z
LIVE-BAITING
30- and 15-degree
holders provide op-
tions for live-baiting
or drifting.z
TROLLING
Heavy-duty swivel
holders handle wire
line duty, trolling
and swordfi shing.z
OUTRIGGER RODS
15-degree holder
forward and 30-de-
gree aft for long and
short rigger lines.z
FLAT LINES
30-degree swivel
holders positioned
at transom corners
for fi shing fl at lines.z
UTILITY
Vertical holders
serve center-rigger
rods and store
others temporarily.Dragging Baits
The larger and more fi nely tuned a bait
spread, the more potent it will be at
raising fi sh. For example, my Mako 334
center-console can troll a maximum of
eight rods, not counting teasers. This
was accomplished by fi rst mounting
three rod holders per side, in the aft
covering boards.
Prior to their installation, and that
of the remaining holders, I outlined
exactly where they would go. A pair of
30-degree stainless-steel Lee swivel
rod holders (one per side) would be
positioned farthest aft, just to the out-
side of each transom livewell. These
would be for fl at-line deployments.
Roughly 3 feet forward from those
would be another pair of 30-degree Lee
swivel rod holders for the short out-
rigger baits and another 3 feet forward
from them, and off set outboard, would
be a pair of Lee 15-degree fl ush-mount
rod holders for the long outrigger baits.
The four heavy-duty swivel rod
holders (two per side), in addition to
general trolling chores, handle the
rigors of wire-line trolling for wahoo
and groupers, as well as swordfi shing.
What’s more, the ability to set them —
as well as the off set 15-degree fl ush-
mount holders—at angles would help
avoid line-to-rod contact upon strikes.
Distance between the rods, off set-
ting, and angle adjustments are a must
to keep a clean and hindrance-free
trolling setup.
Marc VI can troll eight lines. Three
aft rod holders per side account for
six outfi ts. The center rigger, accom-
modating the remaining two lines,
sets one bait way, way back and one up
close, which skips dead center behind
the prop wash. The center rigger out-
fi ts are positioned in two of the four
zero- degree center- transom holders.
The reason for zero- degree holders
here, where the rods ride straight up, is
for clearance when the outboards are
trimmed up.
The boat’s trolling versatility isn’t
just confi ned to off shore and outriggers.
A couple of seasons back, I had my boat
in Atlantic City, New Jersey, where Tom
Daffi n and I pursued a late Novemberpush of big striped bass. Pulling MoJos
and Rapala Mag 40 plugs from fi ve
gunwale- and center-transom-based
outfi ts, our highlight was hooking fi ve
big stripers simultaneously. One even-
tually shook free, but a double on one
of my rods still enabled us to score fi ve
releases on that pass through a bunker
school. The arrangement of the rod
holders kept all fi ve lines well apart and
their lures tracking within their own
zones without relying on the outriggers.Live-Baiting
The fl exibility of center-consoles
enables them to be dialed in for various
fi shing styles. When in a live- baiting/
drifting mode, our aft bait fi shes from a
15-degree holder positioned 90 degrees
outboard. Forward of the trolling rod
holders, beginning nearly even with
the front of the console, are eight hold-
ers per side. Aimed seaward, most are
15-degree fl ush-mount holders, with
the exception of two pairs of swivel
holders positioned far forward. The
reason for the latter is the fl exibility to
use heavy tackle when fi shing or fi ght-
ing a large fi sh from the bow.26 SALTWATERSPORTSMAN.COM SEPTEMBER 2019
T+T/ TACTICS + TACKLE
continued EILLUSTRATIONBYSTEVE^ SANFORDcontinued from page 24
Know When to Hold ’Em