Scotty Powerlock Rod Holder Review
Whether you are fishing from a small kayak or trolling from a large cruiser, keeping your fishing rods secure and in the optimal position will make for a more successful day on the water. The Scotty Powerlock Rod Holder is a low cost, durable way to accomplish this goal.
In my experience using these rod holders, I have utilized them for everything from trolling deep water walleye with Dipsy Divers and plugs, to holding large baitcasting rods for flathead catfish. No matter what I throw at these rod holders, they continue to exceed expectations. When I first encountered these rod holders, I felt that they were much more sturdy than other comparable holders, and I was correct. With 12 positions of horizontal adjustment, six positions of vertical adjustment, and a quick release base, these rod holders can be utilized in many situations and then removed for easy storage. The power lock ring feature on these rod holders allows the angler to have peace of mind when leaving their rod in the holder unattended.
The first time that I used these rod holders, it was on Lake Erie and we were trolling Dipsy Divers with larger spoons for walleye. The setups that we were using were 8-foot medium heavy Daiwa Wilderness Trolling Rods and Okuma Magda Pro DXT30 Line Counter Reels . Between the rod/reels, and the diver/spoon, there was a large amount of stress put on the rod holder. The rod holder barely moved, and held up through many hard walleye strikes, and even getting snagged on the bottom while trolling. If the rod needed to be at a different angle to run a different program, the holders move in a full range of motion by either pulling up on the base and spinning the holder, or using the adjustable thumbscrew on the side of the holder for up and down adjustment. When we finished up with fishing for the day, we simply put the rods in the power lock holders, locked the locking ring and headed back towards the ramp. Even with choppy lake conditions and moving in excess of 30mph, the rods were safe and secure. Though it is not recommended, we actually left the rods in the holders on the way home from the boat ramp. The rods stayed put at highway speeds, and showed no signs of fatigue. What made these rods holders exceptional in my mind was that when you need to remove the holders, you can just pick up on the holder and twist slightly to find the groove in the base, and then the holder will easily slide out for storage.
Scotty offers many accessories for this style of rod holder/base. Some of which include risers that mount directly into the bases. These risers are great for when anglers need to get the rods higher off the deck or the gunwale of the boat. Other accessories include track adapters to mount the holders to a track system, and even slip discs to add infinite adjustment to the rod holder. Overall, Scotty Powerlock Rod Holders are a great addition to any trolling boat or kayak. I feel that their quality construction will hold up for years to come, and provide me with many great days on the water. At their price, they are one of the most feature rich, durable rod holder on the market today.