Big Swimbait Posted June 16, 2014 Posted June 16, 2014 I fish in a small club with monthly tournaments. Some of the guys fish in other area tournaments. Lately we have had a rash of rod breakage. I have broken 2 myself (while fishing). Overall the rods that have broken have ranged from $120 to $300 each & are all different brands. Most that have broken have been in the higher range. It could be just a bad streak, but I am curious as to any other experiences. The rods at issue are all relatively new, with one about 2 years old, the rest a year or less. When I first started bass fishing, I used Berkley Lightning Rods, of which I still have 2. Moved up to All Star Rods - I still have my original WR1. It seems quality has decreased with the newer, high tech materials & processes. Interested to hear others thoughts. Tight lines! Quote
timsford Posted June 16, 2014 Posted June 16, 2014 Most of the problems with rod breakage are due to the fact that the higher the strain of graphite, the more sensitive the rod but also it is more brittle. Ive only broke a couple of rods and they were all user error on my part. Quote
Super User SirSnookalot Posted June 16, 2014 Super User Posted June 16, 2014 Most of the problems with rod breakage are due to the fact that the higher the strain of graphite, the more sensitive the rod but also it is more brittle. Ive only broke a couple of rods and they were all user error on my part. Probably true. One would think the more they spend the better the rod should be and should last longer. IMO if a company does not warrant a rod for life they don't have that much faith in it either, why should I? Question is, how have the rods broken? A rod shouldn't break due to catching a fish, they can break by lifting too big a fish out of the water, which is user error, which I've done myself. I have never broken a rod with a fish on the line, I've caught 150# fish on a 25 lb rod which cost me 60 bucks ( Penn Pursuit) had that rod for a few years until I gave it to a friend. That rod would have broken without using the drag properly which brings user error into play again. Personally I don't care how sensitive a rod is or how much it cost, if it breaks with a fish on with no mishandling, that rod really is a piece of..............I'll be nice and just say it's something I wouldn't buy. Quote
Super User Tywithay Posted June 16, 2014 Super User Posted June 16, 2014 If a rod is manufactured poorly, it will break within the first few uses. Anything past that is some form of misuse. Whether the blank got a little nick, highsticked, etc., it will not break under normal conditions after its already been used for a year. 1 Quote
0119 Posted June 16, 2014 Posted June 16, 2014 The way you see most folks drop their combo's on the deck or shove them into rod lockers, on tourney's on t.v. it's no wonder. Combine that with the wholesale usage of uber high lb. test braided line and reels with high drag ratings than was previously available. Something has to give and with the line now being basically.....rope, it's going to be the rod. Surely you as a All-Star rod user, have seen a decrease in quality. When companies are consumed by mega conglomerates, these companies become a shell of their former selves and survive only in name. 2 Quote
frogflogger Posted June 16, 2014 Posted June 16, 2014 We want sensitive rods which require some attention to details - drag setting, etc. - as rods get thinner and lighter they can be damaged by dings more easily. I've fished for everything from bluegills to blue marlin and have never seen a fish break a rod if properly used. Quote
Delaware Valley Tackle Posted June 16, 2014 Posted June 16, 2014 Life time warranties are really just replacement programs, a type of insurance the cost of which is built into the rod. If a blank is truly defective, it will break upon one of the first few times it is heavily loaded. Brittle isn't quite the right word but there is some trade off in a lower weight to stiffness ratio which is where sensitivity is derived from for the most part. If a high modulus blank's fibers are compromised by a bang on a boat cleat or a c-rig weight flopping in the wind, failure is more likely. Most often breakage occurs from high sticking and swinging fish. The tip should never be bent beyond 90* to the butt. If that rule is followed the deadlift capacity of a HM blank is every bit as high or higher than the old technology. To take it to extremes, you could say compare an indestructible Ugly Stick and a "Brittle" LTE and see witch is a more efficient fishing tool. 1 Quote
Super User WRB Posted June 16, 2014 Super User Posted June 16, 2014 You pay a high price for thin wall high performance materials to reduce rod blank weight. Light weight rod components like 9 micro guides in lieu of 7 standard guides help to distribute the line load on the blank to improve performance. Light weight doesn't mean more durable, these rods are fragile compared to heavier wall lower modulus rod blanks that had full cork handles and fore grips, sturdier standard guides that help to protect the rod blank from damage. Use rod gloves with your state of the art rods to help protect them when not in use. Avoid stepping on the rods, abusing the rods putting them in the rod locker and never lift a bass into the boat using the rod, unless it's a heavy flipping rod made to lift fish. Weekend tournament bass anglers see the pros and copy them, the pro has a sponsor to replace broken tackle, you don't! Tom Quote
Big Swimbait Posted June 17, 2014 Author Posted June 17, 2014 I agree with all of your comments. Of the recent breakage I was referring to, I was only a witness to 4 of them. The 2 I broke, one on a hook set with fluro & one casting a swim jig were replaced under warranty. The other 2 were with 2 different draw partners & broke while fighting fish. One of those was replaced under warranty & the other was out of warranty, although they replaced it with a $45.00 charge. You are correct that neglecting to care for the rods will result in premature failure. I'm not rich, so I baby my gear. I've been fishing with these guys for about 7 years & have never witnessed this much failure in a short period of time. Hopefully it's just an anomaly And to the King, you are correct about All Star. That's why I still have my original WR1. That & my Castaway East Texas Grass Rake are 2 rods I will never give up. Funny about the Castaway rod, I went to the Bassmaster Classic this year & talked to the Castaway guys in their booth. We talked about the Grass Rake & they told me they still have enough of the original blanks to make a production run if I could get enough orders LOL! Quote
Big Fish Rice Posted June 17, 2014 Posted June 17, 2014 You're going to hear a lot about higher graphite content = more brittle rods, but the fact of the matter is this: after working retail fishing and seeing how some rods come in from shipping, many "breaks" and defects could easily be how the rod was treated....before you got it off the shelf.Quality control is another thing. I wonder how many rods are built around the world in one day. There's always going to be a bad one in the bunch. If it becomes a constant thing, that's when I would approach the manufacturer in a nice way and let them know your experience. Hopefully you don't have it happen again...but look at it this way....you must have a heckuva hookset Tight lines olblue72!By the way, a '72 Chevy? Just curious... Quote
Big Swimbait Posted June 17, 2014 Author Posted June 17, 2014 You're going to hear a lot about higher graphite content = more brittle rods, but the fact of the matter is this: after working retail fishing and seeing how some rods come in from shipping, many "breaks" and defects could easily be how the rod was treated....before you got it off the shelf. Quality control is another thing. I wonder how many rods are built around the world in one day. There's always going to be a bad one in the bunch. If it becomes a constant thing, that's when I would approach the manufacturer in a nice way and let them know your experience. Hopefully you don't have it happen again...but look at it this way....you must have a heckuva hookset Tight lines olblue72! By the way, a '72 Chevy? Just curious... Yep - my first ride I bought in 73, a 1972 C10 - 557K miles - in the process of restoring her now! Quote
Big Fish Rice Posted June 18, 2014 Posted June 18, 2014 Yep - my first ride I bought in 73, a 1972 C10 - 557K miles - in the process of restoring her now! Awesome! My dad had one just like it when i was little. Used to sit on his lap and shift (5 speed). Sure would like to get one to restore! Quote
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