Keeping your rods handy in a small boat...

[billmac]

I've written about the challenges of storing rods in my 16ft Cajun Maverick, but with rod socks I get by.  But what about having them handy when you are fishing?  Do you guys with smaller boats just lay them on the deck? Stand them up some where?  I find this a bit of a challenge.

[MN Fisher]

Since I'm always casting to either port or starboard when in the canoe, I just rigged vertical racks behind the seat. Room for 12 rigs. You could rig something like this along the inboard side of the one of the storage compartments behind the fore-deck on the Cajun.

[galyonj]

I just kind of lay them wherever they're not immediately in the way. My boat has zero rod storage, so we just kind of lay them with the butts on the deck and the rods themselves leaning against the lip of the front casting deck.

 

There are some vertical holders on the console, but we've had to stop using them after a couple... incidents when SWMBO caught a rod during her back cast.

 

To keep the gear safe (and save our sanity), we try not to take too much stuff. We pretty much max out at 6 or 7 rods between SWMBO and I. 

[the reel ess]

2 angled flush mount rod holders and a crate with 6 PVC holders. I usually only take 6. But I might take 8 if I'm anticipating a mixed bag.

[gim]

34 minutes ago, galyonj said:

incidents when SWMBO caught a rod during her back cast.

In a small craft I thought that might be an issue.  I think @MN Fisher has installed a pretty good vertical rod storage system in his canoe, but as close as his seat is to them, I could see the same issue occurring.  You reach back to make a cast and snag another rod in the tube...

 

Hey @billmac if you could post a photo or two of your watercraft that might help us help you.

 

Another thing I might suggest is to reduce the number of setups you bring.  If you don't have room for them, don't bring them.  My deck only has room for about 3-4 setups and anything more is just cumbersome so I don't put any more than that up there.

[MN Fisher]

2 minutes ago, gimruis said:

You reach back to make a cast and snag another rod in the tube...

That's why I mainly cast port/starboard...casting over the bow would be a pain since I'm in the back. If I do want to cast more forward, I side-arm.

[galyonj]

Just now, gimruis said:

In a small craft I thought that might be an issue.  I think @MN Fisher has installed a pretty good vertical rod storage system in his canoe, but as close as his seat is to them, I could see the same issue occurring.  You reach back to make a cast and snag another rod in the tube...

 

I think -- whatever you do, however you store your stuff -- you really just have to learn to be careful about where you are and what you're doing related to everything else that's in the boat with you (especially for smaller hulls like you and I have).

 

Sometimes it's like trying to dance in a phone booth.

[gim]

3 minutes ago, galyonj said:

you really just have to learn to be careful about where you are and what you're doing related to everything else that's in the boat with you (especially for smaller hulls like you and I have).

 

Completely agree.  When I fish in my 18 foot bass boat, I'm in the front and someone else is on the back deck.  There is adequate distance between us.  But if a third person is present, there is someone in between.  I also fish in a small aluminum 12 foot jon boat when we float a small river and the distance in between me and whoever I'm with in that rig is much closer in proximity.  I never understood why there were 2 anglers fishing right next to each other on the front deck of a bass boat - and no one on the back deck.  Its an accident waiting to happen.

[galyonj]

8 minutes ago, gimruis said:

I never understood why there were 2 anglers fishing right next to each other on the front deck of a bass boat - and no one on the back deck.  Its an accident waiting to happen.

 

Newer bass boats have a lot for me to be jealous of, but chief among those things is the front casting deck. I barely have room for myself alone up on mine. When I look at the new boats it feels like you could land a helicopter on them.

[S Hovanec]

I built this to go into a seat post base.

 

[Deephaven]

7 hours ago, gimruis said:

 I never understood why there were 2 anglers fishing right next to each other on the front deck of a bass boat - and no one on the back deck.  Its an accident waiting to happen.

Depending on the presentation, I find putting 2 up front much more efficient than one in the back.  You have to know the angler you are with and trust they can roll cast effectively from the side they are on but then it is really easy to position the boat for both to have a chance at the fish and cover water more quickly.  Some presentations the separation is better, but we put two up front a lot.

[Way north bass guy]

3 hours ago, Deephaven said:

Depending on the presentation, I find putting 2 up front much more efficient than one in the back.  You have to know the angler you are with and trust they can roll cast effectively from the side they are on but then it is really easy to position the boat for both to have a chance at the fish and cover water more quickly.  Some presentations the separation is better, but we put two up front a lot.

When I fished tournaments with my partner, we had a 17’ triton. We almost always fished together in the front deck. Never had an issue. I find if we’re closer together, there’s less chance of hooking someone in a back cast. We just always knew how to sidearm or cast at different times so we didn’t hook each other or each others rods. Same with my son and I when we’re out. I’d rather have him up beside me than at the back of the boat flailing a rod around right at my eye level. 

[bulldog1935]

can't count how many Falcon rods my dad stepped on, and I replaced his next birthday or Christmas.  

And his boat even has rod holders on the rails, console, gunwhales...

 

[GreenPig]

Lay my 8, 11, 14, or 19 rods on the left side but they all wind up migrating to the front right.