Sealing a screw hole? Also, anyone use Scotty 438's for trolling?

[mweber02]

My goal this fall is to replace the poorly rigged mounting that I rushed into for one of my scotty mounts. The Ascend D10T has an indentation down the right side for holding a paddle, which made it impossible to install the scotty mount directly. I instead riveted a couple of layers of cutting board to which I then secured the mount. Unfortunately the whole mount setup feels too wobbly.

My goal is to seal up the rivet holes in the hull, then install gear trax.

Question 1 - Any suggestions for filling the old holes? I've heard to melt scrap pieces from the kayak but I do not have any scraps. I've also heard hot glue works. My kayak has only one pathetic round "hatch" that I can only get about half of my forearm into, so I do not want to mess around with getting tape inside the holes more than once.

Question 2 - Can anyone confirm that the Scotty 438 mounts hold strong for trolling? I was planning to pair it with the Yakattack GT90 (aluminum) gear trax. I really like that the 438 is much more compact but I am hesitant to trust a single bolt hold for stability when a fish strikes. Would the extra $5 for a set of Mighty Mounts be a much better choice?

[Frogsauce]

Try plastic weld first: http://www.jbweld.com/product/j-b-plasticweld-putty/ (Wal-mart, Hardware store, anywhere really)

It holds well for small applications like a screw hole and it has help up well for me in the past. If that fails though, you may need to look into getting a bit of poly-plastic and melting it in.

[J.A. Veil]

I use Scotty 438 gear track mounts for my front rod holders. I have caught stripers up to 29" from rods in those holders. The 438s tighten in the gear track by twisting in a clockwise direction. That means that when a rod on the right side gets hit, it pivots in a clockwise direction, which tends to tighten the bolt. On the other hand, when a rod on the left side gets hit, it pivots in a counter-clockwise direction, which tends to loosen the bolt holding the 438 onto the gear track. That can be a problem. I found a simple work around. I attach a piece of thin bungee cord around my FF/GPS bracket and loop the other end around the rod holder on the left side. As the rod holder begins to rotate counter-clockwise, the bungee stretches and resists further turning.

If you anticipate hooking really large fish, you would probably be better off with a stronger gear track base unit. If you are looking for something inexpensive and easy to install and position, give the 438s a try. They are flexible and have worked well for me.

[Cowpokey]

I used a hot glue gun to seal the screw holes on my Hobie, when I took the rod holder plugs off the gunnels.

[mweber02]

Thanks guys. Very helpful.

[Memory Maker]

I use the 430 mounts adapted for gear tracks ...... Strong and bullet proof ........
I also use the Hobie repair kit ...... It's an iron and sticks of the same stuff the yak is made of ....... Repairs screw holes like new

[Pc4sun]

I had a quarter size gash in my Cobra Explore and used a soldering iron to liquefy the plastic around the gash and fold it over the gash, which worked wonderfully.

[Salty Dog]

I ordered welding rods in the yak color from Jackson. Really cheap. tried a couple of methods for welding. I found that purchasing a good heat gun with multiple tips does the job. I would recommend practicing on a similar surface prior to attacking your yak. I found that small pump sprayers from a home improvement store are made of similar material and practiced welding that surface. Keep the tip moving on both the rod and the yak and you can successful fill in the holes with factory rods and colors.

[Salty Dog]

Sorry, but did not answer another question, I use yak attack S 90 tracks that highly recommend backing plates for front mount trolling. Added the tracks with out backing plates and with scotty rod holder and 438's track mounts it was uncomfortable too flexible. Added the backing plates and strong as a rock(fish). Trolling 2 big umbrella rigs will give you a lot of feedback. Now all I have to do is catch big fish.

[mweber02]

Sorry, but did not answer another question, I use yak attack S 90 tracks that highly recommend backing plates for front mount trolling. Added the tracks with out backing plates and with scotty rod holder and 438's track mounts it was uncomfortable too flexible. Added the backing plates and strong as a rock(fish). Trolling 2 big umbrella rigs will give you a lot of feedback. Now all I have to do is catch big fish.

What length tracks did you use? With my very limited inside access I'm not sure if I will be able to get a backing plate in there. I managed to put a backing on the other scotty mount base but it was an absolute nightmare. I was hoping that getting a 16" track would give me enough screws holding it down to compensate for not having a backing plate.

[Salty Dog]

What length tracks did you use? With my very limited inside access I'm not sure if I will be able to get a backing plate in there. I managed to put a backing on the other scotty mount base but it was an absolute nightmare. I was hoping that getting a 16" track would give me enough screws holding it down to compensate for not having a backing plate.

I only had 12" of level space on both sides next to the foot pegs so I decided to go with the 12" track. went with the S90 track cause of the bolt through. The cuda has a center console that makes adding a backing plate accessible. I have never used the gear trac but assume by the amount of screws that it is for screw down application only. Think about using marine epoxy on the screws. That could help with strength.