How to Make Fishing Rod Holders for a Boat

Fish On!

Good, waterproof rod holders that allow water to drain while holding your rod and reel ready for action can be fabricated easily and put into service quickly. These no-nonsense rod holders are made from PVC pipe, can be painted to match or contrast with your boat's finish, and hold the rods in a vertical position to allow the quickest access to them.

Things You'll Need

• 2 inch PVC pipe
• 3 inch hose clamps
• Acrylic glue
• Hacksaw
• Screwdriver.

Instructions

1. Select the area where you want to mount the fishing rod holders. The most likely place is on the after deck area, on the sides. To make the most use of available space, the rod holders will need to be mounted vertically.

2. Cut the PVC pipe to length with a hacksaw. The pipe sections, which will be the rod holders, should be long enough that the handle of the rod, to the reel, will fit into the PVC pipe with no handle showing at the bottom--about 22 inches. Paint the rod holders the color of your choice and allow the paint to dry completely.

3. Use a vertical support member of the boat, like a bulwark brace, vent pipe or a study canopy brace, as the mounting surface. Open a hose clamp and wrap it around the pipe. Lower the PVC rod holder into the hose clamp so that the hose clamp is at the bottom of the rod holder. Tighten the hose clamp with the screwdriver

4. Wrap a hose clamp around the top of the PVC rod holder and the pipe and around the bottom of the PVC rod holder and the pipe. Tighten the hose clamps and trim the excess hose clamp with the hacksaw.

5. If no vertical surfaces are available to hold the PVC rod holder using hose clamps, use the acrylic glue to attach the rod holders directly to the inside of the fiberglass hull.

Tips & Warnings

• If your boat is has a "center console" configuration, the rod holders can be mounted to the sides of the console.

• Working with acrylic adhesives requires good ventilation. Do not allow the adhesive to contact your skin and follow all other precautions on the adhesive container.

Resources

• International Game Fish Association