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We're getting ready to set the rod holders this week and plan on 2 in the transom and 3 on each side. Transom will be straight back 15 degree holders. Next pair will be straight back 15 degree holders just forward of the hawse pipes. Next pair will be on 45's and the last pair and farthest forward will be on 90's. The 90's I plan on using 30 degree holders. Still trying to figure out the 45's. Either 15 or 30 degree holders. I have enough of both to go either way, any suggestions?

http://outdoors.webshots.com/photo/2039 ... 4024tpEDcu There is 9 in the rail.

Here's the way I was taught.

There is really no reason to go to a 90 degree installation if only installing 3 on the gunnels. If you were going with 4 or 5 then you'd probably run out of options.

When you start the installation on the gunnels rembmer to offset the holders inboard to outboard starting at the stern.

The first would be inboard of the gunnel centerline with the orientation nearly straight back maybe with a little tick to keep the tip pointed slightly outboard.

The next holder forward would be on the centerline of the gunnel oriented 15- 20 degrees from the first keeping the tip clear and the next would be placed outboard of the centerline on the gunnel oriented another 15-20 further. You get better clearance between each rod tip using the full width of the gunnel and don't have to resort to extreme indexing.

Good Luck.............

Well I guess the next question is can I squeeze 4 on each side? From the pic and what you're describing it would allow for another set turned at 90's way forward. Also, would you use 15 or 30 degree holders on all but the straight backs which would be 15's?

I don't know what gear you have but for most non clutched 30's are fine.

The problem you'll run into with 4 in the gunnel is the last one will end up draining into your engine compartment so you'll need to make sure you divert that water to where it won't harm anything. If your doing this on a stock gunnel you'll need backing plates.

Happy drilling...

Bobx,
I dodn't know what type of fish your targeting but if it's for gaint tuna or big marlin I would use some of the swivle style heavy duty striking gimbled rod holders Murray Products( Murray Bros) used to make them. Anything heavier than 50 pound gear should have the big Lee's units, heavier pins, light tackle the other companies like e-tech or scopinch will work fine. I fished for years with 130's on bent butts, 3 large Lee's on each side, one small Lee's in transom where the flag holder used to be, I had a Pompanette Unlimited chair with 2 striking gimbles on each arm, and a 4 rod rocket launcher fitted into the backrest holders on the chair. Now I use only light tackle and have just the rocket launcher in the chair pedestal, also have 2 small Lee's on either side of my express bridge wings for kite rods. If you can't afford the striking gimble holders use a rag or 1/2 of a tennis ball into the base of the rod holder to get the angle you need.

for the trollers out there fishing 8, 10, 12 rods--what is the size of your normal crew.

dont think the 1-2 people in my crew could handle that many.

Chris H who fishes with me can do 12 on a bad day. It takes someone who gets it. You cant drink beer and lay down. You got to want to catch fish. Tuna fishing here might be a couple of knock downs a day. You need to land as many as you can each time. Dont stop and jig the lines that are not hooked up. A great mate like Chris H is hard to come by. He is a true pro.

Craig I have a total of four. When trolling 9 rods (two constant attention 4' spreader bars) my son is in the cockpit and he does all adjusting and lure placement except the shotgun position which is on the rocket launcher behind me ,usually a 80 class sent way back.

Thank you for the kind words Brew.

Like Brewster said I can regularly maintain a 12-14 rod spread depending on how the boat is rigged. On Brewster's B31 we regularly fish anywhere from 9 - 12 rods depending upon whether the greenstick is out.

I also fish regularly on a 44' Henriques named "Desire that fishes 12 - 16 rod spreads with a crew of 6 - 8.

On my Dad's B31 we only fish 7 -9 because of his outrigger setup. We have been covered up before with this spread and landed 6 out of 7 fish with a 2 man crew, boat on auto pilot. I have never seen more than 9 rods go off at any given time on any boat I fish.

Chris

I already own about 2 dozen of the Gemlux Bluewater heavy duty series in both 15 and 30 degrees so switching up at this point is not an option. For fishing the bay I used to run (off my Blackfin) 2 cannon manual downriggers with gimbal mounts off 2 of the straight backs, 2 ww back off the other 2 straight backs and then 2 planer boards to run the other 4 rods off and 1 off the rocket launcher on the bridge for a total of 9. For me that was sometimes a challenge. My buddy runs 16 off my old 26 Albemarle cc and I don't know how he does it even after watching it. This boat is going to mainly be fished in the bay. I'm doing my offshore stuff in Mexico.

I should mention I love the center rigger I sometime run two off center rigger. You troll in the canyon and you are bound to pick up weed so you have too bring in lines to clear. The rods on the center rigger never interfere with cockpit rods also with multiple knock downs the cockpit is not a cluster-fu- k.

Sounds like we're talking apples and oranges as BOBMX is running planner boards for stripers in the bay.

Brew, how exactly do you jig the rods when you get a bite? Actually pick up each rod?

Yes Peter,

You can grab the rod and physically jig it, if its a 130 remember to back off the drag,

I also jog the wheel hard port and stbd to jig the riggers if my crew is busy with other critters.

Jigging the rod that a fish missed, say a short or long rigger more often than not results in the fish or one of his buddies coming back.

You can also prospect when a fish misses by dropping the lure in free spool and then ripping it across the surface back to its original position, just remember to be ready when the fish bites it on the drop.

The biggest trick is to not give up on a bite, albeit rockfish, tunas or billfish do everything you can to get the fish to come back. If it wasn't stung by the hookset the odds are in your favor.