TACO Grand Slam 300XL Outrigger Mount for 1-1/2" Poles

The Grand Slam 300XL is TACO Marine's heavy-hardtop answer to the question every offshore captain eventually asks. How do I deploy 22-foot riggers from the deck without a wrestling match? The XL builds on the standard Grand Slam platform with a bigger throat that clamps to hardtops up to 4-1/2" thick and an arm engineered around 1-1/2" diameter outrigger poles. That's the size class you'll find on serious 25-to-40-foot sportfish and center consoles where the rigger length and the load on the mount both ramp up. If your boat's hardtop is thinner than 4-1/2" or you're running 1-1/8" or 1-3/8" poles, you want one of the smaller Grand Slam models instead. This one's purpose-built for the upper end of the range.

The single-handle, ergonomic crank operation is what sells most captains on the Grand Slam line. You stand on the deck, fold the crank handle out, and use one hand to lift the arm from the running position up to 46.5 degrees off horizontal. That's the angle you want for kite fishing, for clearing the dock as you back in, or for stowing the poles flat for trailering. The handle is dual-detented and locks flush into the base when you're done, so there's no swinging crank to catch a line or a forearm in a seaway. Rotation is fully controlled through the same handle with a 180-degree sweep and safety detents that won't let the arm spin uncontrolled if a wave hits the boat at the wrong moment.

What makes the 300XL different from the cheaper outrigger mounts on the market is that there's no plastic anywhere in the load path. Cast stainless-steel and machined aluminum throughout, paired with TACO's underside pin-locking arm connection that swaps left and right without a port/starboard designation, so you can order two of the same part number for a pair. The all-metal construction also means a better water seal than mounts with plastic gaskets, which matters in salt spray and in the long run. Each mount weighs in at 15 pounds (30 pounds per pair), and TACO backs the build with a 3-year limited warranty.

Pole compatibility runs through TACO's Open Water Internal and Collapsible Carbon Fiber lineup, plus aluminum or carbon fiber tele-outriggers up to 22 feet. If you're running 1-1/8" poles and want to step up to this mount later, the Outrigger Base Reducer accessory lets you adapt down without buying a new mount. The base hole pattern matches all Grand Slam models and the industry-standard pattern most top-mount systems share, so a swap-in is straightforward if you're replacing an older mount. Backing plates (TACO part BP-0300) are sold separately and we recommend them on any cored hardtop where you're spreading load across a wider area.

One install note worth flagging. At 15 pounds per mount before you add the poles, the 300XL is heavier than the smaller Grand Slams, and the torque under load is what TACO sized this mount for. A through-bolt with backing plate is the correct way to hang it. Tapping into a hardtop core alone won't hold the loads a kite or a hooked-up tuna will put through the rigger. Sold individually, so order two for a complete pair.

For boats that fish hard and need outrigger gear that won't quit after a season of canyon runs, the Grand Slam 300XL is the mount most rigging shops install when the captain says budget isn't the deciding factor. The single-hand operation matters more than it sounds when you're rigging baits in a roll, the all-metal construction matters more than it sounds when the boat lives on a lift in the Gulf sun, and the 22-foot pole rating is what separates this mount from the lighter-duty options. Order it with the backing plates, install it through-bolted, and it'll outlast most of what's bolted to the boat around it.