Our Polaris 900 has holes in the side of the bed that most fishing rods will drop down into. Problem is, our shed is too low for the rod tips to sit up that high. The rods never fit in the bed right laying down. This 4 wheeler is our main pond fishing vehicle. Use it daily around the pond.
So I made up the following rod holders and thought they turned out good enough to share the pictures. The plastic rod holders are Cabellas branded. The board is a 2x3 cut on appropriate angle. The screws are deck screws and the PVC pipe is 3/4".
They work better than I imagined. Went together easy on first try. Pre drilled holes in the PVC pipe before installing screws in wood. A piece of square plastic would have been slicker than the wood but I had the wood laying around and got tired of not having rod holders so threw these together in a half hour or so.
The angle allows us to walk around behind the vehicle without hitting out heads on the rods, yet when I want to change lures or have a small fish on I can put the rod in the holder and let the line hang down instead of laying the rod down in random places like we used to. Works slick.
Pictures are pretty self explanatory, but if you have questions, just ask.
That UTV is nice. I have a couple of ATV's but now you are almost going to cost me some $. NO SIR, I refuse to spend another $10-15K on a new tool/toy.
It's not about the fish. It's about the pond. Take care of the pond and the fish will be fine. PB subscriber since before it was in color.
Without a sense of urgency, Nothing ever gets done.
Boy, if I say "sic em", you'd better look for something to bite. Sam Shelley Rancher and Farmer Muleshoe Texas 1892-1985 RIP
The Kawasaki Mules are great machines. We have one that is about 20 years old that the guys on the farm use nearly daily running back and forth around the farmstead to the different sheds. We had to rebuild the carbs ($$$$) recently and put a water pump on it once, but otherwise is is like the Energiser Bunny, it just keeps going.
That UTV is nice. I have a couple of ATV's but now you are almost going to cost me some $. NO SIR, I refuse to spend another $10-15K on a new tool/toy.
It's terrible. Like the price of a new small car.
I set out to buy the smallest model. Made the mistake (actually in retrospect it was not a mistake) of taking the wife along. Did a test ride on every size in several different brands. Polaris dealer had this brand new model (at the time) with electric power steering. "This is the one we want" said wife after driving it.
I'll have to admit, it is the nicest UTV we have owned. Engine sets further rear than most other models so less vibration (we also own a Yamaha Rhino that went to farm duty service), less noise, rides like a dream, EFI so no choke and the power steering.......... I'm a manly type man, but got to admit, the power steering is the cat's meow. If it remains dependable, it's the best utility vehicle I've ever owned to this point. Rarely a day goes by when we are home that we don't use it.
You might want to reconsider Dave. It's only money and your kids inheritance. Either you can piss it away or they can.
I have a good friend that is currently shopping for a utv. Lots of models these days, but the market has shifted somewhat from what it used to be. In the beginning, a utv was meant for work, not so much for play. Now they have 5 point harnesses, run 40-50 mph, and feature a bed the size of an end table....if they have a bed at all.
I love the larger bed and payload capacity of the Kaw mule. It won't run 40 mph, but it's as handy as a pocket on a shirt for getting work done.
"Forget pounds and ounces, I'm figuring displacement!"
If we accept that: MBG(+)FGSF(=)HBG(F1) And we surmise that: BG(>)HBG(F1) while GSF(<)HBG(F1) Would it hold true that: HBG(F1)(+)AM500(x)q.d.(=)1.5lbGRWT? PB answer: It depends.
Mules are wonderful machines. Steel beds, stiff tires and springs, all work. Nothing beats them for hauling.
When I used to do a lot of field soil sampling with it the one thing I did not like was it beat me to death when riding across rough fields. The stiff tires and springs that make them so good for hauling heavy loads (ours has hauled boo-koo loads of rocks picked up out of fields) makes them rough riding. That is where some of the later model ones with better suspension shine. But the Mules are one tough, no nonsense, all work buggers. I like them a lot. Kawasaki makes good stuff.
I tried the vertical approach, but I'm afraid of low limbs. Nowadays, I just slip a length of pvc over the rod, and lay it diagonal in the bed.
"Forget pounds and ounces, I'm figuring displacement!"
If we accept that: MBG(+)FGSF(=)HBG(F1) And we surmise that: BG(>)HBG(F1) while GSF(<)HBG(F1) Would it hold true that: HBG(F1)(+)AM500(x)q.d.(=)1.5lbGRWT? PB answer: It depends.
I'm with sprkplug on the vertical approach. It worked fine for us doing that just dropping the rods in the holes already in the side boards of the bed of the Polaris 900. But all we had for fishing gear were Zebco 202 combos and one old $20 spin casting rod/reel with 0 bearings that all had short rods (from 25 years ago when our kids were small).
I finally broke down and bought a decent spincasting outfit and dropped it in the same way. Forgot and drove under our shed where we park the UTV and busted the glass out of the top eye in the rod because the rod was longer than the old ones. Then is when it was decided something better was a good idea.
We laid them diagonally in the bed for a while (wife got a better outfit too after seeing how nice mine worked) but it seems every time I went to unhook a fish I laid it down in a different way. Nothing ever seemed organized. Now when around the UTV I just drop the rod in the holder and the rod stays out of the way while unhooking the fish. If I want to change lures just leave a few feet line out while the rod is in the holder and the line is out of the way and easy to work with.
It worked so well, I thought I would share the idea!
One reason this works so well for us is we can drive around all of our ponds and be right at the waters edge anywhere. So with the exception of fishing off our dock, we are never more than a few feet away from this UTV when fishing. That is why it is so handy to let the holders hold the rod when changing lures or taking a fish off.
For people not fishing right near the UTV all of the time, the holders would not seem so useful.
We keep the flyrods assembled, and they ride on the top. We use one of those magnetic car carriers, and it works great if you've got a metal roof. A noodle with small slits keeps our big boy rods in place.
Snrub, I'm right on board with you about Kawasaki Mules. We've got a 6 yo 610 that has been absolutely abused, and it will not quit. At some point I guess I should check the oil in it.
Our 4010 gets the majority of the work now, and we love it. Mules are slow, ride rough, and guzzle gas like it's free, but they just keep running. There's something to be said for that.
Last edited by FireIsHot; 11/06/1402:04 PM. Reason: 4010 not 5010
I did not think about roof mounting or using noodles either one. Good ideas.
Glad I posted this after all. Took the photos a couple weeks ago and thought, "ah, nobody would be interested it this". Then while catching up on some of posting about my other projects ran across the photos and said what the heck, might help someone think of something better.
That is where all these ideas are so good. Not that any one of us has a corner on ingenuity or our individual projects are perfect, but that one persons ideas sparks a different idea in someone else that they had not previously thought of.
"are slow, ride rough, and guzzle gasfood like it's free, but they just keep runningmoving.
That statement with slight modification applies to me!
Pulled the paddle boat out of the pond for the season and decided to make it a little better for fishing so added some of the same rod holders as used on the 4-wheeler. Put one on each side of the front seat.
Also not pictured but drilled holes in the front table (an option for the boat) so the same holders will mount there when I get a couple more bought. That way I will have 4 rod holders total so have an option where to place it or when fishing with multiple rods.
Cut the 2x3 wood on an angle to get the reel handle out for clearance. Nothing fancy, but it should work.
The paddle boat works pretty good for fishing, but since not specifically designed for it, did not come with rod holders.