Hobie Horizontal Rod Holder Kit

[steveooo]

Here was a quick rainy day project. Nothing innovative here on my end. I just installed a couple sets of the Horizontal Rod Holder Kit from Hobie onto the yak. Actually I only installed half of the two kits- I used just the rod tip protector from each kit. 6 screws total, 5 minutes to finish. Try to hold back your enthusiasm.

There are a few kayaks on the market that have good rod storage (Hobie Pro Angler & OK Trident). The rest of the kayaks, mine included, are a bit tough to store rods in the surf zone. Hobie came up with this cool kit to horizontally store rods on basically any kayak. I want it for the surf zone, but I think it would be pretty handy for the bass guys that switch rods alot. While it is a Hobie accessory, it will also fit on other brands of yaks with no problems

Here are a few pics of the install.



One on each side. Barely noticeable.


Left



Right



The rod fits perfect in the space where your paddle lays.



Yes, it works fine with 2 rods on each. I could probably sneak in a 3rd if I really wanted. I don’t ever go out with more than 4 rods. 2 on each side, so I'm covered.





The kits actually come with a few more parts, that I would probably install if I were going to use this as a horizontal rod holder on the water. I like to keep the rigging minimal, so I'll keep them off for now.



Here is the stock photo:



I will only lay my rods down for the launches & landings on the days when the surf is really thumping, and there is a chance that all hell will break loose if I get tossed. The thought of snapping 4 custom wrapped rods in a bad roll has always made me a bit on edge, especially on days when it is pounding. I want to make sure the rods stay put if I get dunked in the surf zone. The best way I could think of was to cut down an old tie-down and strap the rod butts to the handle. I might re-think this, but for now it works. It is secure, and the rods won’t budge.



It took all of about 5 minutes to install, and it will give me a little peace of mind, and relieve some of the anxiety associated with landing on the big surf days, or the coming in on dark nights with the sneaker sets.

Andy at OEX Sunset Beach has these Horizontal Rod Holder Kits in stock. I’m pretty sure he can ship them, and I think he said he said he is going to give out a free kit to the first 5 people that call

Here is his number 562-592-0800


Steve