Here is the spreader bar for 6 rod holders I talked about, it may not be polished and shiny but it gets the job done and has worked great for 4 yrs. now. It's not painted, so it's easier to see in the dark when we setup to fish or troll. The main bar is 1" x 2" x 1/8" rectangular tubing, in this case 96" long to reach both gunnels and the mount bases. The bases are Cabelas flush mounts we bored the center ribs out of to clear the vertical posts of the bar. The gunnels were bored using a hole saw to allow the mount to sit down in. The lower end of the mount tube was cross drilled for a snap clip to go thru the vertical post as both a stop and retainer. I had the post welded to the bottom of the bar, but it could have been run inside the bar by drilling a 3/4" hole, inserting the rod, and cross bolted in place. I spaced the rod holders at equal distances apart across the length of the bar, marked them and drilled the pattern of holes. Next I used a drill to "power tap" all of the holes and then used ss machine screws to secure them, making sure the screws were short enough NOT to run into the back side of the tube. From there on it's put the bar in place, secure with the clip pins, and insert rod holders at Your desired angle.
This complete setup costs as follows , at least in my areaof NE IN.
cabelas superlite rod holders, w/ mnts. ( 6) $110 (incl. $2 shipping for orders over $49, right now)
extra mounts, new ,( I found 2 used for $5-C/L) (2) 18
alum. rods 3/4" (2) - 12" long 5
alum. tube 96" long 30
stainless screws (24) 5
welding ( @ a long time friends shop) not required 10
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Total $ 178
Hope this helps someone make their own spreader setup.
