Kayak Fishing Rod Holders

Rod holders are one of the first things most kayak fishermen add to their kayaks. Below is a breakdown of the common rod holders, some basic features and costs. All of these items can be purchased online at the Hook 1 store, friends of ours at the Plastic Navy. Their website is http://www.kayakfishinggear.com/

This is the Scotty combination side/deck mount base. It can be mounted flat or on it's side and accept any of the Scotty rod mount options shown below. For mounting on a kayak it's best to consider using a backing plate of some kind inside the hull to offset the stress put on the thin plastic hull by repeated hookups with all the huge fish you'll be catching. Some extra handy guys will make a backing plate out of aluminum or other metal while others will simply use the largest stainless steel washer they can fit. We've also seen nylon cutting boards cut and drilled to be a backing material and it's very effective. Retail cost is about $9.	The other main competitor in the kayak rod holder market is Ram Mounts. Like Scotty they have a base unit pictured here and they also offer a 2" x 3" rectangular base ball that fits the same areas as a Scotty holder. Ram mounts offer a degree of maneuverability that Scotty can't - a full rotation 360 degrees in any direction. This can give the kayak angler some leeway in where and how he would position these rod and equipment holders.
These are two Scotty flush mount bases. They are built to recess into the hull of the boat and seal. This creates the opportunity to lower the rod holder or accessory mount profile and can be useful in some instances. Both hold the same Scotty rod holders and other accessories and retail around $10-$11 each.	Ram has another line of mounts called the Ram 2000 series. This is an example of a Ram 2000 flush mount, it accepts Ram 2000 mounts and rod holders as pictured below. Retail on this guy is about $7. A more conventional style of rod holder the 2000 series looks to fill the need of anglers who are looking for flush mount options for the Ram mount systems.
The PowerLock is Scotty's best seller in the kayak world. It's cheap, it works, it locks your rod in with a twisting clamp and it's reasonably easy to change the angle and direction of the rod on the water. This works on most flat spots with 2" x 3" space for the base. One thing this has over the Ram is it's availability in 4 colors, sand, white grey and black. Retail price is around $22 without a base.	The Ram Tube is made of marine grade aluminum that is powder coated and only available in black. The tube is sold with the base as pictured and either the round or rectangle base are available. As noted on the base this swivels 360 degrees around. The twist down clamp makes it easy to loosen, reposition and lock down again. This style works best on Hobie Mirage Drive boats as they rod but is kept inside the tube and away from inside the cockpit where you are pedaling.
The Scotty Triple is a base unit that fits on a mount or on the Scotty Extender that supports any combination of rod holders, GPS or FishFinder mounts. It is exactly what it looks like and can turn one small flat spot into a full blown arsenal for kayak fishing. The base has tool slots for pliers and spaces to hang hooks or crankbaits from. This unit retails around $45-$50. Base not included.	The Ram Rod Holder is their answer to the original design by Scotty's PowerLock. A strap secures the rod in place and the design makes it easy to reach and retrieve. The dual ball ends on this unit make it unique in the types of angles and presentations it can offer by adjusting the swivel and pitch. Retail on this is about $35 with the base.
The Scotty Rod Master II is a simpler version that's a tube shape hollow clear through. A slot in the bottom makes it ideal for holding a spinning real in place. There's also a gimbal pin (removable) for keeping larger rods upright. Retail price $20.	This is the Ram 2000 Rod Holder. The open-side design of this rod holder makes it faster to retrieve a rod. Push down on the butt of the fishing rod and the open side allows you to simply slide it out. This also reduces the slack line problems of having to push the rod forward to remove it from the Scotty mounts. With the base unit in the picture it retails for $22ish
The Scotty Fly Rod holder does exactly what the names says. It holds fly rods. There's a safety strap to keep your rod from falling out $22	The flush mount is probably the most common rod holder in the kayak world (also used for nets or gaffs). Capped off so it's not just a hole in the boat many come with gimbal pins built in. They usually ship with a gasket but using some extra silicone around the hole is a good idea. $7-$10 on most web stores.