Breaking Rods, How many per year do you?

[Wacked worm]

I'm getting frustrated, as a fisherman on a budget I cant quite seem to either buy quality or luck. This is the 3rd rod Ive had break in 2 years. Granted, two last year were cheap ultra lights for trout fishing, but this was a less then 2 month old  rod (11+1+1). The fish took me under the kayak and snapped the top 6 inches off. They want me to ship the broken rod, and pay return shipping which would cost nearly 50$ by the time I get a container to ship it back in. Can I use a broken rod? 

 

How many per year do you break? Should I switch to ugly stik?

[Pro Logcatcher]

Personally, I've never broken a rod. However, I have trashed several reels and I feel like the shipping cost isn't worth it. 

[Dirtyeggroll]

30 minutes ago, Doctor Dingle said:

I'm getting frustrated, as a fisherman on a budget I cant quite seem to either buy quality or luck. This is the 3rd rod Ive had break in 2 years. Granted, two last year were cheap ultra lights for trout fishing, but this was a less then 2 month old  rod (11+1+1). The fish took me under the kayak and snapped the top 6 inches off. They want me to ship the broken rod, and pay return shipping which would cost nearly 50$ by the time I get a container to ship it back in. Can I use a broken rod? 

 

How many per year do you break? Should I switch to ugly stik?

I have broken 4 rods in the last year.

 

The 1st one was stupid. I was using the rod tip to get a crankbait out of some underwater landscaping fabric and the tip just crunched.

 

The 2nd one I was walking into my house with the rod and our door to the garage isn’t set right so it closes by itself pretty hard. I entered the door with the rod tip behind me and the door caught it.

 

I ended up putting new tips on both of these rods and giving them to some of my buddies that are just getting into fishing.

 

The 3rd one was a heavy action Veritas 2.0 the snapped when I set the hook on a 2 lb fish. I sent pics of the broken rod to Abu Garcia and they sent me a brand new one for $10.

 

The 4th one was just a guide on a Daiwa rod. The epoxy on the first guilde up from the reel seet cracked on a cast. I had to pay to send the rod to Daiwa but they sent me back a new one.

[DogBone_384]

I'll break one every other year or so.  Two were Abu's which Abu Garcia replaced under warranty.  The others are always my fault, i.e. closing my tailgate on one, or catching another with a power window.  It's inevitable.

[MickD]

 I have broken about 3 in the last 20 years.  One I "high sticked" one by catching the tip on my shoe in the boat, and two broke in my rod locker which didn't hold the rods properly, the tip got jammed into a bulkhead.  If you are breaking rods regularly you are not treating them right.   

 

Check out this article:  https://www.rodbuilding.org/library/rodusage.pdf

[Catt]

I've never broken a rod while fishing, I've had 3-4 broken by someone stepping on them or slammed in a van door.

[FishTank]

I have booken three rods over the span of 20+ years of fishing.  One in car door, second one cracked at the reels seat and the other on a 40lb catfish (which was user error).  Other than that I haven't broken a rod in about 10 years.   

[scaleface]

I broke one rod  while fishing .  It was a new  Shimano Compere , the most expensive rod I ever bought . Set the hook and " SNAP " . Shimano replaced it . I have stepped on a couple .

[Scott F]

In the last 30 years, I’ve broken a total of 4. The first one broke when the lid on my rod box closed before the rod was all the way in. 2 broke while I was transporting them in the back of my truck. Only one broke while fishing when I set the hook rather violently while fishing a frog. I was only 40 minutes from the St. Croix store at the time, so I took it back and they handed me a new one. 

[ratherbfishin1]

I am extremely careful not to step on my rods, unfortunately the people I’m with aren’t quite as careful...

[Joshua van Wyk]

I've broken 2 rods in the last year, the first one was a Abu Garcia Vendetta. I was riding my bike under a tree and it got caught in the branches, I emailed Abu a pic of the damage and they sent me a brand new one for $10. The second rod was a Cabelas Salt Striker,  it broke while bringing in a 3 pounder. I took it back and they gave me the credit for it. I bought a Dobyns Fury the same day and it's the nicest rod I have.

[Falkus]

I have broke several. The major one was casting and it just cracked in half. 

 

 

[kenmitch]

I haven't broken one yet....knocks on wood multiple times.

 

I only got back into fishing early last year after around 25yrs of non fishing. The early years I don't really remember breaking any but might have when I was a wee little lad. Picked fishing back up in 1988 when I moved out to this area and quit around late 1991. I don't remember breaking any during that time frame, but try to keep that time frame in deep storage as I lost a monster bass at the side of the boat as I helplessly watched....I can see the horror as I type this!

[nosdog2]

I have broken two, one got wedged in a boat cleat and the other 'someone' closed the door on the tip when bringing them in the house.

[fishwizzard]

I have broken two rods, but I broke one of them twice.   First one was a car window, replaced the tip and then broke it again lifting a 15" smallie like 16' up out of canal where I was catching 3-4" panfish.  It snapped like 6" down and I chucked it.  The second rod was an UL that broke when I was flexing it by pulling on the line, I assume it had gotten nicked, the blank was a toothpick.

 

I don't baby my gear but I am very diligent about using rod covers for any transport and try to stay aware of exactly where the tip is whenever a rod is in my hand.  

[LCG]

26 minutes ago, fishwizzard said:

don't baby my gear but I am very diligent about using rod covers for any transport and try to stay aware of exactly where the tip is whenever a rod is in my hand.  

This is good advice. 

 

I have only broken one rod. I fell down a rock embankment, onto my rod snapping it two, and then into a river. Not my finest moment

[J Francho]

It’s been more than five years since I broke a rod. Sounds like you’re high sticking and not letting the drag do it’s job. 

[CrankFate]

I have never broke a rod. I’ve seen rods slammed in car trunks, stepped on on rocks and broken on a snag. But I’ve never broken a rod myself.

 

i almost never order rods, because if you carefully examine the rods in the stores you can see the variations, defects and errors (like visibly replaced tips and rods that are longer and shorter than the rest).

 

I personally believe the thinner, lighter most expensive rods also have the most visible defects.

[A-Jay]

 When it comes to standard one piece bass rods, I think I may have broken 1 stick in 10 years.

However, if we chose to include 3 piece travel rods in this discussion, well then I am a rod snapping fool !  Past few years I've blown up 5 of my own and 1 of my buddies; all on hook sets south of the border.    

I've since transitioned to a different line of travel sticks so thankfully, the carnage has stopped. 

A-Jay

 

 

[looking45]

2 hours ago, Doctor Dingle said:

I'm getting frustrated, as a fisherman on a budget I cant quite seem to either buy quality or luck. This is the 3rd rod Ive had break in 2 years. Granted, two last year were cheap ultra lights for trout fishing, but this was a less then 2 month old  rod (11+1+1). The fish took me under the kayak and snapped the top 6 inches off. They want me to ship the broken rod, and pay return shipping which would cost nearly 50$ by the time I get a container to ship it back in. Can I use a broken rod? 

 

How many per year do you break? Should I switch to ugly stik?

What make rod is it?  Most companies will toss the rod when you return it, they just want to see the damaged area. Call them back and see if you can just ship the piece where it broke off. If so, cut the two pieces and send it in a small package

[Mike L]

2 hours ago, Catt said:

I've never broken a rod while fishing, I've had 3-4 broken by someone stepping on them or slammed in a van door.

Ditto

 

 

 

 

Mike

[Team9nine]

I can only recall 2 in 35 years of fishing, both my fault. One trying to use the rod tip to free a lure off an underwater hang, the other trying to free a snagged lure from a drifting boat that simply built up too much tip pressure before I could get hold of the line directly.

[Wacked worm]

1 hour ago, J Francho said:

It’s been more than five years since I broke a rod. Sounds like you’re high sticking and not letting the drag do it’s job. 

Ive never high sticked or boat flipped a fish. Its not something easily done in a kayak, I net everything. 

 

[Angry John]

I have broken a few and for all the wrong reasons.

1. Pfluger president spinning rod trying to wip a lure out of a tree.  Rookie mistake only fishing for 6 months at that point.

2. Fenwick elite smallmouth mh high sticked a 5lb bass next to the yak.  Rookie mistake fishing for 1.5 years at that point.

3. Lamiglas excel 702 spinning rod crushed by my yak while on the road to go fishing.  Rookie mistake fishing 3 years at that point.

4.  Busted guide on dobyns 702 same reason as #3 then I finally learned the lesson.  Fishing 3 years 2 months.  

 

Those are all of my damages now at about 9 years fishing and I hope to be done learning these lessons.

[Delaware Valley Tackle]

When you the fish went under the boat you should have given him line until you could swap sides. Over the years ugly stick has contributed to lots of poor technique becoming habit. High performance rods are intolerant of mishandling. It's a trade off but one I'm personally willing to make.