Sea Suckers HD Trolling Unit
Gotta Have Faith
The Whole Truth Outdoor Product Review by Mike Walker

This review started out as part of an article I am writing on rod holders for boats. One of the products I had the most concern about in the beginning, ended up separating itself from the rest... the HD Trolling Unit from Sea Sucker. I remember when I first ran across this company on the internet. I had my doubts from the start- one of the ads was a sign that says, "No Drill, No Screws, No Holes.";

As I read deeper, Sea Sucker uses vacuum cups with an integrated pump system to secure itself. The 6" vacuum cup is rated to hold up to 210 lbs. After looking through their products, I figured I'd give them a call. Once I spoke with the people at Sea Sucker and went over their rod holder options, I was steered in one direction. ..The HD Trolling Unit with dual 6" vacuum cups. They said the dual vacuum rod holder is rated to hold up to 420 lbs. I let them know I would be testing these while trolling for striped bass. They said they used this rig when offshore tuna fishing, so striped bass should be no problem. So after talking, they told me they would send me one to test.

Within two days it arrived. That weekend I headed to the lake and I took the Sea Sucker. Once at the lake I showed it to friends and family. After passing it around the overall verdict was, "it's neat but would you trust your $200 reel and $100 rod with it?" After comments like that, it sat on the table 'til Sunday morning. While we were eating breakfast, my son kept asking if he could stick the rod holder to the kitchen table. I finally said yes. After wetting the edges of the vacuum cups, he started pumping one of the pumps. On the pump, there is an orange line, and as the vacuum cup starts sealing, the orange line disappears. When all the orange is gone, the cup is secure. After pumping the other one, I walked over and grabbed it. As I pulled on it, the table lifted off the ground. I also held the table down and pulled with everything I had, but it didn't budge. Needless to say, I took it down to the boat after breakfast and put it on. That afternoon we caught several 10-20 pound fish while using the rod holder. The orange line that indicates pressure loss was nowhere in sight. I've had clients continue to test the rod holder over the last several weeks, with no signs of wear. I attached it at several different angles, allowing me to do things you can't do with a normal rod holder. After the first month of testing I got back in touch with the company. I had to admit my reluctance to trust in their product. Once I did, I fell in love with the versatility of the rod holder. I let them know I was going to feature their rod holder in my upcoming article.

Verdict: It handled everything I threw at it. Its versatility plus the fact that you don't have to drill holes in your boat scored big with me. The only question I have is over time, how does it hold up? Guess we will see.... Check them out at www.seasuckers.com

About the author: Mike Walker is the owner and operator of Fishing 24-7 which is a full service guide company based in Birmingham, AL, specializing in finesse and big bait bass fishing tactics. You can learn more about him and his guide service by visiting fishing24-7guideservice.com