It’s crazy! After buying a new kayak for 100s of $$, most kayak fishermen start drilling holes in them to add various accessories. It is a bit intimidating approaching your new toy with a 1-3/8″ hole cutting saw, but sometimes it just has to be done.
You might first ask, “what is a fly rod holder?” Well, it is exactly that, a device that holds your fly rod while you are paddling out to where you want to fish. Rods tossed on the floor of a kayak are susceptible to breakage. Another use for a rod holder is to troll for fish while paddling. The holder positions the rod out of the paddler’s way and line is fed out to drag the fly behind the kayak. Sinking line helps get the fly deep where the fish might be hanging out.
Installing a rod holder is not that difficult, the steps are basically:
- drill a big hole for the holder’s base (if it is a flush mount like mine)
- drill 4 smaller holes for the attachment screws
- seal with Marine Goop (or silicon seal) and screw the base to the kayak
- let Goop dry
- insert rod holder
- fish
There are a few additional details though. For instance, the Scotty flush mount is not sealed at the bottom. So, water can flow into the base and in to the hull of your kayak – generally not a good thing. Here is a photo of the bottom of mine:
That white thing is the bottom of an aspirin bottle that I am going to glue over the hole with Marine Goop. Some folks use PVC caps but this bottle was empty and a perfect fit.
The most difficult part of the job is determining where you want the rod holder! A lot of folks solve this problem by adding 2, 3 or more rod holders. I settled on 1, right in front of me on top of the center console on my
Native Watercraft Manta Ray 12 Kayak. Here is the base positioned where I want it:
Once that challenging step is out of the way, the rest is easy. The next thing to do is use a center punch or nail to punch a small locator mark at the center of the hole to drill. This helps position the drill so it does not wander off center. The Scotty base requires a 1-3/8″ hole, so I used a hole saw that fits an electric drill. The saw drills a 1/4″ hole in the center, so put its tip in the punch mark. Take a deep breath and repeat to yourself “it is Ok to drill a big hole in my kayak, it is Ok to drill a big hole in my kayak, …” and gently pull the drill’s trigger. The kayak hull material (superlinear polyethylene) is very slippery but cuts easily:
With the hole drilled, insert the base and use it to mark and drill the 4 holes for the mounting bolts:
Keep that little plastic disk for minor repairs later, you can melt the plastic to fill in small cracks or holes. I glued mine inside the hull below the front hatch with Marine Goop so I won’t lose it. The hardware consists of a 4 1-1/4″ 8-32 bolts, 4 nylon insert lock nuts, and 4 1-1/4″ fender washers – all stainless steel:
A little dab of Marine Goop in each hole helps seal it all up watertight. Here is the finished installation:
