Top Shelf Rod Holders.

[deckie]

Been hunting for a pair of holders for a difficult spot.
Cant put in a flush fitting holder due to cabling and lack of room.
Cant put in a "cradle" type holder coz the butt would be sticking in my arse when driving.
Settled on a tube style but was worried they couldnt handle the strain of downrigging for kings nor the drag settings for offshore trolling. The influx of cheap chinese stainless also means u never know if they'll disappear overboard with your $1000 outfit.

Thought some might be interested in these i found whilst on the hunt....none are what u could call cheap but all are detachable so u dont need as many...just install mounts around the boat and move the hiolders as needed (similar to the plastic mounted types).

In recent yrs rod holder tech has gone nutso and u can now get one with almost infinite positions rotating all ways...and STRONG. Some even have a smart ratchet type pickup to make it even easier to get the rod out under load.

Narrowed my choice down to these three...Craig, Cannon, Cisco. The Cannon probably has the easiest mechanism but the Cisco's are probably the strongest around and have almost infinite postioning.

Anyone had experience with any of these and help me make my mind up ? Or know of anything just as strong in this style for less $ ???

[dreemon]

Steve , whats the price of those rod holders,
"my wife thinks it's to much of a chore "

I was just thinking where to stick a rod holder this morning and those look like they'd work well for my boat for the same reasons,
have ya got a link,.

looking at the whitworths mag, and they are asking big coin for the better ones there too

[deckie]

Steve , whats the price of those rod holders,
"my wife thinks it's to much of a chore "

I was just thinking where to stick a rod holder this morning and those look like they'd work well for my boat for the same reasons,
have ya got a link,.

looking at the whitworths mag, and they are asking big coin for the better ones there too
;D
They're all very "happy" looking rod holders arnt they. Serious rod porn.

The more flaccid looking one on the left is a Craig and they're about US$90..the ones on the right are Cisco's and they may as well be 18ct gold coz they're up around the $US130 mark by the time you;ve bought the mounts. Strong as an ox tho by the sounds of the guys that use them...used for downriggers by great lakes fisho's.
The Big Johnny Holmes in the middle is a genuine 10 inch "Cannon", and a new design and bloody good kit by the looks. They;re all good i guess but the big cannon has a pistol grip type release and ratchet that lets u throw it about with one hand...even with a load ;D They're about the $US100-120 mark too.
All easily detachable and all swivel everywhere. These things are a heap better and stronger than they were just 5 yrs ago.

You'd think for that kinda dosh they;d come with mounts but nooooo....they want another 20 odd bux for those. By the time u buy 2 "Cannons" and 4 mounts, exchange at about 85c and pay the delivery u wont get much change out of about Aussie $350.

Dreaming about the one in the middle...the gold ones also come in anodised blue finish also (of course thats a bit more dosh again ;D)

Wont find them in any catalogue around these parts...but no way i'm paying 70-90 bux each for crappy chinese stainless like that stuff in Whitworths. I'll be likely using them for downrigging kings and also serve as outriggers to spread the set. I like big drag settings and have blown a cpl of cheapies and its false economising.

Figure i can get 2 as an early xmas present to myself ;D. Havent seen anyone with them yet tho and no idea if they're worth it.

What i truly dont undertsand is the blokes with those dumb snapper rack thingies...by the time they're had all that 316 made up they may as well have a set of gold "quad" cisco's or a spread of them that can point anywhere..and be thrown in a sidepocket out of the way (more like wrapped in tissue paper and gently rested ;D). Must have been some drunk snapper fisho on port philip bay that came up with the idea...and u arnt taken seriously in Melb if u dont have them wrapped around the arse of your boat getting in the way of everything and lines tangled to hell everytime a fish hits. Then u got to polish the damn things regularly.

I might dream about them for another week and decide then.

[deckie]

There are other well known good brands like Berts, Traxtech, Titelok and Big Johns but most are rail types or only swivel on one axis. Probably good enough but i'm dreaming about being able to move them to any angle easily..and detach and move them about where i want them in a flash.

I think the titelok ones might be the best value for money...fairly well known brand in the states. Probably get those delivered for about the price of some quality stainless flushmounts here...like Reelax, Smiths or Lee's.

The cisco's have these too (see piccie)....strongggggggg cradle types that can apparently be used for downriggers too. Similar to the cheaper plastic ones we get here except for the lifetime warranty ;D...tho the emro cannon aint bad kit.

I guess once u have the mounts u can slowly add them over the ensuing weeks when the missus isnt watching the chequebook.

[Lovey80]

I would like to see these mounted on a boat. Deckie when you get these could you take a photo please?

[deckie]

I would like to see these mounted on a boat. Deckie when you get these could you take a photo please?
;D.."when" i get these ? yeah ok i'm probably gonna do it but wont be on for a month or two. How about u get them and i'll check em out ;D

In the meantime here's a link where u can see them...basically some cheesy photo's of dumb looking yanks playing with big rods in flatwater.

http://www.ciscofishingsystemsltd.com/53901.html

We just dont get this kind of quality downrigging gear here.

Checkout these bad boys