Fishing rod holders are tools that make fishing a relaxing and rewarding adventure. They allow the fisher to multitask without any hassles. Fishing is an exercise made up of many activities. These activities include luring the fish, angling, clearing the hooks and also unhooking the fish from the hooks. It is therefore impossible for the fisher to do all these things without letting go of the fishing rod!

To take this quagmire away from the fisher so that fishing does not have to be a stress exercise, rod holders were invented. These magnificent tools allow a fisher to free both hands and use them to unhook the fish without having to worry about the fishing rod.

Apart from the convenience and practicality of freeing the fisher’s hands, they also keep fishing rods organized and safely secured on the boat. This way one can carry many different types of fishing rods for a fishing expedition and be able to keep track of them. Another advantage of using a fishing rod holder is that they help to keep the fish hooked by applying tension on the fish.

Initially, the rod holder was made with a binding device that had a strap to tie the fishing pole to the railing. It also had a Velcro strap, choice of long or short, which would be used to tie the rod holder to the fisher’s leg, arm or waist. The short strap was used to tie the holder to the wrist or forearm while the longer strap was used to secure it the leg or ankle.

Modern rod holder designs still make use of straps to secure the rod holder to the body limps. However the newer rod holders come with an inbuilt remedy for seasickness! The rods are equipped with acupressure stimulators. The stimulators ensure the pressure of the fisher is kept constant throughout the whole fishing expedition. This only works if the rod holder remains attached to the fisher throughout the boat ride.

In some types of fishing like offshore or bank fishing, rod holders are not so necessary. But in fly fishing for example, a rod holder plays a big role. Fly fishing is done in places where the rivers are rocky and destabilizing. It is therefore impossible to hold the fishing rod while doing other things such as luring the fish. The fishing rod holder is a handy aide in such situations.

Rod holders can be attached to your vehicle externally or internally during the journey to the fishing site. Externally hooked rod holders are best as it allows one to pre-rig the fishing rods. This way, as soon as you arrive at your location, your rods are ready for action within minutes.  Internally hooked rod holders on the other hand occupy a small space inside the vehicle therefore one can not set up the fishing rods beforehand. Some rod holders can also be attached to the roof of the vehicle. The rods can also be pre-rigged since there is enough space on the roof to hold the pre-rigged rods.

The best fishing rod holders are the home-made variety. PVC pipes are the preferred materials for home-made fishing rod holders. The main reason why there are preferred over other materials is due to their durability. PVC is strong and resistant to weather and rust attacks. It is easy to work with since one only needs a basic home-tool-kit and can be made into different shapes as per one’s preference. The different shapes of fishing rod holder connectors are L and T shapes. After cutting the PVC pipe, the connectors can be joined using waterproof adhesive. All these materials are readily available in stores.

Although home-made rod holders are easy to assemble, there are different types of readily made fishing rod holders available in the market. These come in handy to those wishing to fish but do not want to construct their own fishing rod holders due to one reason or another.

The most versatile, durable and strong fishing rod holders in the market are monster rod holders. They are used to catch big or monster fish such as catfish. They are strong, durable and can be adjusted easily.

Another type of rod holder is the tube-type holder. For this, the butt end and the handle of the rod are inserted into the tube. It holds the fishing rod in an upright position. This type of rod holder is best suited for those looking for quick releases in the event of a strike. Fly rods can not be stored in tube-type holders because they do not have a handle that projects far enough to be inserted into the tube.

A fishing rod holder can also be attached or unattached. The attached holder is good because one is able to store the rod in the middle of the boat. The unattached holder has the disadvantage of veering away during the rocking motion of the boat. A rod holder can also be free standing. This means it is attached to the base of the boat and holds 2 or more fishing rods. Some boat rod holders are wall-mounted and hold 4 or more rods. They are good for use on big boats and are not practical for small boats like kayaks.