Homemade PVC fishing rod holders for boats | 2 Simple Methods

Are you looking for some Homemade PVC fishing rod holders for boats? There are plenty of them readymade in the market. However, I prefer the handmade ones to them. They are easy to make, plus you have the freedom to choose the measurements and designs.

I have made many DIY fishing rod holders for my fishing gears. It is fun to build something out of mere boards. It might be a bit time consuming, but the result is always worth it.

The first PVC fishing rod holder I made for my boat was of one pipe only. It was simple but super handy. From the one standpipe, I have upgraded to multiple of them.

Here, I will share the step-by-step guidelines on my homemade PVC fishing rod holders for boats. They are easy to make if you follow the steps carefully and invest some time in them.

Starting with the simplest ones, I will show three easy DIY fishing rod holders of different methods for your garage/home and boat. 

DIY fishing rod holder 1:

It is the easiest one on the list. You can make it anywhere in your home or the garage. You can also make it on your boat. However, it is best for your garage.

Required materials:

• 2 inches PVC pipe
• 2 inches PVC end caps
• 1-inch brass cup hooks
• Screws with wall anchors
• Cut off saw, or hack saw
• Power drill
• Drill bits, sizes ¼”, 5/32″, AND 5/64″
• Nose pliers

Step 1: Mark the pipes

Start with marking the PVC pipes every 8 inches. Make sure the marks are big enough.

Step 2: Cut through the pipe.

Use the cut off saw to cut through the pipe. Clamp the PVC pipe with the saw clamp of the saw to hold the PVC. Make sure the blade is right above the marked line of the PVC pipe.

Be sure to wear protective gear and to read all of the operating instructions before using the power tools. Turn the saw on when ready and cut the pipe.

Repeat the process for each section of the pipe.

If you do not have a cut-off saw, you can use a hack saw or a pipe cutter. The cut-off saw will leave the cleanest cut edge, but a little sandpaper will remove any plastic burrs formed from hand tools.

Step 3: Join the end caps

Once the pipes are slit, add the end caps. If you have uneven cuts on the PVC pipes, do not worry. You can join the end caps on the rough side.

Also, if you have barcode marks on your pipe or pipe cap, you can cover them too. Line up the barcode marks on the pipes and cap end while joining. The mark parts can face towards the wall later.

Step 4: Mark and drill hole

Mark three inches from the top edge of the 8 inches pipes. The top edge is the side of the PVC pipe without the cap end.

Drill a hole using a 1/4-inch drill bit through the marked point. Make sure that the hole is at the opposite side of the barcode prints of the pipe.

This hole is essential as it is the point from where the screwdriver will go, which will tighten the screws with the wall.

Step 5: Drill the other holes.

Now you have to drill another hole on the opposite side of the hole you did on step 4.

Put the bit through the hole drilled on step 4 until it touches the opposite side of the PVC pipe. Mark the point on the outer side of the PVC pipe using a pencil.

You can check if you have marked the right point from the open end of the PVC pipe. When they line up, make the mark and remove the bit. The mark should be a vertical line.

Step 6: Intersect and drill.

Using a measuring tape, draw a horizontal line three inches down from the top edge. The horizontal line should intersect with the vertical line from step 5. Now drill with the 5/32-inch drill bit on the intersected point.

This hole depends on the width of the screw that you are using. Your screw and anchor size may vary so, adjust your drill bit size accordingly.

Step 7: Adjust the screw.

Using the needle-nose pliers, grasp the screw near its head and hold it tightly.

Put the pointy end of the screw into the smaller drilled hole from the inside of the pipe. Hold in place with the needle-nosed pliers and use the screwdriver to screw into the pipe wall. Till the screw, tip pokes through slightly on the outside of the PVC pipe.

This step prepares the screw and pipe for attaching it to the wall and makes things a little easier at step 8.

Step 8: Mark on the wall

Find a suitable wall at your garage or home to mount the rod holders. I chose roughly eight inches from the floor. Draw a straight line on the wall using a ruler. As I made the holders for my garage, I was not concerned with the line. You can use chalk if you make it in your home.

Then draw three vertical lines on the horizontal line, each six inches apart. Using the small 5/64-inch drill bit, make a pilot hole at each mark.

Step 9: Finish it off.

Line the tip of the screw that is poking out of the pipe up with the wall anchor. Going through the large hole, use the screwdriver to screw the PVC pipe firmly in place. Now, you know what the big hole was to.

Repeat until all of the pipes are mounted. These PVC pipes will hold the handles of the fishing rods. You can color them using spray paint if you do not like the bland white color.

I made three PVC boat rod holders using this method. These are super easy to make and use. The only drawback is that they are not versatile.

Unlike the second rod holder, this rod holder is not suitable for trolling or bank fishing. But it is the perfect one to store your fishing poles after a long fishing day. It helps to keep the poles and lines organized in a small space.

DIY fishing rod holder 2:

This rod holder works as trolling rod holders as well. This holder can hold six fishing rods.

Here all PVC fittings are slip connected, not threaded.

Required materials:

• Six T pieces of PVC
• Four corner pieces of PVC
• Ten-foot long PVC pipe (I used 1.25 inch PVC pipe)
• PVC pipe glue, a saw
• Drill and drill bits
• Socket or Wrench (1/2 inch)

1. Start by cutting ten, four inches, pieces out of the PVC pipes. These small 4 inches pipes will act as the joining pipes.

2. Now cut six, eight inches pieces out of the PVC pipe. That means the length of the rod holders will be 8 inches. You can adjust it as per your need. However, for this setup, I prefer 8 inches. 

3. Organize all of the pipes that you have cut so far (including the connector pieces).

4. Now you have to make the rectangular base using the small pieces and six connectors. Four connectors will be at the four corners of the rectangle and two T pieces at each of the larger sides of the rectangle, and one T piece at each shorter side.

Join all of them together with ten small 4 inches PVC pipes. 

5. Make sure the empty T pieces are facing upwards. These pieces will hold the 8-inch pieces of PVC and fishing poles.

6. If the pieces fit together and look perfect, it is time to glue them up. 

7. Install the eight-inch PVC pieces into the top of the T connectors, glue them in, and you are ready to store your fishing rods and stay organized at the same time.

You can use them as rod holders for bank fishing as well. As you know, trolling demands a certain angle to keep the poles. So, you will need a flexible holder for this purpose.

You can avoid using glue for joining the T pieces. This way, you can get a flexible or rotating rod holder for trolling. These are the easiest two homemade PVC fishing rod holders for boats that anybody can make.

Conclusion:

These rod holders are super easy to make. You do not have to be a pro for making them. You can make them with or without power tools.

Custom rod holders can cost from 20 to 230 dollars whereas, these homemade PVC fishing rod holders for boats come within 10 dollars. They are cheap and easy to make.

You can follow the first DIY if you want a rod holder in your garage and the second one for your boat. Follow the steps cautiously and make fishing rod holders yourself.