In a sport riddled with mystery, there's one thing about big-game fishing that we all know for certain; somehow, someway, the gimbal pin in your gunwale-mounted rod holder will ultimately fail. Repeated poundings and constant tension from running big baits on 80- and 130-pound tackle take their toll, eventually snapping the fragile pin and leaving your rod to flop ridiculously in the holder.
Eager to get back fishing as soon as possible, most mates reach for a threaded stainless-steel bolt or screw to replace the broken pin. While this quick fix corrects the problem, it also creates a few of its own.
Much harder than aluminum, the threaded stainless-steel screw tears up your gimbaled butts over time - gouging out chunks of the anodized coating and leaving the butt susceptible to corrosion. Also, since the stainless pin and the aluminum butt are dissimilar metals, any salt water in the mix speeds up corrosion even more.
I found a simple solution to the pin problem that also solves another headache: where to secure the safety straps for the rods that ride in the gunwale. It's easy to attach your outrigger rods to the chair, but most safety line setups for the flat-line rods usually look messy or get in the way.
So before my pins break, I replace them all with a stainless-steel eye bolt that's only threaded on the very end. This keeps the threads from wallowing out the rod gimbals. Now, I also have a nice connecting point to attach a safety line or strap. I like using a strap since I can bunch up the excess and secure it with a rubber band. This keeps the majority of the strap neatly tucked up under the gunwale and out from under your feet.
Walker Holcomb
Maitland, Florida
