The West Marine 3737871 (left) and 3737897 (right) cover all the bases—and at a reasonable price. They’re strong, easily assembled, and didn’t slide on our test rail.

From any fisherman’s point of view, more is better when it comes to rod holders. Even the occasional angler can benefit from extra rod holders placed strategically around the boat. The clamp-on rod holder is much easier to install than a flush-mount (September 2005) and is usually far less expensive than having more rod holders welded to the tower legs or hardtop piping.

What We Tested

We tested 17 clamp-on rod holders ranging in price from $27 to $100. The group included a single plastic rod holder from Attwood and two aluminum rod holders from Lee’s Tackle: one mounts vertically and the other horizontally. We also picked up three stainless steel…