I only recommend products I believe in and use myself. If you purchase something using a link to an item on a post, I may earn a small commission at no additional cost to you. Read More
This is Part II of a series on overhauling a Native Ultimate 14.5 for fishing with kids. In Part I, I covered cleaning up the oyster rash and rust. Part II focuses on replacing the factory flush mount rod holders with heavy duty rocket launchers to troll.
Trolling is key when fishing with kids as often they just don’t have the patience and want to be active. Its nice to have a chance to catch a fish even when paddling around.
Materials Needed
- Mainstays Poly 8.5″ x 11″ Cutting Board
- Scotty #344-BK Round Flush Deck Mounting Bracket (2)
- Kayak Rivets (8)
- Scotty #479 Rocket Launchers (2)
Step 1: Remove the Flush Mount Holders
Using a 10mm wrench to hold the backing nut, remove the screws from the flush mount holder. If they have seen a lot of saltwater, they may break…just back them out with a pair of pliers if they do.
Step 2: Drill the Center Hole of the Backing Plate
Using a 1 3/8″ hole saw, drill the center hole in the poly board for the backing plate. The backing plate is necessary as trolling with a Scotty Rocket Launcher allows the rod to have more leverage on the hole and the pre-existing holes in the hull are not snug on the Scotty base.
Step 3: Cut Out the Backing Plate
Place the Scotty #344 base through the center hole drilled in Step 2 and draw an outline of the outer base. Using a jigsaw with a blade designed for plastic, cut out the base.
Step 4: Drill Holes in the Base Backing Plate
Place the backing plate on the Scotty #344, drill a 3/16″ hole through the backing plate using the Scotty #344 holes as guides. Be sure to drill straight down and after each hole, insert a rivet into the hole to prevent any misalignment due to shifting while drilling.
Step 5: Attach the Outboard-side of the Base to the Hull
Once the base is drilled, place the Scotty #344 base through the hull, add the backing plate on the bottom and align the two holes on the outboard (side-facing water) side of the hull with the existing holes in the base and backing plate (the pre-existing hole pattern is different so we are only aligning two holes). Rivet the two aligned holes in place to secure
Step 6: Attach the Inboard-side of the Base to the Hull
With the outboard-side secured, drill through two new holes through the hull on the inboard-side, using the base and backing plate as a template. Secure with two rivents.
Step 7: Add the Rocket Launchers
Insert the Scotty Rocket Launchers and you are ready to troll!
Stay Tuned: Part III – Replace the Existing Scotty Base on the Rear of the Boat
In part III, I’ll show you how I replaced an existing, raised Scotty base with a YakAttack Might Mount that is more versatile and flush to the hull.
Leave a Reply
You must be logged in to post a comment.