Patent ID: 8881668

Claim:
An improved flush mount fishing rod holder mountable in an opening in a panel of a watercraft, the rod holder having hollow tubular fishing rod holding tube with an enclosed lower end, an open top end, an interior for receiving a handle portion of a fishing rod, and an outer wall adapted to be received through the opening in the panel, an integrally formed mounting flange surrounding the open top end of the rod holding tube and having an outer peripheral edge spaced outwardly from the open top end, the mounting flange having a bottom surface facing an upper surface of the panel when the rod holding tube is received in the opening in the panel, and the mounting flange having an upper surface which lies above the upper surface of the panel when the rod holder is mounted, and mounting holes extending through the mounting flange spaced outwardly from the open top end of the rod holding tube for receiving fasteners to secure the fishing rod holder to the panel; the improvement comprising: an attachment member having an outwardly curved portion extending upwardly from said mounting flange upper surface defining a pad eye opening therebetween, said outwardly curved portion of said attachment member defining a point of attachment for connecting a flexible tether line or leash attached at a free end to a fishing rod supported in said fishing rod holding tube to maintain it tethered to the watercraft.