Fishing Rod Holders

Someone once said, “The only good place for a fishing rod is in one’s hand, fishing,” and many out there can concur. Yet having our fishing poles practically glued to our hands for the entire fishing trip isn't realistic--we have to set them down sometime, which is often when that big, elusive fish finally decides it's hungry. Fishing rod holders are the answer.

First, a little clarity: the term, fishing rod holders has a dual meaning in the world of fishing. It could mean those things you see mounted on the gunwale or railing that holds the fishing poles with lines in the water as folks are actively fishing. Or fishing rod holders could mean holders that were designed for storing fishing rods out of the way. We'll get into both.

Fishing Rod Holders for Boats

There are several storage types of fishing rod holders for boats, such as the tubes mounted on the edge of a pilot house or even a bimini top that are referred to as “rocket launchers”.  There are fishing rod racks, which usually consist of two to four rod holders connected together, and are mounted inside of the bulwarks or against the overhead. Another very popular type is the foam fishing rod holder for boats, RVs, garages, or sheds, most of which hold anywhere between three and six rods and can be mounted horizontally or vertically.

Go Fish

Fishing rod holders for boats that are used while fishing are a different breed altogether. Besides design differences, they are stronger and must be more securely attached than the holders used for storage. It's not uncommon for a fishing pole, reel, and holder to suddenly fly into the drink if a large, hungry fish gleefully runs off with the bait when the equipment is not securely attached. 

This doesn't necessarily mean cutting or drilling holes in your boat's gunwale or railing. Not all boat rod holders used for fishing are permanently mounted. There are rod holders that clamp securely onto rails, portable clamp mounts like this one by Scotty, and even universal rail mounting kits like this one by Folbe that you can use to mount many things, including a rod holder.

For boats already equipped with downriggers, there are adaptors that allow you to use the existing downrigger base as the foundation for a rod holder. There are several advantages to all of these temporary types of rod holders. They are simple, inexpensive, and can easily be taken out of the way when not needed, a real plus on very small boats where space is scarce.

When hunting down fishing rod holders, whether you're looking for ways to make your boat roomier and safer by neatly storing your rods out of the way, or looking for some great new rod holders to fish with, we have the top brands here at Go2Marine. Well-known companies like Scotty, Taco, and Tempress--who don't just make those incredible boat seats, by the way. They also make a popular line of gear called Fish On.

We also have plenty of fishing rod holders and other fishing gear from Sea-Dog, Whitecap, Perko, and more, so your boat, tackle box, and truck will be so well-stocked you'll be ready to drop a line wherever there's water.