Homemade Canoe Rod Holders
Carrying your fishing gear in your canoe can be cumbersome, particularly if you need to do any portaging. Fortunately, with a little PVC, you can create some very useful rod holders. They can be mounted under a thwart to hold each rod inside the canoe during portaging, or mounted vertically inside a plastic milk crate, allowing the poles to ride in the canoe vertically. The same holder can also be mounted at an angle to the canoe thwart (the bar spanning the sides of the canoe) for trolling while paddling.
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Things You'll Need
- 18-inch long piece of 2-inch PVC
- Dremel tool with fine sawblade
- Power drill with bits
- 1/2-inch-long pan head bolts
- Fender washers
- Lock nuts
- Tape measure
- Pencil
Instructions
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1
Measure in about 4 inches from one end of the PVC, and make a pencil mark. Then, draw two parallel lines 1/2 inch apart from the same end of the PVC to the pencil mark.
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2
Cut the two parallel lines using your Dremel tool, then cut the short distance between the ends of the lines. Discard the cut-off piece of PVC.
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3
Drill a 1/2-inch diameter hole in the PVC about 6 inches from the other end of the PVC, in line with the slot you cut.
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4
Insert a 1/4-inch drill bit into the drill, and, pointing the bit through the existing hole in the PVC, drill a hole in the opposite side.
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5
Place the PVC pipe vertically on one side of the inside of the milk crate, with the small hole against the side of the crate. Using the small hole in the PVC for alignment, drill a pilot hole through the crate.
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6
Insert a bolt and fender washer through the large hole and into the small hole in the PVC. Insert the bolt through the hole in the crate, and secure to the crate with a fender washer and lock nut on the outside of the crate.
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Tips & Warnings
To mount the rod holder to the underside of your canoe thwart, use a screw instead of a bolt to secure the holder to the thwart. A short bungee cord can hold the rod in the holder when the fishing rod is stored.
Whenever using power tools, such as a Dremel tool, always wear proper safety equipment, including safety glasses.
