You_Only_Live_Once_Fishing Posted July 18, 2016 Posted July 18, 2016 I just broke my 7'1" MH rod. this is the second Tournament zx rod I've broken this month. they look and feel good, but the blanks keep breaking. I want to exchange it for another rod. I used it for senkos, 3/8 oz jigs, 1/2 oz cranks spinnerbaits, etc. i think mh is better but I'm not sure. i don't want to snap rods, but i want to have fun, also is a mf action good too? thanks Quote
papajoe222 Posted July 18, 2016 Posted July 18, 2016 Depending on the company, A M/H power may be too much for throwing weightless Senkos. Also if you combine that with a Fast, or X-Fast action, you can rule out using it for cranks IMO. My suggestion is to take your reel with you, mount it on a prospective rod and run the line through the guides. Hold the rod as you normally do and see how it feels. Then, with five or six feet of line hanging from the tip, grab the end of the line and pull down loading the rod. Is the bend in the rod more or less than you prefer? Double check the line and lure ratings against what you normally use and when everything meets your expectations, you've found your rod. I am curious as to where on the blank your Tournament ZX's broke. Where you attempting to unsnag a lure, casting, or setting the hook/playing a fish? Quote
Super User fishnkamp Posted July 18, 2016 Super User Posted July 18, 2016 If they broke just casting or retrieving then I would get a different rod all together. See if they will give you a store credit and then look at the St Croix Mojo Bass rod. 2 Quote
DrFish11 Posted July 18, 2016 Posted July 18, 2016 I second mojo bass rods. They are all I fish now. I have broken one and I think it got smashed on the deck beforehand. Shipped back to St. Croix and had a new one the next week! 1 Quote
BiteFiend Posted July 18, 2016 Posted July 18, 2016 I would be curious to know the manner in which they broke as well. I have 4 of those rods (to include the model you just broke) and my wife has one. We have had zero issues with any of them so far and I have had 3 of them for over a year. They have caught big-ish bass, they have caught small bass, they have caught lots of vegetation on said bass. They have been snagged on rocks and timber and the snags have been shaken free. My gear gets minor inadvertent abuse, which is fine; most gear can handle that. That said, I have always believed that if one takes care of their gear, it will take care of them. Therefore I am careful how I store my rods, and am careful loading and unloading them on to my boat. When snagged, I am careful of how much stress I put on the rod. When boat-flipping a fish, I am careful of the "technique" I use to do so. I have been lucky enough to only break one rod in close to 30 years of fishing knock on wood ). That break was a direct result of my actions. I know that rods break once in a while and I get that, but I also know that most rod failures are due to user error or damage that occured during shipping or storage. Take care of your equipment and it will take care of you. Then again, maybe I am just lucky. 1 Quote
Delaware Valley Tackle Posted July 18, 2016 Posted July 18, 2016 If you're repeatedly breaking rods you're doing something wrong. A different make or model may suit you better then again it may not if you don't get to the bottom of what's happening. 6 Quote
Super User new2BC4bass Posted July 18, 2016 Super User Posted July 18, 2016 Just read through the "Troubling Video" thread, and my opinion hasn't changed since then. Like Mike said, if you are breaking rods, it is most likely because you are doing something wrong....either while fishing or transporting. 1 Quote
You_Only_Live_Once_Fishing Posted July 19, 2016 Author Posted July 19, 2016 Thanks for all the replies. I have the 7'0" M & 7'1" MH Tournament ZX rods. The former broke when I made a cast with a small crank bait 4in from the tip. The latter broke in the middle when I made a cast after catching a fish. I do not boat flip fish or fish in lots of cover with these rods. I am a recreational angler, so I want to enjoy the fight of the fish. In order to do this, I keep the drag low. I set my drag by taking 6 feet or so of line and handing the end to my dad. He holds the line tight and i set the drag all the way up. i give a slight bend in the rod and slowly decrease the drag pressure until line comes out. Quote
stk44 Posted July 19, 2016 Posted July 19, 2016 On 7/18/2016 at 3:50 AM, BiteFiend said: I would be curious to know the manner in which they broke as well. I have 4 of those rods (to include the model you just broke) and my wife has one. We have had zero issues with any of them so far and I have had 3 of them for over a year. They have caught big-ish bass, they have caught small bass, they have caught lots of vegetation on said bass. They have been snagged on rocks and timber and the snags have been shaken free. My gear gets minor inadvertent abuse, which is fine; most gear can handle that. That said, I have always believed that if one takes care of their gear, it will take care of them. Therefore I am careful how I store my rods, and am careful loading and unloading them on to my boat. When snagged, I am careful of how much stress I put on the rod. When boat-flipping a fish, I am careful of the "technique" I use to do so. I have been lucky enough to only break one rod in close to 30 years of fishing knock on wood ). That break was a direct result of my actions. I know that rods break once in a while and I get that, but I also know that most rod failures are due to user error or damage that occured during shipping or storage. Take care of your equipment and it will take care of you. Then again, maybe I am just lucky. Can you give this lecture to my fishing partner? He won't listen to me... Quote
OnthePotomac Posted July 19, 2016 Posted July 19, 2016 I Senko/plastics fish and always have with BPS Carbonlite 7' MH fast tips and they work perfectly and you can't beat the price on sale. They seem to get a bad rap, I fish the tidal Potomac and that water can be rough on a rod, but I have never had a rod failure. Quote
BiteFiend Posted July 19, 2016 Posted July 19, 2016 3 hours ago, stk44 said: Can you give this lecture to my fishing partner? He won't listen to me... Lol, didn't mean to lecture. Was just saying. Especially if one has a history of things accidentally breaking, sooner or later you need to look yourself in the mirror. 1 Quote
Super User WRB Posted July 19, 2016 Super User Posted July 19, 2016 There is a difference between a spinning and casting rod M or MH and differences between each rod mfr, no specific standards exists. If you bought your rods off the tackle shelf, the rods may have had prior damage from being mishandled by customers. Set your drag with a scale at 1/3 rd the line strength for mono or FC and don't start by tightening it down first, that can over stress any rod. Tom Quote
Super User fishnkamp Posted July 19, 2016 Super User Posted July 19, 2016 It is not the Potomac River that is hard on a rod, it is what is IN the Potomac River that is hard on a rod. Just look at some of those snakeheads in there! Quote
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