Extra rod holders, freedom 307?

[sasecool]

Hello all,
Just got a freedom 307 and love it. Ive realized I need more rod holders. I saw a great post on tht where a custom one was made to fit on the hard top even with a sure shade. Will definitely get that... but looking for on gunnel, transom and bow?

Anyone ever do this? Looking at the boat after, it looks like I could add another gunnel holder between the two stock ones starboard, and potentially port side as well.

Im looking to troll using these, hence a transom one would be nice. Anyone know if you can troll from the rocket launchers attached to the framework of the hard top?

Bow holders would be to place when fishing.

Anyone have experience?

 

[Sardinia306Canyon]

Anyone know if you can troll from the rocket launchers attached to the framework of the hard top?

Yes you can, but it depends on the lure you use as rod tip is very high and tend to pull the lure up making it working bad.
Basically rods on the hard top act like a center rigger / shotgun and lures must be very far behind to work correctly.
You may use a release clip on hard top as low as possible but position is still high.
Keep in mind that fast trolling without outriggers or tracker bars is mostly limited to 2 rods as they will tangle if you turn or if windy. You need to have one very far and one very near so that the near can travel below the line of the far one without getting tangled. This works but i am not a huge fan of it as distance between lures matters. If you buy tracker bars then they work as they pull themself outside and you can use two rods straight back, but you need to fight fish with the trackerbar what i consider as not very sporty and a pita to deal with. Tracker bars seem to work very well with schooling tunas but not so well with other species.
You can install "professional" outriggers on the hardtop, gunnel mounted elbows or use a rodholder elbow and fiberglass or carbon outriggers in them.
I had all 3 of them and all work well, best are hard-top mounted ones who have a handle to deploy them under the hardtop, if under HT clearance height is enough to not hit the head on the handle.
Option would be screwed on rodholders where you put a normal, collapsibel fibreflass/carbon outriggers in and remove them if not needed.

Bow holders would be to place when fishing.

Not sure how your freedom is made, ex owner clamped two rod holders on the hand rail but thats a shitty solution as they turn down and that will drop the rod in the water. If you have a hand rail you may use this solution but need to make sure that:

• the rod holder can not turn on the rail, a piece of rubber hose in between clamp and rail help with that.
• you use wing nuts or similar to get it iff reasonable quick if needed

There are rod holder with a disconnect base, but you need to screw the base on the gunnel and need access from below to hold the nut.
There are many types of them, the most used here is the one on the photo below.


Chris

 

[kirk a]

What species are you targeting? That can help sort out what is an appropriate holder. Many of us with 330's have added a 3rd holder on each side between the two existing gunnel holders. As long as there is nothing below the gunnel in that location, it is a fairly simple thing to install.

I don't have an issue trolling with rods on the welded on tower leg holders, but don't like to troll with bolt on holders. But this is offshore for tuna and such. Trolling inshore, it would not matter to me.

 

[sasecool]

Thanks for the replies. Im looking to go for mostly blue/yellow fin. Spreader bars with the tiller that helps move it out of the way. Its a brand new 307 2024. I purchased it not knowing if I would be into offshore, but went a few times with my cousin and found it to be exciting. Its long island, eastern. My cousin had the outrigger on his whaler but started using the gunnel holders, some with elbows, and it seemed a lot easier than dealing with the outrigger, so I figured i would do that.

That being said, there isn't enough rod holders even if im going bay fishing for fluke. I basically have 3 plus the four shotgun ones for the hard top. By the time you have 3 or 4 people fishing, a net etc. Everything is filled up. No room for anything else.

So it's for both purposed.

So I bet i can get two extra gunnel ones... what about a gunnel equivalent in purposes. Grady told me they would just give me the rod holders for free

 

[Sardinia306Canyon]

You have two different problems to solve:

1. not enough rod holders for storage or when fishing from bow area
2. how to bring lures as far from each other to avoid tangles and from prop wash what render them somehow invisible.

I have 3 gunnel mounted rodholders, two rods go from there to the outrigger and the third one is usually empty as i often troll alone using 5 rods.
2 each sides on outrigger and one center with a 1 lbs quick disconnect trolling weight and about 80 ft behind a big Rapala Magnum to run about 40ft deep and well below prop wash. The biggest tunas i got on a Rapala Redhead, all other fishes on the surface lures on the outriggers.
From other discussions it seems that tracker bars work very well in your area.

The elbows where you stick the rod in work, but have limited spread out, to not tangle and to keep lures out of prop wash, i tried that with for me unsatisfactory results so i installed the Taco Striker gunnel mounted outrigger bases and they worked very well.
Then i had t-top mounted ones and on a center console they allow to go to bow with the rod in the hand, but in any case walking to bow with rod and hooked fish to bow will not work on your Freedom due the hardtop.

Install a rocket launcher on top of the hardtop to have more space for rod storage and/or gunnel mounted or clamp on ones on bow area.
I have a vertical 3 rod rodholder on the back of the fishbox in between the outboard and yes, i could need some rodholders more in bow area for when i have fishing guests with me.

I suggest you to go out and try several systems to make your spread wider and as far from prop wash as possible to find out what is for you more comfortable and for this it is probably wise to wait with drilling in to your boat.
I always wonder why anglers tell that they find outriggers complicated, but i use them for almost 30 years so its probably that, just being used to them.

Chris

 

[sasecool]

You have two different problems to solve:

1. not enough rod holders for storage or when fishing from bow area
2. how to bring lures as far from each other to avoid tangles and from prop wash what render them somehow invisible.

I have 3 gunnel mounted rodholders, two rods go from there to the outrigger and the third one is usually empty as i often troll alone using 5 rods.
2 each sides on outrigger and one center with a 1 lbs quick disconnect trolling weight and about 80 ft behind a big Rapala Magnum to run about 40ft deep and well below prop wash. The biggest tunas i got on a Rapala Redhead, all other fishes on the surface lures on the outriggers.
From other discussions it seems that tracker bars work very well in your area.

The elbows where you stick the rod in work, but have limited spread out, to not tangle and to keep lures out of prop wash, i tried that with for me unsatisfactory results so i installed the Taco Striker gunnel mounted outrigger bases and they worked very well.
Then i had t-top mounted ones and on a center console they allow to go to bow with the rod in the hand, but in any case walking to bow with rod and hooked fish to bow will not work on your Freedom due the hardtop.

Install a rocket launcher on top of the hardtop to have more space for rod storage and/or gunnel mounted or clamp on ones on bow area.
I have a vertical 3 rod rodholder on the back of the fishbox in between the outboard and yes, i could need some rodholders more in bow area for when i have fishing guests with me.

I suggest you to go out and try several systems to make your spread wider and as far from prop wash as possible to find out what is for you more comfortable and for this it is probably wise to wait with drilling in to your boat.
I always wonder why anglers tell that they find outriggers complicated, but i use them for almost 30 years so its probably that, just being used to them.

Chris

Thanks Chris. Either way I want to put more rod holders... even if not trolling, for when i have guests etc. I might be that I use the gunnel holders at first and decide to use the outriggers...

 

[kirk a]

Getting tracker bars will reduce the "need" for outriggers. My preference has moved to the dial trackers from Sterling, as they can be adjusted to run on either side. While I run outriggers, there are times/days where I don't bother putting the bars in them, as they run fine from rod tips. If you start going offshore more and more frequently, then you might want to jump up to outriggers.

When I bought my 330, it just had the stock 10 holders. 4 in gunnels, and 6 on tower legs. I'm up to 16 of them now, and it is still not enough! So I feel your pain!

 

[Sardinia306Canyon]

Thanks Chris. Either way I want to put more rod holders... even if not trolling, for when i have guests etc. I might be that I use the gunnel holders at first and decide to use the outriggers...

Do a search here, there is a tread showing a big rocket launcher on the hardtop by someone here.
That would be best for storage as the rods are out of the way and can have hooks attached.

Gunnel rod holders are fine, but you need access from below to install them what is not everywhere possible, particularly not on bow area.
But they are a pita when docking with the rods in it and leaving hooks on makes it easy to get hooked.

If you want them for fishing then you need gunnel mounted ones, if you want them for storage then you can use clamp-on or the hard top rocket launcher.
Two uses and two different kind of rod holders.

You have two on each hardtop leg and one gunnel mounted nearby for a total of 3 per side, thats enough for trolling, but not for storage.

Chris

 

[sasecool]

Do a search here, there is a tread showing a big rocket launcher on the hardtop by someone here.
That would be best for storage as the rods are out of the way and can have hooks attached.

Gunnel rod holders are fine, but you need access from below to install them what is not everywhere possible, particularly not on bow area.
But they are a pita when docking with the rods in it and leaving hooks on makes it easy to get hooked.

If you want them for fishing then you need gunnel mounted ones, if you want them for storage then you can use clamp-on or the hard top rocket launcher.
Two uses and two different kind of rod holders.

You have two on each hardtop leg and one gunnel mounted nearby for a total of 3 per side, thats enough for trolling, but not for storage.

Chris

Thanks, I found that GW custom holder, and I think I will do that for sure. There are seven tulips.
If I add Three to the back, and I use a storage tulip up top, I can get 7 if need be. Does this seem reasonable for tuna trolling with spreader bars and the tillers that help pull them out... add outriggers later if I choose?
I just need to figure out the solution for the bow. Seems like I saw some folks posting about using ones with drains to drain into the bilge? Anyone ever do that? Or should I just say screw it, and mount something on the surface for the purpose of fishing on the bow and I can remove/detach a connector like others suggested? Won't the clamp ons mess with the finish on my guard rail on the bow??


OOOOOOO
O | O - Shotgun high (stock)
/ | \
| O | O \ -Shotgun Low (stock)
| / | \ |
| | | O | | - Gunnel mounted, standard, not used for trolling
| | O | O \ | | - Additional gunnel mounted
| | / O | | | | - Port gunnel, added, used for trolling
| | | / | O | | | - Gunnel Mounted, standard
| | | | ______|______ \ | | |
| | | | | | | | |
| | | | | | | | |
| | | | | | | | |
| | | | | | | | |
| | | | | | | | |
| | | | | | | | |

 

[WilkSea]

Hello all,
Just got a freedom 307 and love it. Ive realized I need more rod holders. I saw a great post on tht where a custom one was made to fit on the hard top even with a sure shade. Will definitely get that... but looking for on gunnel, transom and bow?

Anyone ever do this? Looking at the boat after, it looks like I could add another gunnel holder between the two stock ones starboard, and potentially port side as well.

Im looking to troll using these, hence a transom one would be nice. Anyone know if you can troll from the rocket launchers attached to the framework of the hard top?

Bow holders would be to place when fishing.

Anyone have experience?

Yes u can troll from rocket launcher holders. Certainly the lower of the 2 when using spreader bars. I have a 2022 330 Express and there is a shortage of rod holders for sure . I had a welder make hardtop holders that work great but they are for carrying rods, not to fish from up on either side of the hardtop. I got GW factory match paint for them and they look like they came with boat. Only other option with Sureshade would be to see if u could install gunnel holders in between the 2 that are already there but would think if u have a tuna door on one side like the 330 there isn’t room on that side. Not an easy solution.

 

[Sardinia306Canyon]

Does this seem reasonable for tuna trolling with spreader bars and the tillers that help pull them out... add outriggers later if I choose?

Yes sure it will,
but i think you are overthinking that and should start to troll for tuna and learn the technique before you ruin a DC boat with tons of for other boaters worthless rod holders. Just my 2 cents as your boat had not really the best layout for fishing, particularly not for bigger tuna what are the most powerful fish to catch.

I would start with one tracker bar and one rod each side and a shotgun on the transom rod holder for a total of 5 rods.
Once you use the 5 rods and catch some good size tuna you will discover what exactly will be the perfect setup for your needs.

Won't the clamp ons mess with the finish on my guard rail on the bow??

Regarding rod holders on the bow area
As i wrote, you need rubber piece between clamp and rail to avoid that rod holder turns, and this protect also the finish of the rail.

You can drill another hole below the gunnel mounted rod holders and add a hose to drain water, same as the GW ones have.
Gunnel mounted Rod Holders usually have/come with vinyl caps to close them when not in use, GW's not as they have a drain tube, but you can buy the cap as replacement part. The purpose of this cap is to keep rainwater from ending in the bilge if no drain is installed and if cap is on they work very well.

Chris