rod life

[yugrac]

I have a higher end ultralight rod, I am not going to name brands, but it is a rod that is made in the USA and cost about $125. I have owned this rod for about 4 years, but the last year or so it just does not feel the same. Its a fast taper but it almost feels like its turning into a slow rod, almost parabolic, I dont remember this rod feeling like this, and the lures I bought this rod for dont seem to cast as far as they used to, even with the same reel and line type. I have several other rods from this same manufacture that have not done this. Have any of you guys ever had a rod go limp [pun intended]  I am replacing the rig for this season, I will give the old one to my son, I mean its still fishable but it just does not feel the same to me, like its lost its backbone, may just be me, the rod has no damage, its kept in my rod locker in the boat with a rod cover on it.  Even without a lure on it when you whip it back and forth it bends almost down to the handle, I have rods I have had for over 40 years that still feel the same. Just kind of strange.

[Delaware Valley Tackle]

There have been similar discussions in Rod building forums and each time the concensus has been that in theory a Rod blank may have a number of cycles before wear occurs but it would be so rediculously high you could never actually achieve it. 

[FloridaFishinFool]

I have a 25 plus year old ultralight rod dam near worn out and it is still an awesome rod!

[tater555]

I bought a pair of St Croix avids from a local pawn shop, both were built in 2004 going by the serial#. One was a 7'mh fast and the other was a 7' mh moderate, they both had pretty much the same parabolic action! The moderate rod still felt nice and crisp, but the fast action was nowhere near as crisp or sensitive. I traded the 7'mh fast to a buddy of mine and when he received it he could not believe how worn out the rod was. Btw I have fished other St Croix fast action rods, and many from various manufacturers so I have a feel for how a fast rod should load and bend.

[yugrac]

Yeah, the rod I have is a St Croix, but I have other St Croix rods older than that, and have not felt this in those. I have a old, 42 years old, shakespear, fiberglass rod, I have kept for sentiment, still has the 42 year old reel, and I fished with it a few years ago, and it still feels the same!

[Raul]

My Berkley Lightning Rods are more than 2 decades old, I have caught literally thousands of fish and most of my 10+ lbs big mommas were caught with them and they are as firm and crisp as the day I bought them.

[Paul Roberts]

My Skyline rods are still just as they were -one I bought in 1981. Ditto a Shakespeare boron, Fenwicks, and some others. Never heard of a rod breaking down like that. At least I haven't seen it.

[soflabasser]

Great thread! I have several +20 year old rods that I still catch big bass and big saltwater fish on.They all have the same action as the first day I fished with them decades ago.

[MickD]

I have never noticed an action or power change.  Would really like to have  you quote the specs on the rod.  No problem mentioning brand here.

[yugrac]

The rod is a PS60ULF six foot ultralight fast taper.  I bought this rod for one use only, to cast 1/4 oz Joes Flies inline spinners. The first 3 years it was fine, I could get very long cast, but most of last season it just kept getting worse as far as performance in that aspect. I went to using a BPS brand $49 rod i had bought my wife that she would not use for some reason, and it out performed the St Croix. Both are the same taper and power, but when "flipping" the rod even with no lure the difference in the flex in the rod is very clear, and the St Croix rod was not that way when I bought it. As I said, I too have rods I have owned for decades that still feel the same as they always did, this issue with this rod just seemed strange, and I just wondered if anyone else had ever had this happen. I have a half dozen other St. Croix rods that I am perfectly happy with, so I am not bashing there rods, I would but another one. It just seems that this rod has went limp. Its still fishable, but it no longer performs like it used to. Almost  all my rods are fast taper, so I know how they feel compared to softer tapers, I have a couple moderate, and extra fast taper, so I do know the feel.

[Drew03cmc]

Perhaps you became accustomed to a stiffer rod, faster action with your heavier gear and were expecting the same feeling after an absence from that Premier 6' ULF. this can and does happen. It happened to me and now, I have a hard time using my UL rod. also, there's a chance that the UL rods simply don't have enough inherent stiffness for a truly fast action and will always be more parabolic.

[yugrac]

I fished with this rod 75% of every trip out, the lures I use on this rod are my staple "go to lure" 90% of the fish I catch were on this rod with a 1/4 oz joes fly, I know how it used to feel, and how it feels now.  Not my imagination.

[ClackerBuzz]

so did you reach out to SC?  if you don't like the answer the first rep gives you, hang up and keep calling back till you get a person that helps

[Klebs01]

23 hours ago, yugrac said:

The rod is a PS60ULF six foot ultralight fast taper.  I bought this rod for one use only, to cast 1/4 oz Joes Flies inline spinners.

That lure appears to exceed the rating for the rod. I wonder if the added stress somehow damaged the rod and is a factor in the degraded performance.