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Posts: 45
Location: Appleton, Wi | Had a Roberts rod holder snap off this weekend. Watched the rod, reel, and bait being pulled away with the fish. What a sick feeling watching this happen. Tried desperatly to back the boat up and get the rod but no luck. Also tried trolling to try and snag the rod or line but again no luck. Looked around to see if we could see the rod or bait floating but no luck. Hopefully the fish was able to get the bait out. I need to find rod holders more reliable. Any suggestions???  |
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Location: Contrarian Island | two words:
Down Easters.
Only way to go period from what I have seen !
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Posts: 7123
Location: Northwest Chicago Burbs | I have a group of 4 "Fish-On" rod holders on my boat. Azrael (last rig) was equipped with down-easters which are also great, but the Fish-Ons seem to be easier to use (ie. get the rod in and out of the holder when needed). My holders are screwed and glued in with heavy duty epoxy. My guess is that the fish that can pull one of these holders off is a creature that I dont want to miss with unless I am equipped with a harpoon, double barrelled shotgun, and a few grenades. Put them in right, and no fish is going to pull them off your boat, plastic or not. |
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Posts: 1046
| I second the motion! Down-Easters on all my boats. I seen a Scotty go this season also with a suckfish rod too!!! His boat has DE`s now too! |
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Posts: 45
Location: Appleton, Wi | The fish did not pull the rod holder bracket off the boat it snapped off the rod holder itself |
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Posts: 743
| there are Down East rod holders, then all the plastic ones should just about be grouped together as walleye rod holders. Do you really want to use plastic rod holder for muskies?? I do see Fish On has pretty good reputation, as far as toy, plastic rod holders go...but if you are serious about trolling, there are many baits that will wear out plastic holders before you ever get a fish on...for real. Down East are not hard to use at all. if you have the holder at an angle, you have to take the rod out of the holder at the same angle. it's not tuff. I'm not saying Fish On will definetly not hold up to musky fishing...but there is a reason why trollers accross the North Ameria use down east...they hold up to muskies and baits.
Most rod holders have some type of "bolt on" style bases, so you really don't worry about that coming off/pulling off with plastic holders, you most have to worry about the plastic breaking...because it's plastic.
if you are serious about trolling (trolling more than twice a year) with the right equipment, go w/ down east so you wont have to purchase another set of holders next year to replace your plastic ones. |
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Posts: 294
Location: Suspended | 
down easter salty s-10, Nice!!!! |
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Location: Des Moines IA | Amen to the Salty dogs....... Down East S-10.......... These holders are rated to 100 lb ...... I don't think any of us will see the 100 lb muskie anytime soon...... |
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Posts: 5874
| Bob,
When I talked with Eric yesterday, I was sure you guys would eventually find your rod/reel, and ultimately the fish. Sorry it didn't happen.
I second the DownEaster's. Have your dealer get some Ranger Rails for the rear sides, and get the rail mount DownEasters.
I have Scotty's on my boat, and so far the only problem I've had is with them popping up and rotating. Have not lost one, and haven't busted any. |
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Posts: 3242
Location: Racine, Wi | I am all for the Down Easters as well. I have 6, and the only one that has broken was the one that helped stop my boat when I hit the pier  I hit that sucker good, but it never came off the rail. One of the clamps busted, but the other held, and that is smashing into a pier. LOL What a lunatic!!!! I should be banned from parking next to piers.
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Location: Contrarian Island | You can get the Ranger type rails from CABELAS....I put 4 on my Lund the last few weeks....so far, they rock...I got the Down East S 14 models I believe...Powder coated!
Might cost more..but they don't break or pop out!
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Posts: 393
Location: Kawarthas, Ontario | No question DE's are good, but you must ensure your darg isn't set too tight. A buddy had a rod break at the reel seat because the drag was too tight. I have heard stories about that happening with other DE's. They are definitely easy to use.
I have the Scotty Strikers and so far so good. I troll mostly and pull baits anywhere from 6 - 16" from 2 - 5 mph. The Scottys I have are meant for tuna and halibut and have a stainless rod built into the stem of the holder. The DE's and the Scotty Strikers are the two most common ones. |
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Posts: 723
| I agree with out2llunge, you don't need to set your drag tight, as long as your hooks are SHARP.
When trolling I still use no stretch line, whiplash, spiderwire stealth, and I set my drag so you can pull it out with about
10-13 lbs of pressure, give or take on the estimation. I feel that by using no-stretch line and sharp hooks
that it seals the deal. All the fish we catch are hooked just like we want them to be.
We are running the roberts series, the same ones rangerbob is and have never had them fail.
even with a 55 pounder crushing a rod. We let the drag do the work.
Rangerbob, does your rod float? we looked and thought one of the boats out there would've snagged it, but your fish must've swam off with it.
there are some fat fish out there. |
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| Yes we checked and the rod did float. |
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Posts: 723
| hopefully someone finds it and is kind enough to return it. I know a guy that had the same thing happen to him out there, except the fish came to the surface
to shake the bait, he motored over to it and there was his bait, floating just under the surface. he pulled it up and there was his pole,
he was using a very, very weak holder, one that I myself wouldn't trust for walleyes. |
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Rod Holders