Choice of rod holder for PA

Pros and cons of the different rod holders for the PA? Interested in recommendations on rod holders for fishing/trolling not storage. Which ones best lock your rod/real and quickly release for use?

Thanks in advance for the recommendations.
Steve

I have a few, but my favorites are the Hobie H-Rail Adjustable Rod Holder and the Zooka Tube. The Hobie H-Rail is sturdy, offers good mounting options as far rod angle and tilt, and has good anchor points for securing your rod. It also fits the longer rod butts. The Zooka Tube fits just about all my rods with ease and is simple to insert and remove and seems pretty secure. There are a lot of different mounting options you can go with on the Zooka Tubes some are better than others.

My least favorite are easily the RAM Rod Tubes 2008 and the Hobie Adjustable Rod Holder Extender. None of my Rods fit well in the RAM Tubes, and the Hobie Adj Rod Holder Extender is, IMO, a giant pain in the behind. I would like to have the $100 back that I spent on the Hobie extenders and buy two more Zooka Tubes, or a Scotty.

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STLKayak
2020 Pro Angler 14 360
St. Louis, Missouri
https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100005695487937

I'll piggyback with STL. I have the Zooka tubes with RAM locking bases mounted to the H-Rail flat mounting plates. Very easy to setup on the rail where you need it for a particular type of fishing. The Zooka tubes are very durable. I've had several large saltwater fish hit the bait with the rod locked in the holder (even tarpon) and it works like a champ. I've found the Zooka tubes and the bases online for under $25 each. Hard to beat that. I have them on both PAs.

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Steve Stubbs
USAF (retired)

SeaDek Fishing Team
Unfair Lures Pro Staff
Ziptailz Ambassador

2015 Pro Angler 14 - Papaya
2018 Compass - Sea Grass

That is an important distinction, the Zooka Tubes can be equipped with RAM ball or RAM spline/locking base mounts (as well as others). For trolling, the spline post is MUCH more solid than the RAM Ball. The RAM ball is fine if you are using these as just rod holders as they can be articulated in almost anyway needed but are more likely to slip if trolling.

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STLKayak
2020 Pro Angler 14 360
St. Louis, Missouri
https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100005695487937

Can't go wrong with the H-Rail rod holder (part # 72020098), and for heavy duty trolling you can purchase the HD Strap kit for reinforcement of the rod holder's position (part # 72020099). One of the great things about this accessory is it's full range of adjustability: rotating and locking reel seat, tilt forward/aft and inboard/outboard, removable gimbal pin.

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Howie Strech
Parts & Accessories Product Manager
Hobie Cat USA

I think the Folbe Advantage and Folbe Advantage Jr. rod holders are fabulous.

I use a pair of these. One paired with a scotty downrigger. Easy to adjust if I am not using the downrigger yet still trolling as I angle the holder more horizontal and towards the rear of the kayak. Trolling with the downrigger I elevate the hold and have it parallel with the downrigger boom. I've stuff al measure of rods/reels into these, Work great. I've got some videos in the pictures forum you can see how mine are set up.

Question for those of you who use the Hobie H-rail rod holder for long-butt trolling rods: What is the depth of this holder from the bottom of the reel notch to the gimbal pin? I troll with baitcasting line-counter reels, on 9-ft rods. There is about 14" between the bottom of the reel and the butt end of the rod. Would I need to remove the gimbal pin to get the reel to seat properly in the notch? If so, how much of the rod base would hang into the cockpit? I currently just use Scotty bases with extensions to get the rod holder tubes above my legs when pedaling. I'd consider switching if the Hobie H-rail rod holders would permit me to pedal without banging the rod bases.

10" from the gimbal pin to the bottom of the reel notch. In your circumstance, if you removed the gimbal pin there would be roughly 3 1/4" of rod butt sticking out the end on the rod holder. The nice thing about the H-Rail rod holder is that you can mount it on the outboard side of the rail, keeping the rod butt completely clear of the cockpit and the issue of interference with your legs as you pedal becomes a non-issue.

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Howie Strech
Parts & Accessories Product Manager
Hobie Cat USA