# scotty vs ram mount



## bbarton13

going to purchase rod holders soon and would just like to hear everyones opinions.


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## Yaksquatch

Brandon,

I liked the idea of the ram tube being able to adjust it 360deg. However, in practice the ball-socket joint in the version I had won't stay snug enough to troll or keep a heavyish offshore combo upright. Again, that's the version I had, the ball and socket were both smooth and tended to wear loose pretty quick.

If the ball and/or socket has been modified lately to have any texture, then that problem may not exist any more. However, if not then I'd go with scottys that are much more secure holders.

Good luck,
Alex


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## stealth serpent

Yaksquatch , I agree with you totaly. the ram ball system is great for camera's gps and sounders but not up to the standards we expect for offshore fishing with heavy rods .
The safe bet is to use scotty mounts , they have a good range and im sure you will find something to suit your needs .
But remember the golden rule . leash it or lose it


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## Brandonshobie

My ram tube on my sport is just good enough to hold up my sabiki rod and a kayak light. I have scotty mounts also and they are the way to go for your trying to do.


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## BlackJeep

I'm happy with the flush mount that you've seen me troll with. I use the extender arm and the locking holder. Just be sure to use nuts and washers on the underside. I've seen some that were just screwed in get pulled out.

I only have one because I like to be able to set a rod in the holder quickly and the butts can be in the way for entries and exits.


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## bbarton13

my ? for u guys with the issue with ram mounts, what was the ram ball made with, because last night i was messing around with a new ram mount rod holder and i couldnt get it to slip. i noticed the ball had a rubber coating around it, is this the same ball style that failed for yall?


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## dthomas142

you can get a can of liquid tape and coat the balls and tighten it down in position and it should hold up to a good load


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## bbarton13

i have also been reading up on this issue(google is a awesome thing!) alot of guys have sanded the inside of the clamp( that clamps on the ball) and roughed it up a bit and never have issues after that!


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## BigRed38

Waking up an OLD thread in order to solve a current dilemma.

Ram or Scotty?

My biggest concern is when trolling the ram mount losing its grip. Any input?


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## Jgatorman

I have many 1 1/2 inch Ram ball mounts that are rubberized and they do not slip. I am however concerned with the strength of the bolt that attaches the ball. On my two 1 1/2" ram ball rod tube mounts I am concerned how much pressure could be put on the bolt before failure. I believe it would snap prior to ball slipping. Anyone want to chime in on this. Don't get me wrong I would never put a rod in a ram tube with even a semi tight drag however I am concerned if the line or gear jammed that it would snap completely off. I use leashes of course but still I am oncerned.


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## Chris V

Scotty for me. You can get the gear head mounts added so the rod holder has full rotation and angles. Yeah, they're bigger and more bulky, but they've stood up to big fish with a fair amount of drag for me and just can't see where a ball mount can withhold that pressure over time. I'm also told the newer Rams are different than the older ones I've used but...


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## Jgatorman

I have not used the Scotty's Chris but I would have to agree. I would not want any medium to heavy drag on a reel in one of my ram tube mounts. I leave it very loose while trolling in the yak. PS thanks again for the Diawa baitcaster combo! I have caught some nice bass on it so far!


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## Chris V

Glad you like it! 

Most trolling I do uses less than 3lbs of drag on strike but I do use more when targeting Tarpon. The Scottys have proven their durability on some of those strikes.


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## panhandleslim

Regarding the Ram-Mounts: One thing that Brandon clued me in on is that the 'Double-Ball-Joints' need to be the Aluminum model rather than the Composite. You just can't get enough pressure on the composite model to make it hold. 

I've got one of the Ram-Mount rod holders and I can hardly get it to hold itself up, much less a rod. More than likely, I will try to convert it to something 'fixed'.


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## FLSalomon

BB, I have the aluminum RAM ball bazooka tube rod holders. Have had them for 7 years. I troll with them all the time - admittedly with 3000 series set-ups inshore and never had one slip. I set the drags light anyway when trolling. The balls are vinyl coated and I refresh that coating with spray-on rubber (Plasti-dip). Very secure. That said, I can see where the locking ability of the Scotty rod holder would be a plus - they may flex but not collapse.


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## Chris V

They will certainly flex a bit. Each brand certainly has its advantages but for bigger offshore fish I certainly feel more confident in the Scotty. I use the powerlock models. The other ones work ok too, but the powerlocks are far more secure.


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## jbs_bama

My experience is limited, but here's my take. The Ram mounts look good, but will slip with heavy equipment. Ram has a newer locking base, which is similar to the scotty base that looks promising. The Scotty mount is bulky, but will hold up. If I had to choose one, it would be a Scotty.


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## BigRed38

Chris V said:


> They will certainly flex a bit. Each brand certainly has its advantages but for bigger offshore fish I certainly feel more confident in the Scotty. I use the powerlock models. The other ones work ok too, but the powerlocks are far more secure.


Fellas, Thank you for the input. I was finding so much conflicting info on the internet. Most of the guys I found were striper/walleye fisherman telling each other how great the ram tubes were. I wasn't buying it, some of the strikes I have seen from our kings and other pelagic's is vicious. 

So I will build on this a bit if you don't mind. I like the track system that YakAttack offers and Scotty now makes a mount to accommodate the track system. Do you still feel your gear is secure in the track system or are you more confident in the flush mounted bases. 

I like the track system for adjusting my items on the run, but if yall have had experience with the track systems failing or not being secure, I will have to weigh that in my options as well.

Again, thanks for the opinions guys!


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## panhandleslim

I had a Ram Mount Rod Holder that was like a new born baby, it couldn't even hold it's own head up. I tried the fix that Brandon mentioned (sanding the socket). 

Worked like a charm. Now, I can grab the rod holder and turn the whole boat over and afraid I might turn my pickup over if I pull any harder.


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## BigRed38

panhandleslim said:


> I had a Ram Mount Rod Holder that was like a new born baby, it couldn't even hold it's own head up. I tried the fix that Brandon mentioned (sanding the socket).
> 
> Worked like a charm. Now, I can grab the rod holder and turn the whole boat over and afraid I might turn my pickup over if I pull any harder.


So Slim, you're saying that roughing the socket up would strengthen the bond enough to troll with?


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## panhandleslim

That's exactly what I'm saying.


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## Chris V

It certainly makes sense. That rough surface has a lot more to grab.


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## BigRed38

Happy I woke this thread up, thanks for all the insight fellas. Looks like I'm gonna give these ram mounts a shot!


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## Jgatorman

BigRed38 said:


> Happy I woke this thread up, thanks for all the insight fellas. Looks like I'm gonna give these ram mounts a shot!


Gonna ruff mine up over the weekend. I have also figured out found once tightened it is a PIA to loosen these dang things I think i am gonna build a key for leverage unless someone has a "hack" for this dilemma.


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## BigRed38

Jgatorman said:


> Gonna ruff mine up over the weekend. I have also figured out found once tightened it is a PIA to loosen these dang things I think i am gonna build a key for leverage unless someone has a "hack" for this dilemma.



I often find myself in a struggle to loosen them on the water when I have to re-situate the boat lol


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## Jgatorman

BigRed38 said:


> I often find myself in a struggle to loosen them on the water when I have to re-situate the boat lol


Ram mount safety hack LOL! When using 7 ft or longer rods I will cross my 2 ram tubes pointed in and forward of me so they cross right above my lower thighs while peddling so that even a high speed king hit will only allow the rod to pull back across my torso and not out of the tube. I was out with a buddy and he got a wind loop over his rod tip next thing we know it sounded like a gunshot for something hit his cig so fast and hard snapped the bolt right in two on the base and Scotty mount and the rod and reel and mount were gone. Took us a minute to figure it out cause the noise scared the crap out of us . But as soon my buddy turned around it did not take long to realize rod reel and mount were never to be seen again!! I think the bill on that little error was $400-$500 nice reel and rod plus mount


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