Question on rigging a trolling board???

[punch1]

I've recently picked up my new (used) 2000 Crestliner SportFish 1750 and before drilling any holes in it, I wanted to seek your opinions on how to rig a trolling board. I use four Penn 625 downriggers and would like to mount these to the board itself and be able to run four other rods off the sides (planers/dipseys). ANY help from your own experience or a diiferent boat is much appreciated. Thanks! PAtrick Wunsch - punch1@g2a.net

[ETT]

You may want to consider installing gimbral rod holders, and mount your board to those (easy removal but rock solid). In any event, make sure you get the board for enough forward to be able to tilt your motor up. This may cause you to have to use a longer handled net, but it's better than not being able to tilt your motor.

Think about all conditions before you drill. And check for wires under the gunnel. Good luck.

[punch1]

What exactly are gimball rod holders and how would they fasten to the board? Thanks

[FreeByrd]

Punch,
Gimbal rod holders are designed to slide into built in rod holders on the boat. Your boat may or not have them from the factory. Most larger (20 foot +) glass boats have them standard. If you need to add them, Lee's are the best, but Perko's will work fine too. The gimball holders are usually sold as a way to mount downriggers. I've got 4 Penn manual riggers with the gimball holders on my boat - no board - just the gimball holders used with built in holders. I also use the gimball style holders on the sides for the holders for my 4 planar board rods and 4 dipsey rods on each side. This is a nice setup because you can take everything off easy and when you are done, the only holes drilled in your boat are for functional rodholders which can be used for other applications when not using the riggers. You can easily keep your stuff when changing boats, or take your stuff to fish in a friends boat. If you go with the gimball holders, I'd suggest getting the "universal" gimball holder from Cabellas which is predrilled for most of the popular riggers and rod holders. Not a big deal initially since you will just drill holes in the board to fit, but if you decide to just use the gimball holders for another application later on it will work. Most of the downrigger companies sell a gimball mount but predrilled for their mounting pattern only.
Good Luck,
Steve Carlson
steve199132@yahoo.com

[KevinA]

This is built off a SS gimbal rod holder(Perko) & Cabela's universal mount. The base plate is 1/4 inch aluminum stock & was dug out of a scrap metal bin. Shaping & finishing the plate itself was government work, powder coating on the plates was also government work. Silver rod holders are Du-Bro (~$43/ea). Ball-baby ball holders around $8/ea. Riggers are Digitrolls ($don't ask :-). Lift the whole unit out in about 5 seconds & you're back to a stock boat.

If you go this route be sure to get good quality gimbal rod holders...you'll want the gimbal mount plate to lock into the rod holder (the rod holder will have a bar in the base that the universal mount locks onto).

http://users.wi.net/~datuboat/images/rigging0006.jpg
http://users.wi.net/~datuboat/images/rigging007a.JPG