Prowler rod rack-coventional or fly

Here is a rack I made for my Prowler last year.

I fish Bass with conventional and fly fish Trout.

The cool thing about the Prowler is that the tackle bags on each side can be removed via snaps.

When I Bass fish I want my rods on left side and when I fly fish I need my two rods on right laying down pointed toward the bow.
The platform I made has two permanent straps to hold it to tube.
I just remove either left or right tackle bag and snap in my platform (rotating it 180 degrees) to existing snaps.

Has Go Pro mount fore and aft so I always have camera pointed toward the action.

Was made with 1/4 inch plywood, soft pine strips and 7 coats of varnish.

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That's a good lookin' mod. Well thought out.

Very nice.
Engineered to fit you needs and wood looks good!

That looks really nice.

If I may ask, which hand do you cast with when fly fishing?  Why the rod storage switch to the right for the fly rods?

Can you stand up on the prowler..?
Nice work by the way.
Cheers KIM

Nice job and excellent craftsmanship.

Nice!!!! Very clean look!!!...good job!..

Tony g

CHIPMCD

Good question!  (Why do I switch rack to right side when fly fishing?)

I cast both bass and fly rods with right hand.

I do a lot of midge fishing with an indicator. I also carry a streamer rod when fly fishing.

I use leaders up to 14 ft when midge fishing.

The indicator will not go through tip guide.

When landing larger fish with such long leaders. I have to have right arm fully extended up to bring fish close and under control.

I then net fish with left hand on left side of tube.

Having rack on right gives me the room on left to net and release fish.

When midging I am using two flies and netting on left keeps fish and second fly away from fins, legs. etc

I keep fish in water in net to remove fly. Do a quick measure. I use a measure net.

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Cool net. Not affiliated. I use for all fish.  Mods remove link if I over stepped.

Carrying the rod or rods I am not using pointed low and over bow of tube on right hand side does not get in the way of my casting.

Fished Crowley Lake 4 days last week.

Streamer fishing slow, midge fishing hot!
Caught fish to 21 inches.
Fished in North arm and Mcgee bay in 14 ft of water.
So I had a 13 1/2 ft leader.
That's about max leader i can fish from tube.

Funny, Caught more browns and Cutthroats than Rainbows.

Kimall

Prowler is a sit in tube.

Depending on your balance and how calm the water is, it is possible to stand on a tube and fish. I have seen it done on different tubes but I will personally never be able to do it. I have a hard enough time trying to stand on flat land LOL

I hear you. I can just picture me spending a 1/2 hour getting balanced. I then hook a fish and bring it to tube. I then look down and see fish sitting in my seat and then start thinking OK now what... LOL

LOL

awesome wtg

tuna4me - I figured it was for a netting issue but was waiting to hear if it was something else.  

I'm working out rod storage for my pontoon (my first pontoon.)  I've just started fishing the harbors with both bass (conventional/spinning) and fly rods. My buddy opted to build something similar to an Outcast rod rack for his Fish Cat 4. I'm using rocket launchers for the conv/spin gear located aft port as I'm a right hander as well and need to keep them away from the casting line. I'm looking into building something for the flyrods that would lay them back, at a slight upward angle, on the port side. My only concern is running into something. One time out in the harbor, while fighting a fish and not paying attention to my surroundings and the tide, I did come close to backing into a moored boat. Just don't want to hear the snap of a fly rod for a spottie.  

My current project has a rack where my little used port storage pouch is located. I have to keep it low and start it at or in the middle of the pouch to avoid the oar stroke. I played around with the idea of having rack like the FBI guys but, my stripping basket straps would be in the way. The rack won't be much, maybe a one or two rod holder. I will probably only be needing one rod to midge, one to fish streamers and maybe a backup. I already made holder for trolling while rowing on the way out and in; could use that to hold a rod in a pinch.

I know what you mean about the problem of netting with long leaders.  I had to do that in a u-boat and when you're halfway down in the water, with a short wooden Orvis net, it's a dicey situation. I now use a Measure Net as well (large, rubber bag.) Wish I had one long ago. Hey, just be glad you're not in the UK fishing an 8+ midge setup, that would be trouble. I have been thinking about using a 5wt Euro nymphing rod in 10" or 11' for midging to see if it could make life easier.


Checked the Crowley cam - it's down. Is there any water in there?  Went early in the year for the Conway Closer, and on the way up, Crowley looked bad. The floating head in McGee looked awfully close to shore (or the shore was creeping up to it) and there was no Little Hilton - it looked worst than 5 months previous when we were there.  My buddy went up a couple of times this summer, once before his kid's boy scout camping trip, and said it was way low (we thought last year was low.) My buddies and I usually make it up a couple times near the end of the season.  Hoping for a good window of fishing and a really good winter this year.

In my post at the end (I know long post LOL) I did describe my 4 days on Crowley I did last week.
I will be back at Crowley Sep 1st through the 5th and back up for a week the 1st week of Oct.
In regards to lake level it will be dropping the rest of year. Last two years incredibly low in fall.

I like the low levels, it does make some areas too low to fish but at same time it opens up a lot of water to midge fish. Low levels means a lot off drop offs and old creek channels are now reachable depth wise. Last 2 years in Oct best big fish trips I have had with fish 20 ft off the bank in 8ft of water at North landing and Six bays. Normal year with high water fish would not be there.

Back to post! Yes you do have to watch out for backing into stuff with the rods extending out. On a lake not so much but around docks and boats different story.

If I follow what you mean.
I would look at raising the rod tips up but at same time putting more side angle so tips are pointing more away from your back cast side.

That is for sure a nice clean set up buddy, I am sure that bad boy works great for you. Everything all in the same place rods or fly rods and I like that the GoPro mounts so easy, thanks for sharing nice work.

wow those are incredible man

That is a very clean setup. I gotta give it to you, I only fly fish so I always have spare rods on my left as I cast right. I carry and sell slip indicators for deep nymphing. I will deep nymph up to 30' using 30' of fluoro off my floating line.
Nice job! You ever though of mounting your GoPro on a long pole behind you? Assuming you have wireless. Behind you gets you and the fight plus everything in front.

Kimall wrote:Can you stand up on the prowler..?
Nice work by the way.
Cheers KIM

I can! I have the same tube. but I`m small dude so idk a bigger dude could lol

Tuna4me. that`s an awesome job dude!!!! wow!   

This is still one of my favorite rod holders ever.

Great looking rig. That rack looks amazing. I loke the woodwork and it's finish.

I was thinking of doing something like this on my Maxxon XPW 240

Those racks are sweeeeet

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