Patent ID: 7774973

Claim:
A fishing rod holder, comprising: a foundation member comprising a first side and a second side; a socket member structured for releasably retaining a fishing rod, the socket member having an upper end, a butt end, and a longitudinal axis extending therebetween, the socket member further comprising an opening at the upper end which extends from the upper end and into the socket member along the longitudinal axis; an arm member coupled between the foundation member and the socket member; and a releasably interlockable ball-and-socket articulation mechanism coupled between the foundation member and a first end of the arm member, whereby the arm member is further rotatable within at least a substantially continuous conical section relative to the foundation member, and wherein the ball-and-socket articulation mechanism is encompassed between the first and second sides of the foundation member with the second side of the foundation member being positioned between the first side of the foundation member and a second end of the arm member; and a relatively rotatable and releasably interlockable pivot mechanism coupled between the socket member and the second end of the arm member, the socket member being pivotable relative to the arm member in circumvolution both about a pivot axis oriented substantially transverse of the conical section and within a plane between the second end of the arm member and the first side of the foundation member, wherein at least the butt end of the socket member is fully pivotable relative to the ball-and-socket articulation mechanism, the pivot mechanism being offset relative to the ball-and-socket articulation mechanism a first distance greater than a second distance between the pivot mechanism and one of said upper end and said butt end of the socket member throughout the entire circumvolution of the socket member relative to the arm member, and wherein the second end of the arm member is laterally offset from the ball-and-socket articulation mechanism.