Our Side Bro is a compact, purpose-built tackle and tool storage system designed for anglers who want their essential gear organised, visible, and always within arm’s reach.
Mouning a Side Bro can be directly to your kayak, boat, fishing setup, cooler, or chair; it keeps tackle and tools you use most often exactly where you need them, ready the moment the action starts. One of the best features of the Side Bro is the ability to customize setup, along with the variety of mounting options to suit your individual needs, which is what these instructions are all about!
Planning The Fit-Out
Mounting should begin with some careful planning and consideration. Whilst drilling and using screws will provide the most secure mounting solution, it is also rather permanent, as holes can’t always be filled if you need to remove your Side Bro. This is especially a consideration in smaller boats, where desired mounting solutions might mean drilling holes right through a hull! This is where silicone, double-sided tape, or Velcro will be a much better option. These instructions are specifically for users who have decided to utilise the supplied 10g stainless steel screws (or your own bolts and nuts) as the method of fixing.
It is important with drilling that you follow your boat or kayak manufacturer’s guidelines. We have outlined best practices in this guide; it pays to double-check yourself.
Installation Steps
Step 1 – Before starting, you should map out where you want your Side Bro to mount, ensuring it will fit without obstruction and that drilling through those points will not damage anything on the other side.
Step 2 – Use a straight edge, ruler, or level, along with a Sharpie pen, to mark where your Side Bro will mount. Utilise the Backing Bro or Side Bro as a template for hole positioning.
Step 3 A – (For aluminium boats or mounting to plastic surfaces only) use a centre punch and hammer to lightly indent the desired hole positions.
Step 3 B – (For fibreglass boats only) do NOT centre punch. Use only a sharp 3.5mm drill bit (HSS or carbide), apply painter’s tape to prevent chipping, and start the drill in reverse with a pilot hole. Use only slow drill speeds and light pressure.
Step 4 – (For aluminium boats or mounting to plastic surfaces only) utilise a 3.5mm drill to drill the 5 holes. We recommend drilling a smaller pilot hole first.
Step 5 – Align the Backing Bro, Side Bro, and holes you have just drilled, and utilise a Phillips head screwdriver to firmly tighten the 5 x 10g screws
Step 6 – Your Side Bro is installed. Don’t forget to add some Divided Bro’s and a Tool Bro for ultimate flexibility.
