# Holder for Revo - RAM 117 vs 114 / Scotty Gear Head for Trac



## yellafella (May 21, 2012)

Hi All,

Just got some GearTracs for my hobie revo13 and planning on getting one of the following (after some reviews from others):

RAM 117 SWU









or RAM 114 RBU









Just wondering which would be your preference and any experiences with either of the holders.

I'm currently leaning towards the 117 SWU as I like the 2x balls that can rotate on dual axis however the 114 appears to give a bit more clearance which might be better with the mirage drive (I'm 6'3"). Just not sure about the versatility of the rachet type extension.

Any advice and experience you can bring would be great.

Thanks


----------



## tj63 (Jun 1, 2011)

you can get 9" ext for 117 $38 plus $50 shipping from the states, i use 114 on my outback and is very good for trolling not in the way of your feet......p.s that $38 is for the ext only NOT THE WHOLE THING . ;-) cheers terry


----------



## yellafella (May 21, 2012)

Thanks Terry. I think I'm actually starting to lean toward the 114. Just wondering how versatile it is; like if you can quickly change the angle in order to ring your line from it when rerigging is necessary.


----------



## hulmy (Jul 4, 2010)

Ive got the 114 and the ram tubes. The good thing about the 114 is the 2 adjustable points, if you go with the 117, once you loosen it, the whole thing is loose where as the 114 you can do it bit by bit with the 2 separate points, which is good if you only have one hand free for example.


----------



## robsea (Apr 7, 2010)

I have the 117 as i fish in salt water. Not sure if that is a big deal though. I enjoy the simplicity and fact that i can position the mount quite easily. Once in position i find that i do not need to move it a great deal however i use mine to mainly:

hold a rod in an easy to get to location when i am carrying three rods on my Revo
hold a rod when i wish to do some changes in leader and or terminal tackle.
hold the rod in an out of the way position so that i don't 'snag it on casting' when using another rod.

Must admit that it can be a bit of a pain if i want to adjust the tension because i did not set it correctly when launching.

Is the 114 a 'plastic mount and stem'? If it is and depending on your purpose it may be the better go as the 117 is prone to corrosion over time even with regular wash down.

rob


----------



## Artie (Dec 19, 2011)

Sadly Ive ditched the ram system entirey except for the sounder head and cam mount, I also use the geartrac system (fantastic) but the ram ball system is just unsuitable for any kind of trolling etc..... any sizeable hits means the thing folds back far too easily as do snag ups.

I did get one of mine really tightened up one day when things were being pretty brutal with a few strong hits and I snapped a ram ball right off! I managed to 'catch' the rod and holder though.

Now I use a Scotty set up with the extender arm and a custom mount for the geartrac, much more user friendly (less frustrating)










The old on the right and the new on the left










Simply an aluminium plate cut drilled and bent to shape.


----------



## Artie (Dec 19, 2011)

I should add that by 'trolling', I mean out on the blue for pelagics, not the freshwater stuff for which the ram system is likely quite ok.


----------



## yellafella (May 21, 2012)

Thanks guys for the replies. I did think that Scotty might be the better option, and they also have a "Gear-Head Track Adapter" which works perfect on the GearTrac system by all reports, so this may also be an option.

Might try one scotty and one ram as I'm likely to use these mainly for light applications to begin with.

Scotty Track Adapter pictured ;-)

















I notice though depending on which hand thread it is (i.e. counter clock or clockwise) the head unit would be better on one side than the other (the same most likely apparent for RAM balls too), as the natural action of a fish strike may work to undo the thread - just a thought... I'm sure if this was a serious issue they may develop a reverse thread for the other side? - i.e. Clockwise Tightening Thread for Right hand side, Counter Clockwise Tightening Thread on Left hand side. Enough of my ranting. Keep the experiences with these holders coming guys.


----------



## avayak (May 23, 2007)

Like Arty I ditched the RAM rod holders or they ditched me. The rubber balls split and corroded from the insides. I was using the RAM tubes. I now have Scotty deck mounts just in front of the rudder raise/lower toggles matched with the Scotty rocket launcher tubes. This system allows heavier drag settings, keeps the reels dry and is never in the way of the pedals (no need for extenders).


----------



## Ado (Mar 31, 2008)

As a matter of interest, why do you Hobie guys troll with the rod in a holder anyway? I can understand for paddle yaks, but for pedal yaks the whole point is that you can use your hands. I always hold my trolling rods so I can:

* impart extra action on the lure
* feel for hits
* strike on hits
* know when I'm bumping bottom 
* have weed fouling the lure
* etc, etc, etc.

The only thing I use rod holders for is for storage (behind me) or rigging (ram tube in front of me).

I agree that Ram mounts do not hold up well to big strikes. Is that such a bad thing though? It's better than cracking the hull. One more tip is to have the 'wing nut' screw facing to the rear. This helps to interfere with movement.


----------



## yellafella (May 21, 2012)

Hey Ado,

Fair point, but yes I do troll mostly with the rod in my hand. Just want the versatility (which is why I went RAM in the end) for if I do decide to say have a snack or take some hand held video whilst trolling lol. I went the ram because the holder will work for alot of different applications. Might still experiment with scotty in future though. Versatility is probably the key as well, when you also consider I fitted gear tracs for this purpose also ;-) (i.e. moving rod holders forward-backwards, installing a gopro or camera on a dog bone, moving the sounder forwards or backwards etc etc).


----------



## yellafella (May 21, 2012)

Just out of curiosity does anyone treat their gear with silicone spray and lanox after a session on the water to reduce corrosion effects?

As salticrak has pointed out corrosion could be a major problemo with the ram gear... hmmm starting to sound like some scotty gear is comin my way soon.


----------



## Ado (Mar 31, 2008)

I hose mine, then us Inox every 2nd or third trip. I have no signs of corrosion after 4 years.


----------



## Artie (Dec 19, 2011)

I used the plastic ram rod mounts and so no corrosion just a regular wash down, I did snap a ball head off though (as mentioned). Just had a thought, the cam mount and the sounder mount are alloy, no corrosion, so far.

With regards to useage, I often hold the rod in my hand AND I often place them in the holders... no law saying you have to do either... I also often troll with 2 rods out, hard to hold both...

Having said all that I LOVE the ram system, just not as rod holders. Use the small size (1") for camera and sounder mounts... great stuff.


----------

