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In a recent post I have had some inquiries about my rod holders, this is version 3.0 and it's exactly what I wanted. It can hold five rods and troll two rods at the same time. I spent about $55 dollars in material, money well spent. As most know, you need 1 1/4" PVC to fit into the factory molded rod holders, then convert to 1 1/2". Be sure your transition pieces are as close as you can get them to the top of the molded rod holders. What I did next was added "tees" instead of the traditional 90 degree fittings, this was able to get me up to five rods.
Once the "tees" are installed pay close attention to the measurements, mine was two inches of pipe leading to the next 90 degree transition. This number does not include the pipe inside the fitting just the O.D. measurements. Use the plumbing fittings that provide the most amount of pipe to enter the fitting. Not sure of the actual type...I know there are two different types in the plumbing world. Also, if you can build what you can first without gluing. This can be difficult dissembling, but well worth it. This 2 inches prevents the assembly from touching your back when you are leaning in your seat. Another important measurement is the 23 1/2" cross member (he said member, hehe). Again, this is an outside dimension measurement. This is the measurement that you can screw up....it can make the whole assembly be too tight or too loose entering the hobie molded rod holders. If you notice, I use the bungee cords as a safety precaution to keep the rod holder in place.
When I installed the crossbar and was comfortable with the fit, I then found center and placed the center four-way fitting on top of the pipe to mark my actually cutting points. Then reassembled and split the difference again on both side of center to fine tune the location of the outer two four-ways. Then I glued the cross bar together. Everything else should be more simple. To make the reel handle slots, I used a 7/8" paddle bit (I think) and measure four inches down from top of the extenders. Then used a jig saw to cut out the rest of the PVC. Finally, used a dremmel to smooth out the edges. Be sure the slots on the outer four-ways are slightly turned towards the outside of the boat, that way the bails from the reels are not bumping each other. But before doing this, I used wine bottle and torch to flare out the edges. This makes getting the rods in and out of the holder soooooo much easier!! Be sure to reinforce the important sections with 1/2" stainless steel screws, the glue alone will not last with all the stress from inserting and removing the rig....not to mention the rockfish slamming your bait while trolling!
Another tip is if you get the trolling extending pipes just right, they make great arm rests. Finally, the last pic is two 15ft towing straps I got from amazon to store my kayak. Simple and cheap...it also makes a great working bench for the kayak when they are completely lowered. Sorry for the lengthy post, but I screwed this up a few times during the process.
Once the "tees" are installed pay close attention to the measurements, mine was two inches of pipe leading to the next 90 degree transition. This number does not include the pipe inside the fitting just the O.D. measurements. Use the plumbing fittings that provide the most amount of pipe to enter the fitting. Not sure of the actual type...I know there are two different types in the plumbing world. Also, if you can build what you can first without gluing. This can be difficult dissembling, but well worth it. This 2 inches prevents the assembly from touching your back when you are leaning in your seat. Another important measurement is the 23 1/2" cross member (he said member, hehe). Again, this is an outside dimension measurement. This is the measurement that you can screw up....it can make the whole assembly be too tight or too loose entering the hobie molded rod holders. If you notice, I use the bungee cords as a safety precaution to keep the rod holder in place.
When I installed the crossbar and was comfortable with the fit, I then found center and placed the center four-way fitting on top of the pipe to mark my actually cutting points. Then reassembled and split the difference again on both side of center to fine tune the location of the outer two four-ways. Then I glued the cross bar together. Everything else should be more simple. To make the reel handle slots, I used a 7/8" paddle bit (I think) and measure four inches down from top of the extenders. Then used a jig saw to cut out the rest of the PVC. Finally, used a dremmel to smooth out the edges. Be sure the slots on the outer four-ways are slightly turned towards the outside of the boat, that way the bails from the reels are not bumping each other. But before doing this, I used wine bottle and torch to flare out the edges. This makes getting the rods in and out of the holder soooooo much easier!! Be sure to reinforce the important sections with 1/2" stainless steel screws, the glue alone will not last with all the stress from inserting and removing the rig....not to mention the rockfish slamming your bait while trolling!
Another tip is if you get the trolling extending pipes just right, they make great arm rests. Finally, the last pic is two 15ft towing straps I got from amazon to store my kayak. Simple and cheap...it also makes a great working bench for the kayak when they are completely lowered. Sorry for the lengthy post, but I screwed this up a few times during the process.
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