Clamp on rod holders

[WEAKFISH]

I have to buy some of these for my boat. They are going to attach to my 1/2 tower. My tower is aluminum so I guess I should get the aluminum holders. Should I get Lee's, Taco Cuda clamps or......stainless CE Smith?

Gold or Silver??

[cgrand]

ce smith are the best i've ever seen...i have them on my top and they are the shiat
they come with nylon spacers to isolate the SS clamp from the alum tube
got silver to match my boat...

[Stretch]

The CE Smith are my favorites also. The quality is impeccable and like cgrand said, they are designed not to contact the aluminum tubing.

[Ellie's Navi Gator]

I'm not familiar with the CE Smith style, but I'm very happy with the Cuda clamp holders I've got. Plus, River Marine, one of the sponsors here, has a great price on them.

[mtcfish]

Don't like them unless you pin them. Seen them slip resulting in equipment loss!

[WEAKFISH]

Ellie's Navi Gator - 3/27/2006 10:09 PM

I'm not familiar with the CE Smith style, but I'm very happy with the Cuda clamp holders I've got. Plus, River Marine, one of the sponsors here, has a great price on them.

I saw that $49.95. Great price.

[njcraig]

Use gaffing tape if the one's you buy don't isolate the different metals from touching.

[WEAKFISH]

What sizes do the Smith holders come in?? I checked and it seems that they go up to 1 1/4". This would work on my vertical pipe, but my horizontal pipe is 2 inches.

[Fluke Hunter]

Website says mid or top-mount come in 1" or 1 1/4" only so looks like you need to go a different direction.

Cuda clamps come in 2", see link
http://www.fishing-catalog.com/SOSProd/Rod_holders.htm

[SeaJay]

"Don't like them unless you pin them. Seen them slip resulting in equipment loss!"

I learned this lesson the hard way. I think mine might have been made by Perko, perhaps the brands listed here are better. Good luck.

[dowop]

The Smith rod holders max diameter is 1 1/4".

[WEAKFISH]

I went with the Silver Lee's. Thanks everyone.

[disantoda]

I was going to purchase four "clamp on" rod holders at around $50/ea. I decided to price buying permanent rod holders and having them welded on. I had four "E-Tec" tulip style rod holders welded on for $250.

So, personally I would rather have permanent rod holders if the price were the same...unless "removability/angle changability" are your goals.

[WEAKFISH]

I had a marine welder on my boat to do that and he suggested clamp on holders. How's the new boat?

[cfwegman]

just a note on size. Yes the largest size Smith if for 1-1/4 Pipe which is actually 1.66" OD I take calls every day from people in all walks of life who don't understand the size of their tubing. Whoever came up with the concept of Pipe size should just be ashamed of themselves. The confusion it causes to owners of aluminum pipe structures on boats is rampant. Even people in the fabrication business often are misinformed. In fact, there is no place on a schedule 40 pipe where you can measure its stated size. Not ID. Not OD. Drives me crazy. I'd love to make rod holders for giant tube sizes, but the sales volume projection is so low on the biggies it would take years to recover the tooling cost for my one piece stainless investment castings.

As for slipping. SeaJay, yes Perkos slip easilly as do most brands. They are designed not for fishing but to be cheep. Saltwater fishing puts high demands on a rodholder carrying your expensive outfits and I know they have to stay put when a fish hits. I designed the Smith clamp ons for fishing.

[SeaJay]

cfwegman,

Good to know that at least someone is building them so they work. I no longer have any need for the clamp ons, but if I did I've give yours a shot.

[WEAKFISH]

Thanks for the input cf. I would have bought the Smiths but the horizontal pipe on my 1/2 tower was 2 inches with a 6 inch circ.

Hopefully the Lee's don't slip.