XB21 2+2 Center Rod Storage

[AllyFishing]

Since Perry put up a pic of his rod rack in his boat it prompted me to rethink my storage system I built. You know, building a better mouse trap kinda thing?? I like what I built and it is functional but am not completely satisfied. I made it to hold 16 rods but should have gone with 12 and then it would not have been so crowded.

Anyway, please give me your most critical comments and observations.

These are the two pieces that will go inside. I carpeted the tip holder to cushion the tips while trying to insert into the tubes.


A pic showing the 4 holes drilled thru the bulkhead to accept the bottom 4 rod tubes. I called Allison to get the go ahead on drilling thru there and not weaken the floor there.


here is the tube section installed up against the pole for the butt seat. Yes mine is a 2008 and it was there then.


And the final install of both pieces.




Anyone familiar with the 2+2 well tell ya that the center locker is huge. BUT the rod tips have to be inserted up thru that narow area of the bulhead to store your rods. I had a problem with catching my tips on the boulkhead while inserting and removing them. Plus it made it difficult if there were too many rods in there sorting thru them. I showed this to Mr. Allison and Todd at the Rally and hoped they would consider building them for their new boats and offering as an option to buy for us but I have not heard anything.
Thanks
Craig

[xb03fs]

you have TOO many fishing poles

[Meyers]

Craig...I like the idea, in fact, I almost had DaddyChatham make me one like that...he makes the ones for Bullets center rod storage.

I do not have the center support pole in mine, but I was going to put about a 4-6 inch high side board on both sides so that I could still use the storage area in front of both side compartments.

Currently, I store my lifejackets, throwable cushion, net, tomato stakes and my Wang Anchor and a couple of fishing poles in my center compartment. My thought is that I if I used the "side board, I could keep my other items in it but they would stay on the side and they would not get tangled with the rods.

However, I was concerned with the weight and just did not want to drill any holes in my boat. I would still like to look into doing something like this...because when I have a tournment partner, I would like to give me a little more room for some extra rods.

I do use the side storage that are in the boat but the upper storage mounts are a little difficult to access when I need something quick and take patience to get them back into them.

What type of material did you use to make the two parts? I also considered having it made out of aluminum.

[RoadrashPaul]

<table width="90%" cellspacing=0 cellpadding=0 align=center><tr><td>Quote, originally posted by xb03fs &raquo;</td></tr><tr><td class="quote">you have TOO many fishing poles </td></tr></table>

You can never have too many fishing poles

Looks great Craig. That is the ONLY complaint we have about our 2003. The rod locker is not great but we don't have an option like this. Maybe in a few years an upgrade to a 2+2

[Gunny146]

+1 no way you can have too many rods. Nice job on the rod locker.

When you get ready to upgrade, I may be ready to buy so maybe we can help each other out.

[AllyFishing]

<table width="90%" cellspacing=0 cellpadding=0 align=center><tr><td>Quote, originally posted by xb03fs &raquo;</td></tr><tr><td class="quote">you have TOO many fishing poles </td></tr></table>

Uh, Nathan....one can never have too many poles!! That's why I made it for 16 instead of 12 but now I wish I had done it for 12. I probably have that many more in the house as backups. I know, I know I've got a problem!! I'm seeking counseling after the holidays!! LOL

[AllyFishing]

Brian, you have the 2+2 right? At first I was not happy about that center pole but it worked out good having it as a back support to hold that tip section.

I have it secured to the floor with a small bracket and up top on the support rib under deck with a small "L" bracket to the tip board. I used Starboard, the same material used in boat building. It is very dense, easy to cut and not too heavy. It cuts easy but let me tell ya it wasn't easy making precise cuts. I have pieces lying around that didn't make the final grade, if ya know what I mean. I even bought a zip tool hoping I would be able to cut the pattern more precisely but even that presented a challenge.

I do realize that every little thing added to a boat will increase overall weight and thus affecting top speed etc. but I wanted this to bettter take care of my rods.

[xb03fs]

<table width="90%" cellspacing=0 cellpadding=0 align=center><tr><td>Quote, originally posted by AllyFishing &raquo;</td></tr><tr><td class="quote">

Uh, Nathan....one can never have too many poles!! That's why I made it for 16 instead of 12 but now I wish I had done it for 12. I probably have that many more in the house as backups. I know, I know I've got a problem!! I'm seeking counseling after the holidays!! LOL</td></tr></table>

As a crappie fisherman the 3 I carry are more than enough, one with a jig, one with a tube and one for live minnows

[RoadrashPaul]

This is the only pic I have of our rod storage. Look on the wall behind the boat. There is probably 30-40 there. That doesn't include the 10-15 at any given time in the boat and the 5-10 in our room getting repairs,line or whatever. I need counseling.

[F150owner]

I have a rod organizer from a Legend 191. It has the moosehead style butt holder (as seen in the photo) and rod tubes mounted to a board (same material as the moosehead). My challenge has been to find a premade moosehead that fits in the 19" opening to the center deck storage and to get the rod tubes into the bulkhead opening. The Legend organizer works but not the rod tubes. The recessed trolling motor pedal basically blocks the entrance of the rod tubes into the bulk head opening. There are two rows of tubes. There are large tubes for spinning rods and round tubes for baitcast rods. I haven't installed it yet.

I'd love to get something simple and fits without any type of modification. If my boat had the center deck support and no trolling pedal recess, that would make mounting a custom rod organizer a little easier.

I would like to see Allison offer a custom solution for the 2+2 and offer factory modifications if you can get your boat to them. I'd take my boat up there to the factory to have it done. I do not like or use the cockpit side rod storage. It is not practical to use during a tournament.

I got my organizer from legend:

[AllyFishing]

<table width="90%" cellspacing=0 cellpadding=0 align=center><tr><td>Quote, originally posted by RoadrashPaul &raquo;</td></tr><tr><td class="quote">

This is the only pic I have of our rod storage. Look on the wall behind the boat. There is probably 30-40 there. That doesn't include the 10-15 at any given time in the boat and the 5-10 in our room getting repairs,line or whatever. I need counseling. </td></tr></table>

It's infectious isn't it?? I thought i had a bunch of rods. You could open up a tackle shop or at least outfit the local high school. I wish tournament bass fishing in college was around when I went to school, lucky turds.

BTW, by the looks of that pic of your boat if i didn't know you were restoring the one you had I'd swear it was brand new. Nice job!!

[AllyFishing]

Duane, does your bulkhead look like my picture or is it different? There is room for the rod tubes to fit into that area on mine. the bottom four holes drilled out are for the bottom four. the next four rods up will neatly lay in the bulkhead opening horizontally. Then the next group of 4 left side and right side make a perfect square nestled into the left and right of the trolling tray.

If Don sees this maybe he will get what I'm saying and photoshop little circles where I am referring to. I wondered whether or not you did anything with your yet?

I too hoped Allison would build something for us. I keep a few spares in the side gunnel locker and my fishing partner actually likes keeping his in the port and starboard tray up top fishing for the day. I don't tourny fish anymore but I see where that could be a problem.

[F150owner]

Craig, that is exactly what my bulk head looks like. If I cut my bulk head, that would provide the room for the tubes; however, the rod tips would be pointed at a down angle to the hull. The spinning tubes are oblong shaped and taller than the round tubes. The tubes are a hard plastic and not flexbile as a golf rod tube. I've basically gone back to just laying the rods in the center deck storage with rod socks.

[F2008]

<table width="90%" cellspacing=0 cellpadding=0 align=center><tr><td>Quote, originally posted by xb03fs &raquo;</td></tr><tr><td class="quote">you have TOO many fishing poles </td></tr></table>

.....yeah okay, this coming from, "Mr. you can't have too many propellers".

<table width="90%" cellspacing=0 cellpadding=0 align=center><tr><td>Quote, originally posted by AllyFishing &raquo;</td></tr><tr><td class="quote">.......If Don sees this maybe he will get what I'm saying and photoshop little circles where I am referring to.........</td></tr></table>

.....oh man, pressure's on. Hope I got this right.

[xb03fs]

<table width="90%" cellspacing=0 cellpadding=0 align=center><tr><td>Quote, originally posted by F2008 &raquo;</td></tr><tr><td class="quote">

.....yeah okay, this coming from, "Mr. you can't have too many propellers".

</td></tr></table>

I carry a spare or two just like fishing poles, one being used and one or two spares in the boat

[AllyFishing]

YOu got it Don, that's exactly how they lie in that cavity.

I think I understand now what you were saying about why the tubes would not fit right. the tubes I have are the exact same ones in our rod trays on top of the gunnels. I ordered them from Bill. They were the most expensive items of the whole project!!

[bASS_BLASTER]

Craig, looks great and you did a fab job!! Before I built my storage rack, I thought about building one just like yours but lots of questions came to mind, "What if the rod I need is on the bottom? That means I have to remove the top rods just to get to the bottom." Maybe its just me, I'm lazy w/no patience so I need easy access to a specific rod quick.

Sorry, I talk a lot and I have no real pictures. In Minnesota, we're buried in snow so our summer toys are properly put away. I will try to get pictures up asap.

[AllyFishing]

Perry, If I only keep 12 rods in instead of the 16 then a rod on the lower level can be retrieved from the bottom without removing the ones on top. There's a bit organizing to be done due to spinning rods but ya figure that out it goes pretty quick. And I leave the rod socks in the tubes so that when I put the rods away the larger rod socks are for the spinning rods so I automatically know where they go.

[bASS_BLASTER]

I really like the idea of the individual tubes, but the thought of cutting any part of the boat just scares me. I'm curious how easy/hard is it to guide the tip of the rod into the tube under low light?

[bASS_BLASTER]

btw, where did you get the tubes? Who sells them?