Best Fishing Rod Holders: Top 8 For 2023

‍Not every fishing rod holder is good for everyone

Some fishing rod holders use clamps to attach to the boat. Others fit into holes on your boat that are designed for fishing rod holders. Use a fishing rod holder that is compatible with your boat - if there are no holes, get a fishing rod holder that has clamps and does not require them.

Some fishing rod holders are easy to remove. You might (or might not) want to take your holder off of the boat and move it into your garage at the end of the trip.

Some fishing rod holders can hold multiple rods. You might remove these from the boat and bring them inside to store fishing rods in your garage. Some fishing rod holders can also stick into the ground, so you can use them as somewhere to put your rod down when you are fishing from shore.

When you buy a fishing rod holder, the important thing to do is to make sure it will work for whatever you intend to use it for. Will your rod fit in the holder? Can the clamps open wide enough to attach it to your boat?

While most fishing rod holders attach to boats, either with holes or clamps, some of the simplest and cheapest are only for the shore. Some fishing rod holders are meant to stick in the ground on the shore and not attach to a boat. You also have to make sure you buy a fishing rod holder that is the right size for your fishing rod.

Fishing rod holders also vary in quality. The best holders are made out of strong materials and will neither break nor corrode. Some cheap fishing rod holders are not resistant to saltwater and will corrode easily.

You can reposition most fishing rod holders. You can tilt them and rotate most of them to some extent, and you can reposition some more than others. Another thing to take into account is how securely the fishing rod holder locks your rod in place.

The best fishing rod holders you can buy in 2021

1) Croch fishing rod holder

The Croch is made of stainless steel, so you will never have to worry about it rusting. The high-quality metal used in the construction is also corrosion-resistant, so saltwater will not damage it. The metal is even designed to be environmentally friendly.

The Croch Fishing Rod Holder uses clamps to attach to your boat, so you can attach it even if there are no holes for rod holders on your boat. There is only so wide you can open the clamps - 7 centimeters, which is usually enough, but make sure the clamp will fit first. Not every clamp will fit on every boat.

The Croch also makes the list because many different kinds of rods can fit in it. The handles of spinning, casting, and spincast rods all fit into this holder, and it holds rods of different sizes.

2) Sea-Dog Three Pole Side Mount

‍If you have a wider fishing rod, the Sea Dog holds rods that are up to 1.75 inches in diameter. There is room for three rods in the holder, which ships fully assembled, so you won't need to put it together.

The Sea Dog uses screws rather than clamps to attach to your boat, so make sure your boat has holes for the screws. The Sea Dog is made out of polypropylene - a very hard plastic - so there is no chance of rust.

Polypropylene is not as strong as metal, but it is strong enough to be durable. You can count on the Sea Dog to resist breaking and corrosion. The sea dog is also easy to install.

The Sea Dog also stands out by doubling as some other tools. Unlike most other fishing rod holders, the Sea Dog includes a built-in knife and built-in pliers. You can use the Sea Dog as a backup knife or backup pliers if your regular tools go missing.

As is the case with all other fishing rod holders, you should think about whether or not you can install it before you buy it. Based on the size of the holder, will there be room for it? You may want to briefly make some measurements before you buy a holder.

3) Scotty Powerlock Rod Holder

Although you have to buy the mount for the Scotty Powerlock Rod Holder separately, this is still one of my favorite products. The Scotty is durable and reliable and has no real disadvantages.

With the Scotty, you can position the rod holder at whatever angle you want. You can smoothly move it horizontally and vertically and rotate it 360 degrees.

With some rod holders, there is not enough range of movement or the movement is not smooth. The Scotty has some of the smoothest movement of any rod holder I have tried. The range of movement is also excellent; you can position your rod at whatever angle you want.

Another thing that makes the Scotty one of my favorites is how securely the cradle holds almost any rod. If you buy a bad fishing rod holder, there is the risk of the rod falling out while you are moving the boat.

The Scotty has a ring that locks the rod in at the front of the holder, which makes it more secure than most other choices. The only disadvantage is that you oddly have to buy the mount separately.

4) Brocraft Tackle Rack Fishing Rod Holder

‍Many people need a place to put several different rods when they are out on a boat. You do not have to buy five different holders. You can buy fishing rod holders that have room for more than one rod.

The Brocraft Tackle Rack Fishing Rod Holder has room for five fishing poles. You can easily mount the Brocraft Rack on a boat, although you will have to drill two holes. The Rod Holders are good for rods of different sizes as long as they are under 1.5 inches in diameter.

The Brocraft Rack is for storage; you are not supposed to fish while any of your rods are in the holder. If you want a holder to use while you fish, get one that you can move around and rotate. The holders on the Brocraft Rack are fixed in place.

Like many other fishing rod holders, the Brocraft Rack is made of hard plastic rather than metal. The polypropylene construction makes the Brocraft Rack very resistant to corrosion, but it is not quite as strong as steel.

You will have to drill holes in your boat to mount the Brocraft Rack, but you will only have to drill two holes. Another plus is that the Brocraft Rack has room for storing your pliers, lures, and knives and not only your fishing poles.

5) Brocraft Power Lock

The Brocraft Power Lock is similar to but cheaper than the Croch fishing rod holder. It has the same advantage as the Croch, which is a front ring that holds your fishing rod in place as securely as possible. It also has smooth, 360-degree rotation, up to or nearly up to the same standard as the Croch.

All of the materials are included - you won't have to buy anything else before you can attach the Croch to your boat. The Brocraft Power Lock does not take up a lot of room, so you can attach it to smaller boats such as kayaks.

While it works great with most rods, it has more trouble with others. It will hold a spinning rod in place, but less securely than with other rods. If you do not have a spinning rod, it is just as good as the Croch for a lower price.

6) Fish -N- Mate Sand Spike

Sometimes, a fishing rod holder that you can use on the beach rather than on the boat is all you need. It is used for fishing from shore because there is no easy way to attach it to a boat. On the bottom is a spike that anchors it to the ground, and on the top is a fishing rod holder.

What makes the Fish -N- Mate a great spike is that it can anchor firmly in the ground. The spike is long and is made of solid aluminum, so you can easily push it into the ground deeply. The deeper you plant it, the more secure it will be.

Aluminum is better than hard plastic for a sand spike because it makes it easier to stick it into the ground. Some people might disagree, but I prefer the look of metal fishing rod holders.

Aluminum is resistant to corrosion, and it is also lighter than steel, making this holder lighter than it looks. It depends on what you want - if you don't need a holder that you can attach to a boat, the Fish -N- Mate Sand Spike is a great choice.

7) PLUSINNO Fishing Boat Rod Holder

Fishing rod holders that you can attach with clamps are in many ways better than fishing rod holders that require screws. With clamps, you will not need to have any holes in your boat, nor will you need to drill any new ones.

Clamps also let you remove the holder easily. You can take the holder off of one boat and put it on to another, or you can move the holder indoors.

With the PLUSINNO Fishing Boat Rod Holder, you can attach the clamps either vertically or horizontally, making it easy to find a good spot to put the clamp on almost any fishing boat. You can also get the clamps in two different sizes, which is a great feature. If the normal 1.97 inch clamps are too small, you can order larger 4.75-inch clamps instead.

Just as it is easy to attach the PLUSINNO to many different boats, you can also fit different types of rods into it. It has no trouble with casting, spinning, or spincast rods. The holder is wide enough for at least most rods.

Since the PLUSINNO is small and lightweight, it is a good choice for smaller boats like Kayaks. Since the clamps are designed to work in tricky situations, you can usually find a way to attach the mount to a small boat where clamps are difficult to attach.

You can also attach the PLUSSINO to many things other than a boat. You might attach it to a railing if you are fishing off a pier, or you can attach it to a pickup truck.

8) STEALTH Quick Release Fishing Rod Holder

The STEALTH Quick Release is a unique product that can help you catch more fish than other fishing rod holders. The locking system that the STEALTH Quick Release uses is unique. With the patented locking system, you can instantly get your fishing rod out of the holder and into your hands as soon as a fish takes your bait.

Since a second can make the difference between catching a fish and letting it escape, you can catch more fish with the STEALTH Quick Release Rod Holder. The STEALTH weighs little for its size, as it is made of a mix of stainless steel and reinforced nylon.

Another plus is that the STEALTH is compatible with mounts from other companies. If you have a mount from Scotty or Cabela, the STEALTH will fit into it.