make me change gears to get things more squared away for near zero degrees around here.

^ nice job, man!



You will know you have done a good job when one of those monsters gets hooked up and starts to turn your boat round, and your rod rest stays intact!

BCB,

You know I made these rod holders out of stainless, with the exception of the rocket launcher which is aluminum. Anyway I am thinking I want to plastic coat these 3 stainless rod holders... I really like the look, durability and feel of just a stainless finish though. The plastic coating won't be so hard on my reels though, the rod and reel holders I made so, so many years ago was made out of carbon steel I had laying around, I never painted them, wasn't anything plastic coated back then lol.

I didn't like the idea of the holders scratching up my reels, but liked the thought of a fish swimming off with one even less. So they are all just as I made them, just older lol, and will probably last forever as they are. I have thought about having them sand blasted and powder coated, but honestly they work just great as they are.

I am going to clear coat all the aluminum rack, that thing being out of raw aluminum is so nasty, you handle much at all it looks like you have rubbed your hands with a pencil lead. I slide that rack over the white gel coat of the boat, it's like drawing with a pencil on the boat. So once I think I am through with it, it's getting clear coated and heavy.

It's just what to do with the stainless rod holders hummm? If I was to plastic coat them, I would'nt have to clean them up as much, which would save lots of time and effort. I just like the stainless finish though, so I leaning more that way and regardless of any extra work lol.

I still have a few holes to drill and tap just yet and this artic cold coming in a few days has me doing other things. Right now it's a coffee break lol. I have been out laying on the cold frigging ground and I am trying to un-thaw my tail. Heck I don't like laying on the ground anymore, when it's nice out. Heck there is still frost all over everything right now...

I got more cleanup of all the spatter of welding these, drilled a few holes to try a dress them up a little, deburred that; then I case colored them with what stainless does all on its own with just a little help. Still have a few holes to drill and tap in the rod rack stanchion leg and then I have decided to clear coat the raw aluminum for now. Have not decided if I will plastic coat the stainless rod racks or just leave them all case colored as they are here below. It's not like the catfish are really going to care lol. I just need to make my mind up I guess, and why I can be my worse enemy...

I doubled the thickness of the base plate that U-bolts to the cleat, it had to much flex for me, sure it would have been fine, but it's much better now. Here is a temporary pic or two of how it's all going to look together.

I got the 4 hook tie back eyes colored and installed and this thing is ready for a lake test to see if it's going to work or if there are more changes to be made. I would be guilty of going to the lake right now but we have wind in the 30 mph and gusting well above that right now.

The lake is not that much a concern in the wind, this 21' boat does fine, it's getting back on the trailer bothers me more lol... It's like the ramp down at Port O'Connor Texas, getting on and off the trailer down there is a big challenge, they have bleachers at the ramp!!! It's quite the activity to sit and watch everyone try to launch and load there.

You catch the wave or waves wrong and you can literally knock the bow right off the boat or worse. Many nice Bluewater boats tore up there. Guys can go sit in the bleachers and learn how others achieve the task or fail. There are certain things you do, one being you always have all your bilge pumps going when you start the process and you always take water over the stern of your vessel lol...

I put my smackdowns on a board mounted to a seat pedestal. I'd love to have a couple MulTbars but man those are pricey.
This works for now - I have a couple upgrades in mind. I wish I could fabricate like you.

Well thanks for the comment, but those you have there look really good. My rods with the Balancer on the butt of each rod does not fit those rod holders. I like those you have too. Nothing wrong with your rod holders mounted to the board either. Looks like a great set as is.

Ok, was given the permission to share a couple of pix from Wesley Mann of Spread'M Planner boards, rod racks and how he made his own bases to mount the Smack down rod holders on his boat. His boat certainly looks to be a real stand out. I figure with all the rods out and fishing it would be like an octopus lol. Then there is that slick 250ss Suzuki on the tail of her. I bet this rig of his and all colored to match while fishing looks killer...

I am looking so forward to getting the new Spread 'M Planner boards I ordered yesterday from him. Heck this guy was awesome to work with, he went way out of his way to try and get me what I need to drag baits around, the whole time come to find out he was getting ready to fish a tournament today! Most people when busy getting ready for something like that won't mess with someone like me that has no idea what to get or what I need. Heck I felt guilty after hearing he was getting ready to fish a tournament. Anyway, you guys have a look/see here with how he made ways to mount the Smack down rod holders, might give some of you guys ideas on how to do the same for your rigs. He doesn't make anything to mount rod racks or rod racks in general, he does build the Spread'M Planner boards though.

Well, had the boat out for about 3 hours yesterday. Had the new MadKats-Green Goblin in the rack and these freaking rods are incredible. I snagged a cedar tree just off a shallow point with one of my 3 oz sinkers, I was fighting a pretty stiff wind and was on the bow using the trolling motor and that rod went down hard. I knew I was snagged up, I was trying to move off that wooded point lol.

I took the rod out of my rack and cranked the boat back to the snag. Must say the sinker came right out once I got on top of the cedar. What I was so impressed with was that Green Goblin, I was pulling on it withe the weight of my TR-21 and a stiff east wind out flow from a small storm to the east of the lake.