Bimini top rocket launcher

Lt.Mike

Lt.Mike

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Location
Farmingdale NJ
Model
Overnighter
This was brought up in a Overnighter hardtop thread.
My Overnighter has the Bimini though and until now I thought my only options for overhead rod holders was with a hardtop or arch. I didn’t want either as I trailer my boat, the carport it’s parked under has limited height and some of the places I launch has bridges that can be tight when passing under.
A hardtop has lots of advantages but unfortunately won’t work for me.
Rods stored in the holders mounted to the fish boxes can be in the way and I’ve often wished I could put them up out of the way.
Then GradyDaniele shared that they make them for a Bimini, great!
Googling and ebaying it I found there are a few variations.
Below is a pic of one.
Has anyone used one of these? If I could get 2 or 3 rods out of the way it’d be a help.
Mike

318oj0MshWL.jpg
 
I have never used that - and have never seen that, before - it's a first for me, too. It looks like a neat idea, but my only concern would be that it might be a lot of weight to put on the bimini and the bimini mounts (especially if the bimini mounts/fittings are plastic) while underway at speed and in a chop when the boat is bouncing. What about a couple rail-mount rod holders on each side? There are so many of those types of rod holder mounts to choose from. Maybe it would be fine, though, and I'm just being a nervous Nellie. :)
 
Looks neat. BUT,I don't think the Durability is there,going to eventually break something in the Bimini.Trolling Rods would kill it for sure.Light Tackle Rods You may be able to get away with. Next problem I see,While running ,the Bimini is going to be top heavy and shake.Sooner or later it will shake a Rod or two out and overboard!
 
I can’t see it losing a rod any easier than it would if mounted to a hardtop. I’d also be inclined to use small bungies to secure them. I fish inshore only so all my tackle is relatively lightweight.
Maybe with all the vinyl snapped up it’d be sturdier.
 
I bought one and had it on my Grady. Cruising at 30 one of the rods started backing out. Luckily guy with me saw it and grabbed it. I tried re angling it straighter but it was too flimsy so I took it off and its a dust collector now.
 
The problem with the one you pictured is the angle of the rod holder is fixed by the top and bottom mounting design. If that bimini were level, the rods would stick back over the cockpit at the same angle as the rear leg on the bimini top frame, getting in the way of casting and fighting fish. I would look for a design with clamp-ons that you can angle more straight up. I replaced the rear straps on my bimini frame with SS tubing, and added two clamp-ons per side there.
Then I added an arch with 8 rod holders.
 
If you are fishing saltwater sized rods and running in the bay or ocean, it will shake way too much.
Think about running back to the ramp when the 2 o'clock south wind kicks in...

I had a hardtop on my V20 (pictured below). I could run in a bumpy sea loaded with rods. NEVER a scare of losing a rod.
That hardtop changed the boat, really a great investment. Loved it. Got 6 rods, antennas, horn, nav & anchor lights , flood LEDs, outrigger mounts up and out of the way. and two rod holders off the side...

You could look into an Arch that folds down. I think Atlantic Towers in Bayville,NJ has them.http://www.atlantictowers.com/products_fishing_arch.php

They are A LOT BEEFIER than the ones on the eBay link posted previously.
 
L.R. said:
Looks neat. BUT,I don't think the Durability is there,going to eventually break something in the Bimini.Trolling Rods would kill it for sure.Light Tackle Rods You may be able to get away with. Next problem I see,While running ,the Bimini is going to be top heavy and shake.Sooner or later it will shake a Rod or two out and overboard!
Click to expand...

Tend to agree with the durability and rod concerns. Wondering if you could do something more permanent with a tube structure that sits just aft of the bimini?
 
Whatever I end up with it has to be removable or fold down .
If not it’ll never fit under the carport I had built for it.
 
Maybe add a couple of rod holders in line where you want it and have something fabricated that can come out and apart for storage? Another get a couple of triple rod holders that drop into the rod holders. With some safety leashes on the triple holder and the rods you should be ok. These could store easy too.
 
I agree with the stability issues on a bimini top. There is way more movement in a bimini compared to a hard top. Might be fine for light rods in calm conditions, but with any sizable saltwater tackle you are probably asking for problems.

Another idea would be to mount rod holders to the side of the house. You could probably could fit a couple rod holders just to the rear of the window. I have seen this done on a few walkarounds in your size range, that don't have hardtops. It would be very similar to how roddolders would be mounted to the side of a center console. Doing this would certainly affect access up to the bow, but that all depends on how much it matters to you. Just a thought.
 
I thought of it being on the sides but it would be in the way and if a hook came loose you’d get it in the face. No rods in front of the helm.
Stored anywhere around the deck and it’d be in the way for drift fishing or trolling.
Unfortunately the Overnighter didn’t have under gunnel rod holders (there is no under gunnel area).
Overhead would still be best. Unless the rods are stowed in the three holders on each fishbox if I don’t have hands on a rod when lines are out there’s a leash hooked to it. I could possibly bungee or clip them in an over head holder.
Mike
 
I have actually dumped a rod into the cockpit before in rough seas at speed and have also damaged rods when they were whipping around in my fixed mount on the hardtop.

Trolling rods should be bungee'd down and flimsy rods should be taken down and put elsewhere.

I agree, never enough places to put a rod! I have added a couple extra gunnel mount holders and still don't have enough at times! Always trying to find a good spot for another. :mrgreen:
 
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