Okay, so, I’ve been messing around with these Roberts rod holders, and let me tell you, it’s been a bit of a journey. I got into this whole thing because I lost my favorite rod a while back. Man, that stung. I was so bummed out about it. So, I started looking for a better way to keep my rods secure, and that’s how I stumbled upon these Roberts holders.
First thing I did was try to figure out if they were even compatible with my existing setup. I had some old Scotty and Cabela’s bases, and I was really hoping I could just swap out the holders. So, I spent a good chunk of time trying to jam them together, but no dice. Turns out, Roberts uses their own specific base and bracket design. Lesson learned: always check for compatibility! You can imagine a situation where you buy a brand new device, only to discover that it won’t work with your old parts! That’s frustrating.
After figuring that out, I went ahead and got myself a proper Roberts base. Once I had that sorted, installation was a breeze. Seriously, it was super easy to mount. And let me tell you, these things are sturdy! I can easily stack four rod holders on an 18-inch T-Bar. That was pretty awesome, because I like to have a few rods rigged up and ready to go. And here is the best part: I can take them off and put them on whenever I want. When I have to stow my equipment, I can quickly take them off. When I want to use my equipment, I can quickly put them on. This is so convenient!
I also experimented a bit with the spiral wrap setup, also known as the Roberts wrap. At first, I tried a normal static deflection to place the guides like you do with a regular rod. It worked, I guess. Then, I rotated all the guides except the first two. I had to make sure the line wouldn’t bunch up on one side when I was reeling in. It was a bit of trial and error, but I finally got it to a point where I was happy with it. This is really a simple way to do it, and it looks like it’s gonna work pretty well. It is a very simple way to design a roberts/spiral wrapped rod. I know the spiral layout can be a bit tricky sometimes, especially with the line retrieval.
- Tried to fit Scotty/Cabela’s holders on Roberts base – didn’t work.
- Got a Roberts base – installation was easy.
- Stacked 4 holders on an 18″ T-Bar – sturdy and convenient.
- Experimented with spiral wrap – took some adjusting, but successful.
So, that’s my little adventure with Roberts rod holders. It wasn’t always smooth sailing, but I learned a lot, and now I’ve got a setup I’m really happy with. I think I need more time to get used to it. Hope this helps someone out there who’s thinking about giving them a try!
