Anyone have pics of rod holders they have mounted on their canoe? I have a couple driftmasters I was considering mounting but wanted to see some other ideas first.
Mount them near the paddler? Mount them on both sides mid-canoe near the thwart (for trolling)?
I will probably pick up a crate for tackle storage and add a couple of vertical pvc rod holders.
E-mail to nuthouse@surfbest.net
Milk Crate and PVC Pipe
From all I have gleaned from this site (and a few others)it is the only way to go. You won’t be stuck with something that’s always in your way. If you don’t like where it is you can move it. It also serves as a very handy tote. I put my lunch, drinks, sun block etc in it. Cost goes without saying. You don’t need to cut or modify your hull in any way. And it floats.
I won’t leave home without mine. 
For my Loon 138, I made a four rod
holder from pvc (1 1/4 size) Used t’s and elbows for each rod holder to sit in. attached the horizontal pipe to a board, drilled holes for two bolts, placed another board usder the coaming, and inserted the bolts through holes in both boards, tighten and losen the rodholder with wing nuts and flat washers. Built it for catfishing, but would work for trolling too.
chose the milk crate
I rigged up a milk crate with some pvc rod holders. It fits perfectly secured under the thwart so the monster fish doesn’t pull anything overboard! I mounted my Driftmaster rod holders to the front and back of the canoe but I think they will be hard to reach from the paddling position. And they will be in the way when shore launching.
how?
Hi, I was wondering if anyone could further explain the milk crate setup with specifics…I’m not understanding it.
Currently, I have my rods laying free in my canoe, with my tackle box.
Thanks!
Just take a milk crate…the best ones
are the ones you liberate from their mundane life at a grocery store, and some 1 1/4" Pvc pipe. I usually stick the handle(s) or the rod(s) I’m going to be using into the pipe to see how much pipe I’ll need. Cut the pipe to length. Then, I take cable ties of the appropriate length and cable tie the pvc to the crate. When tying the pipe to the crate, you need to decide whether you want the pipe to be at and angle, which directions they should point, or whether you just want to point them strictly vertical. Attach the pipe rodholders with the ties at whatever angles you decide. Apparently, with some conoes, the crate can fit directly under a thwart, if that’s not the case, you may want to bungee it to a thwart.
ok…
what do you cut the pipe "to length" to? 1 1/4" won't fit the reel, so do you cut it so it fits just behind the reel?
Not getting the picture, lol.
nevermind, I just found instructions, with pics!
http://paddle-fishing.com/rigging/milkcrate.htm
Except that most people I see using
pvc rodholders on milk crates mount them on the outside of the crate. Otherwise, they take up too much room that you need for other “stuff”…you know, the kitchen sink.
I put mine inside
2" PVC doesn’t take up that much room and it ties them to the crate more securely.
One Thing I did that the picture doesn’t is I cut an L shaped notch in the top of the pipe that the reel stem fits into and prevents a hard fish strike from pulling the rod and real overboard.
I also purchased my crate from Home Depot. It’s half again as big as a milk crate and I didn’t run the risk of a petty theft charge.
My method…
First I ASK for a milk crate and have been given several by local strores or drivers. No petty theft here. I’ve also found a few in trash piles.
I make an upside down ‘L’ from 2" x 1/8" aluminum and use stainless bolts w/ nyloc nuts to secure it to the crate (on the outside). The top plate gets cut and filed to fit a Scotty base perfectly (no sharp edges exposed). ( I made one from 1"x4" wood.)
I mount the Scotty on top of the ‘L’ anywhere from 3" to 10" above the top edge of the crate. By being elevated I can spin the Scotty’s with a rod in them to any degree without the handle hitting the side of the crate.
I usually angle my spare rods to port/aft so they won’t interfere with a back-cast, especially while flyfishing. I can adjudt them to a vertical position if I’m fishing under trees.
I have four of our five boats fixed up with crates like this. It ain’t the cheapest solution but it’s the most versatile that I’ve seen.
Hope this is helpful…