When drifting, this rod-holder
arrangement allows maximum water
coverage. For example, on the down-
wind side of the boat, we’ll fl y a kite with
three baits, and sometimes two kites,
putting three to six live baits splashing
enticingly off the bow and stern. A kite
station is based in the bow as well as
within the cockpit. Sometimes we’ll add
a trident holder to the mix, though it’s
not always necessary.
On the upwind side, we often deploy
a pair live baits on the surface, one from
the aft holder positioned at 90 degrees
(directly seaward), and one from the
farthest-forward swivel rod holder.
With outfi ts at opposite ends of the
boat, their respective live baits spread
out better (read: reduced tangles). A
pair of deep baits is also part of the mix:
one positioned close to the bow, the
other closer to the cockpit. In between
this spread, we occasionally free-line
a live bait, slowly retrieved and free-
lined again.Bottom-Bumping
These same rod-holder placements are
ideal for bottomfi shing: Several rods
can be fi shed simultaneously, even with
two anglers. A perfect example of this
occurred in May, when Carl Grassi and
I took Marc VI to the Green Turtle Club
in Abaco, Bahamas.
We set up drifts between 60 and
200 feet of water. From the cockpit, I
dropped a 10-ounce jig tipped with a
ballyhoo, while Grassi pitched a lighter
jig-and-ballyhoo combo up-current, let
it sink to bottom, then worked it as the
boat drifted toward it.
Two additional rods joined the mix:
two gunwale-based outfi ts with live
baits, one midcolumn for pelagics, the
other closer to bottom for groupers and
snappers. I then added a third outfi t,
one with a 40-foot leader and fresh
ballyhoo, for mutton snapper.
Basically, the well-positionedrod holders enabled us to fi sh up
to fi ve outfi ts at once. After three
action-packed hours, we ended up with
a big black grouper, a large yellowfi n
grouper, scamp, red and strawberry
groupers, and three hefty muttons.Get on Your Game
These examples showcase some of the
ways I fi sh and how a well-thought-out
rod-holder arrangement complements
these eff orts. However, there are nu-
merous ways to incorporate extra rod
holders on a boat, such as off set mounts
on a T-top, which, similar to outriggers,
help spread baits, or holders that fasten
onto bow rails for drifting.
Remember: A well-fi tted boat can
never have too many rod holders. The
trick is understanding how additional
holders benefi t your style of fi shing,
then placing them wisely. This includes
their angle (often necessary for clear-
ance) and positioning so they don’t in-
terfere with each other. Done properly,
it’s like having a full crew aboard.28 SALTWATERSPORTSMAN.COM SEPTEMBER 2019
T+T/ TACTICS + TACKLE
continued from page 26
Know When to Hold ’Em
30 ° 15 ° 0 °ILLUSTRATIONBYSTEVE^ SANFORD