Best Brookie, 5 LBS

It's hard to argue with success---my best speck was a fraction of that size----but the canoe fishermen that I know don't use a rod holder. I find that with the rod securely at my knees it is quicker to grab when a fish strikes. My 2 cents.

Thanks for the tip. I will give that a try.

Lookup the “down-East” clamp on rod holder. Quick release for hooksets. Just grab the rod and lift, the holder separates and releases the rod. I’ve had one for many years…. I consider it much better than rod between the legs, though there’s no issue with that either. Clamps to thwart or gunwales.


Beauty brookie.

Thanks! I will definately look that holder up.

I’m somewhere in between. Not a big fan of the type pictured above, as my line is way up in the air then, and goes back a long way before even entering the water. I agree with Knuguy on the rod sitting low on the gunnels. I am always the stern guy, or solo, so need my hands on the paddle a lot if the time too. So I custom machined a solution. Super light and simple. Mount them the same direction both gunnels. Rod handle goes in behind the ‘hook’ part and on the opposite gunnel rod goes in front of hook, sits in a small undercut radius. Easy to grab, easy and quick to set the hook. You can switch side of the canoe you want to troll just by moving your rod there.

Found a closer view
Also realized we’ve totally hijacked your thread Man in the Woods

That would work awesome! Doesn't look to complicated to make either.

an interesting idea. I am not sure how I could make a similar one with my limited tools and skills.

I do like my rod tip a bit higher above the water than the gunwales so i can see the tip twitching when I run crankbaits. I guess a strike would be obvious with the rod horizontal..