Rod Holder Systems for planner boards / horizontal or vertical ?

[Whacker]

I'm setting up my new boat and picked up a dual planner mast and now i'm debateting on which way to go. I have noticed over the past several years alot of tree or vertical rod holders on the market. I can see where you would pick up alot of valuble gunwhale space. but is there a functional superiority over the horizonal setups or is it just the space savings ?

[regulator]

I just bought 6 rail mount rod holders that I will mount 3 per side, vertically on my bimini top post. Freed up a lot of gunnel space as I removed the old scotty triple set, although I will be adding Big Jon dual diver holders in their place. All my lead core rigs are 8 footers, so I believe mounting vertically will let them swing out more freely from one another when released from the planer line, and negate the need for running 3 different rod lengths.

[CaptSpike]

I switched last yr to vertical trees. I have a 18' Lund and before fishing rod holders down the gunnel on some occasions (wind, turn) the planer line came back and took the rod out of the holder. I always had the furthest rod forward set straight up. The next rod back angled down one click on the holder. That was the rod that would occasionally catch the planer line and get yanked out of the holder. Luckily we were able to retrieve all the rods. Now with the trees I don't get that problem.  The rods are high enough now that the planer line can't catch the rod.

That is why I switched to verticals.

 

Spike