Help An Idiot......why Do I Break So Many Rods?

[webertime]

Are all the rods basically the same length? 

 

I ask because if they are breaking at the same place (+/-) and are all basically the same length, maybe there is something going on with the storage locker (getting bounced too much/baits whacking them/etc.)  I have a vauge idea what brands you use and the fact that they all break in basically the same place really makes me think it's not the rods or braid, etc.  but maybe something in how they are stored.

 

I personally doubt braid has much to do with it.  When you set the hook you do move the fish (defusing the power/lack of stretch) if the fish were bolted down then yeah I can see a rod snap due to braid, but on it's own it couldn't snap a rod. 

 

Perhaps you have a "whippy" cast and the stiffer resins/materials don't agree with it?  I have a whippy cast (and a dislocate the bass's head hookset) and found the more moderate fast rod have been bomb-proof and don't lose any (useful) power on my hooksets. 

A beast mode hookset may just be the straw that breaks the camel's back, when there is some sort of stressor affecting the rods in that area. 

[ww2farmer]

The rods I have broken in the last 5 years.......7' MH/F St Croix Avid casting rod, 6'3" M/XF St Croix eyecon spinning, Kistler 7'9" MH/MF Argon cranking rod, Kistler 6'3" MH/F dock skipping special, Fenwick HMX 7'6" XH flipping stick, Kistler 7' H/F Mag. TS "Jig+Toad", Abu Vendetta 7'3" MH/XF casting, two cheap 6'6" M Berkley Lightning rod shocks, St Croix Legend Tournament 7'6" MH/MF "pitching", St Croix Avid 6'6" M/F spinning rod, Fenwick Techna AV 7' M spinning, BPS Extreme 7' MH casting.....and those are only the ones I can remember. It's not the rods....it's me. I guess I am just doomed to being "that guy" who is hard on rods.

[pbizzle]

High end, low end, and  I'm stumped, there must be something I am doing wrong.

You're not using ugly stiks.

[smalljaw67]

Sounds like you're making up for not reeling your slack when you get hit by setting high, rod tip toward the sky bending at the tip, best way to set the hook is to reel the slack with rod tip down and set firm but not too high.

 This right here is something to look at.  I know a guy that used to break rods like that and he had a bad habit of "snap setting" when he got a bite. What you do when snap setting is you get a bite, reel the slack and instead of swinging up or to the side, you drop the rod first and then swing, what happens is by dropping the rod you put a slight bow in the line and then swing hard. When you do that the rod goes from zero pressure to max pressure in a millisecond, do that over and over and eventually it is going to break, add a tight drag or braided line and it will happen sooner. I see this happen a lot and you really have to have someone watch to see if you do it. You may had bad luck getting rods but having them break during hooksets is very telling, to me it sounds like you may be snap setting and if it is the case it is an easy fix.

[dodgeguy]

like I said with braid you don't need a hard hookset.reel down on the slack UNTIL YOU FEEL WEIGHT then a snap of the wrists upward will do it.

[Diggy]

The rods I have broken in the last 5 years.......7' MH/F St Croix Avid casting rod, 6'3" M/XF St Croix eyecon spinning, Kistler 7'9" MH/MF Argon cranking rod, Kistler 6'3" MH/F dock skipping special, Fenwick HMX 7'6" XH flipping stick, Kistler 7' H/F Mag. TS "Jig+Toad", Abu Vendetta 7'3" MH/XF casting, two cheap 6'6" M Berkley Lightning rod shocks, St Croix Legend Tournament 7'6" MH/MF "pitching", St Croix Avid 6'6" M/F spinning rod, Fenwick Techna AV 7' M spinning, BPS Extreme 7' MH casting.....and those are only the ones I can remember. It's not the rods....it's me. I guess I am just doomed to being "that guy" who is hard on rods.

you need to cut back on the olympic style lifting at the gym, focus on isolation movements....

[bigbill]

I just mail ordered 4 New casting rods and today they arrived. For the first time I was whipping each one. They felt like two different rods. The lower section had lots of backbone while the upper section had none. The upper section felt a tad stiffer than an ultralight. The rating on the rod is medium action. To me the tip is too flexible.

My point is what has changed in these newer rods over the older rods. They feel like too different actions. Just my thoughts. Bb

[Brian Needham]

I have heard Matt Allen, who uses all braid all the time, say when using all braid move down a power in your rods.

 

 

meaning if you use a heavy for jigs, switch to MH.

you need the rod to provide the "give" now, since the the braid does not, as opposed to mono or flouro.

[mjseverson24]

I have only broke one rod in the last few years and it was on the hookset, much like you describe. I have sense made sure to load up the rod before I set the hook, some people call it a "reel set" but it definitely works to not only hook the fish but reduce impact on the rod. usually when I see people break them on the set it is about two to three seconds into the rod being loaded, when the break occurs, and at this time in the set you are trying to pull the fish immediately out of cover. in my experience this is where the problem lies, try reeling down and keeping the rod away from a vertical/ almost vertical position.

good luck

 

Mitch

[Delaware Valley Tackle]

2 things will cause a modern blank to fail:

 

1. Applying pressure that flexes the tip beyond 90* to the tip.

 

2. Compromising the integrity of the fibers with dents, dings, scratches etc.

 

A hard hookset on a close fish is the one of the easiest ways to cause #1. The close the fish the lower the rod tip needs to be. I use braid too but don't lock the drag down. As for swinging fish, I think there is an ethical argument to be made against the practice as it relates to successful C&R. If you're going to lift with the rod keep it as parallel to the ground as possible to maximize the rod's deadlift capacity.

[SirSnookalot]

Television may have a big influence on how many people set the hook, I don't think it's necessary to set it that hard.  Even more so with the use of these extremely strong lines that have no stretch to them, the energy created has to go somewhere, and quite possible puts undue stress on the rod.  I know many people feel a bass has a hard mouth, that mat be true if you haven't caught other species, so many others have a much harder mouth.  Whether it's a bass or something else I don't over exaggerate a hookset, pretty much just raise the rod tip and let the weight and speed of a fish set the hook.  I won't argue the fact the smaller fish like 4# and less may need a little bit of help.

[derekxec]

my friend sets the hook like he wants to rip their face off lol uses braid too but never breaks rods..i hardly set the hook normally the fish sets it and the sharp hook does its job but maybe you are over the top setting it so the rod is facing behind you lol 

[waymont]

How many rods have you broken since this post? It's an oldie of a post, I'm bringing it back.

[fishindad]

As some have mentioned, there's no way to 100% determine without watching you fish in person. I honestly believe it is next to impossible to snap a non-defective rod while bass fishing. Even setting on braided line with the drag locked down (see Ish Monroe frog fishing). We are talking about a fish that usually weighs less than 5-6 lbs and takes at most, 3-4 minutes to land. And that would be a spot or smallie hooked on 6 lb line.

 

My first guess is that you boat flip fish. This is the absolute stupidest thing pros ever did, and still do! But they get their rods for free or at cost. You would not believe how many bass guys I've seen the past few years out on St Clair boat flipping every smallie they catch. I call it googan-style fishing. I would love to see the data from rod companies for broken rods sent in for warranty for, say, the past 30 years. I think there's a correlation with an increase in rods being made overseas (China) yet I am sure guys with US made Loomis and St Croix rods break their share of rods. There's also been a big increase in XF action rods. Back when I started fishing in the late 60's there was really no such beast (except Loomis SJR721, for example). Now you see almost every rod company making XF action rods. That "hinged" XF action creates more stress at defined points in the blank. Rod locker/ceiling fan/car door/etc abuse aside, most rods are broken from boat flipping or grabbing the rod too close to the top (anywhere above the foregrip) and swinging in fish (again, I see pros do that all the time too), IMO. I seriously doubt anyone could snap a non-damaged rod on a hookest or fighting a bass. Tarpon, maybe. Bass, no way.

[Mr.Jackson]

I have the same problem.Ive broke quite a few new rods lately.I keep them all in rod socks and rod holders on the wall while not fishing.Most guys say it's my fault but a fishing rod should be able to handle fishing.One rod I can land a 10+ pound catfish on and then the next rod snaps on a 1 pound bass.Its very frustrating.

[dodgeguy]

No way around it you're setting the hook way to hard. If you keep breaking all these rods no matter what brand then it's you. Like I said if you use braid you don't need a super hard hookset. Maybe try mono. If you stop breaking rods with mono that's your answer. If not then buy ugly sticks.

[new2BC4bass]

I don't believe I have seen ww2farmer posting lately.  Hope all is well with him. 

[Bluebasser86]

@ww2farmer has been around some.

[JediAmoeba]

I have never broken a rod on the hookset...but I have never seen a reason to set the hook as hard as I see a lot of people.  The only fish I really torque on are Esox...bass aren't that hard to hook. 

[ww2farmer]

10 hours ago, new2BC4bass said:

I don't believe I have seen ww2farmer posting lately.  Hope all is well with him. 

I'm here. All is well. I have scaled back my detailed fishing reports for "reasons", but I still try to add my .02 to topics where I think they will help, or see information that hasn't been added to a topic yet.

[waymont]

8 hours ago, ww2farmer said:

I'm here. All is well. I have scaled back my detailed fishing reports for "reasons", but I still try to add my .02 to topics where I think they will help, or see information that hasn't been added to a topic yet.

I'm the one who resurrected your oldie thread. How's your rod breaking going? Did you fix your issue?

[MickD]

On 8/29/2013 at 8:55 PM, ww2farmer said:

there must be something I am doing wrong.

You will most likely find it here:   https://www.rodbuilding.org/library/rodusage.pdf

 

Most likely high sticking or high reaching.

[ww2farmer]

22 hours ago, waymont said:

I'm the one who resurrected your oldie thread. How's your rod breaking going? Did you fix your issue?

Knock on wood.....I have only had one broken rod since that post that I can remember , and that was broke out of stupidity.

 

 

[waymont]

3 hours ago, ww2farmer said:

Knock on wood.....I have only had one broken rod since that post that I can remember , and that was broke out of stupidity.

 

 

Cool. Are you aware of what you changed that has allowed you to stop breathing rods?

[ww2farmer]

2 hours ago, waymont said:

Cool. Are you aware of what you changed that has allowed you to stop breathing rods?

To be honest with you, not really. For the past few years I have fished dobyns rods almost exclusively, and they have been pretty bullet proof for me. But other than that I can't think of anything.