When I bought my willieboat a few years ago I outfited it with 4 fish-on rod holders. 2 up front on the gunnels(1 each side of course) and the other 2 also on the gunnels but back by the rowing seat about a foot forward of the oarlocks.

Placing the 2 back ones in that location by the oars proved to be a mistake as the oars interfered more than I thought they would.....so I took them off.

I want to remount the back 2 again and therein lies the question:

I'm torn between mounting them on the side tackle trays inside the boat or back on the gunnels but more forward of the oarlocks this time.

I kind of like the side tackle tray idea as the rod is closer at hand and there still seems to be rod maneuverability and clearance over the gunnel for when I have a takedown.

What do you willieboat owners do? I'd just like to get some thoughts before I drill another set of holes in my baby!

Thanks.

If you want to mount them in the side tackle trays try mounting them on some sort of riser to get better clearance over the gunnel. If you ever see a purple and white Willie on on the waters around Forks (it's Bob D.) check out his setup with custom cut risers drilled into the side trays and Ram mounts on top of the risers. The Ram mounts let you be very, very picky about how the rod is positioned.

B. Gray

(Also, I've never had a good look at the inside of his boat but I think our host here uses a similar setup in his Wild Hair.)

[This message has been edited by B. Gray (edited 10-26-2000).]

I think I have the perfect solution for mounting you rod holders on your Willie boat. I posted a question about a week ago, asking advice on whether to purchase a Willie or Clackacraft. I ended up buying the Willie from South River Marine (800)952-5330.
The salesman, Dave Traen sold me 3 rod holder mounts that require no drilling & are easily moved. They only fit a Willie with gunwale guard. I first saw them on a guide named Jerry Toman's Willie when we fished with him on the Clackamas River this spring. They mount to the Uni-rail and can be moved any time. They cost about $21.00 each. Hope this helps.
Troy

Eric, I also have a Willie boat, and had the same questions as you. I got the sliding gunwale mounts direct from willie $25 ea shipped in three days, as spooled stated you must have the gunwale guard for these to work, fishon rod holders will mount to these and come with all hardware, this solved my location dilemma for my side rod holders. Next was my center mount, here I used a RAM rod holder. They have two types, bulkhead which is similar to fishon but with about 5 inches more height $13. And one that is fully adjustable on ball joints, I have these they are expensive, but very nice $40 for the holder and to mount it to the sliding gunwale mount you need a adapter ball joint that fits a fishon or ram baseplate $20 a limit of slabs in the boat priceless !! oops got a little carried away.

If you need more info contact me by E-mail



[This message has been edited by FISHNBRAD (edited 10-27-2000).]

When I bought my boat it had the sliders on the gunnels. I found that setup to be a chore to get the rods out fast for both me and the passengers. So I remounted the rod holders on either side of the front cupholders. I mounted the holder for me on the right tackle tray as close as i could get it to the rowing seat without my rod butt touching. I have found this to be a very good set-up. The rod is not perfectly parralel to the water but close enough. My oars easily clear the rod now, and I can set the hook very quickly with one hand and drop anchor with the other in one motion. I have been considering getting a set of rams or fabricating my own riser for the front 2 holders. The other thing I do to the rod holders is cut a few inches off the front of them which makes a huge difference in how fast you can get your rods out.

I saw a purple and white Willie boat on the Hoh about 2 weeks ago, not sure if it was Bob D but man were their some good BBQ smells blowing upriver from that boat. I was running plugs behind him at the second clay bank and was having a real hard time concetrating with my stomache growling.

Thanks for the input everyone!

Spooled, When you talk about the need for a gunwale guard with the gunwale brackets, are you talking about the rubber covering that runs the length of the gunwale? If so, I got em'.

I guess it all comes down to being able to adjust the rod correctly for proper plug action yet, have it close enough to me so it is readily available for a hookset.

Money-wise, I'm not quite ready to shell out $$$ for a RAM system. The gunnel brackets sound like a possibility but I'm still intrigued by mounting them on the side of the tackle trays because the rod would be in reach from where I sit.

I've placed the bracket and holder by hand on the tackle tray with my plug rod in it to try and vision clearance and rod angle. Doesn't seem to bad.

I should mention the need for these back rod holders is that I often fish solo.

Bob, What are your thoughts on where to mount the back rod holders?

Thanks again everyone for the input.

Eric,yes the rubber cover is what I meant.So it sounds like you are set if you go with this option. Good luck.