I’ll make this question quick:
I have a loon 138 and want to mount a rod holder. I am unsure if I should mount in front or behind me. I don’t want it to be in the way when I am paddling. Thanks!
rod holder
I set the canoe on the front lawn/grass sat in it, pretending to paddle. I used some clamps to hold the rod and rod holders letting me move them around to find a good spot.
I ended up using a side mount outside the hull. Works well for holding the rods.
I may have a problem with trolling as my forward mounted rods/holders seem to lose more fish then my old behind my back mount.
Just a guess that I’m seeing more strikes, but the action of removing the rod is missing the hook set.
When it stops snowing I’ll know more.
My recessed rod holder
is mounted center and in front of me. It does not interfere with my paddling but am able to see fish strike, see if my line is tangle on the guides, let out line, adjust drag, etc.
Brian
Buy
a rod holder you like and an extra base or two.RAM and Scotty have some real nice units.One of the RAM holders will hold spin,casting and even a fly rod(with a fighting butt).Real nice,versatile,and highly adjustable unit for about 30 beans.Extra bases are available for it.Good luck!
tough call…
I mounted mine just to the rear and left of my seat. I use it to hold my spare rod or for trolling. The 138 doesn’t really allow a front mounting position unless you install an aftermarket bar or rig one up that mounts to the coaming. I personally like to have my cockpit open to swing my legs over the sides and recline when necessary. I keep one rod rigged and ready in the rod holder and the other rests in the cupholder and the front of the coaming while in transit, out of the way but ready for a quick cast.
I’ve got two behind
I keep two rod holders mounted behind the cockpit and am considering adding another base to the front.
They don’t get in the way there. However, I’ve seen others put one in front and one in rear and also have no problems.
Paddle a few times with the boat if you haven’t already and pay particular attention to your elbows, hands, forearms, etc. They will let you know where you can’t mount the rod holder. Then, once you know where you can’t mount it, it’s a lot easier to figure out where to mount it.
- Big D
Losing fish
Earplug…Do you think it’s possible that the reason your not getting the hook-ups is because with the forward mounted rod it isn’t possible to set the hook because you are already leaning way forward to grab your rod leaving you little or no room to sweep your rod even farther forward? When you had your rod behing you and you pulled it from the rod holder you were already setting the hook just from the action of bringing the rod in front of you. Just guessing!!
Front, center, aimed 2 o’clock…
– Last Updated: May-04-05 10:14 PM EST –
...mounted on a homemade platform that rests on the comb; the rod is always visible and never gets in the way of the paddle. I troll with a level wind bait casting reel & 7' rod with a Gamakatsu live bait hook so it isn't necessary to grab the rod as soon as I get a hit. A level wind reel mounted in a 10° holder allows for single hand operation so when I think I have a "hit", I just reach forward to reel in a bit without having to release the paddle until I'm sure I have a fish on the line. My set-up, with the rod holder mounted on a platform that fits into the comb is only practical in an over sized cockpit.
Front or Rear
I have Scotty rod holders front and rear which I also use for a driftboat style anchor system. I usually troll backwards, if I am trying to cover water, I will place the rod in the rear mount. I use both a 9 foot 6 weight fly rod and 9 foot ultralite steelhead spinning rod with 4 pound maxima line. I like minnow/lake streamers such as a Carey Special, Grey Ghost and the Thunder Creek series. I usually tie them from size 6 to 10 on Tiemco straight eye hooks.
hook set
Yea, That might be the problem.
Have been catching trout with the current forward mount.
The forward mount seems to clear my paddle stroke better then the behind mount. And I can see the rod tip better.
I troll with two rods and have been known to twist lures and lines up pretty good when I turn.
Trolling from the Loon 120
I use my kyak as a fishing platform. I have 2 scotty flush mount with 2 scotty bait casting rod holders mounted in front of me. The rod holders are adjustable and I can troll with the holders mounted in that position without conflicting with paddling on the Loon 120. I watch the rod tips to indicate a strike. For me this is a terrific setup. The rods are 61/2 and 7 ft. I set the drags on the bait casting reels so that line will give if a fish hit the lure.
The Loon 120 has turned into a terrific fishing machine
Recessed rod holder
I have a Walden and a Necky. I drilled a 3" circle in the front/middle of my yak and put in a recessed rod holder. Works great