I am DONE with Cumaras!! Need new suggestions.

[Rolltide09]

I have broken 4 Shimano Cumaras in the last three weekends. One from swinging small fish in the boat, two from casting and one while fighting a 7lb bass.I love these rods, I am just tired of driving 40 miles after every weekend to take one back to BP. So I am taking another one back to BP tomorrow and going to exchange it for another rod. I was thinking of trying some cheaper rods out to see how they hold up. I already have Crucials and if all else fails I just buy more of those because they are a solid rod. Any ideas on rods in the $100-$150 range?

[Bigs]

St croix avid series are a good choice if u want american made quality for cheaper then a cumara. Crucials are decent but not much cheaper then the avids. Powell , lamiglass, daiwa light and tough, take ur pick.

[Rolltide09]

I am looking hard at the Powell rods. I called BP and they dont seem like the want to give me another exchange/return.

[OkobojiEagle]

The Avids are a good suggestion or Fenwick HMG if you want a slightly softer action than the Avid.

[grimlin]

I am looking hard at the Powell rods. I called BP and they dont seem like the want to give me another exchange/return.

You'll love those Powell rods...

[Beastie Bass]

I agree! St. Croix Avids rock! I've caught stripers up to 20lbs and channel cats up to 15 and had no problems at all. I own 8 now and I still find excuses to add another occasionally.

[David P]

Dobyns Savvy series. Roughly the same price as the Powells and certainly a nice step up. Better balanced and very nice all around feel. Absolutely amazing rods for the price. They have the feel of 200 rods easy.

[NorcalBassin]

You have horrible luck... maybe just pick up a couple Ugly Sticks until you get it out of your system.

[Rolltide09]

You have horrible luck... maybe just pick up a couple Ugly Sticks until you get it out of your system.

Funny you said that. Yesterday we fished one of our private lakes and were tearin 'em up when my rod broke. Since I was fustrated I made a joke that I was going to just use the old ugly stick that was laying in my buddies small jon boat (small lake with no ramp). Tied on a skitter pop and caught a 7.5lb bass on the first cast. I am just tired of breaking $240 rods everytime I go out fishing. Everyone of them has broken at the next to last guide on the blank. I am a senior in college and tired of investing my hard earned money into stuff that isnt lasting. The Cumaras have to be the most brittle rods I have ever owned.

[senko_77]

I am looking hard at the Powell rods. I called BP and they dont seem like the want to give me another exchange/return.

Good choice.  Powell rods are great.  I fish with them exclusively and have never broken one. 

[bandsr4me20]

powells are great

[Big O Tires Angler]

I own 4 Cumara rods and have never had one of them break on me and I treat them like crap because I know the over the counter warranty will take care of it regardless of the breakage reason.

But...if you're looking to try another brand of rods then I would take David P's suggestion on the Dobyns Savvy series of rods. Powell makes a good product, and I've owned 4 of them before, but I sold them all off and purchased Dobyns Rods because the balance is just so much better.

I know I'm going to get a lot of hate for talking about the balance of rods, but keep in mind that the less weight the rod has at the tip then the more sensitive it becomes. I just couldn't stand how I had to keep fighting the tip weight on my 7'3" Powell rods and made the switch and continue to buy more Dobyns Rods.

I'm definitely not on the pro staff either so I've had to purchase all my rods at retail. Totally worth it though!

[roadwarrior]

St. Croix Avid

Beyond the  high quality components and

craftsmanship, you will not break these rods

"fishing".

8-)

[steezy]

4 broke rods in 3 fishing trips.

No offense but it sounds like the problem might be between the boat and the rod handle.

Are you exceeding the tackle weight limits of the rod or "high sticking"?

[Uncle Leo]

This does sound odd. I have been fishing for about 45 years and have only broken two rods. One closing a truck door on it and the second a St Criox Avid on a hook set. The line looped back over while fishing a T-Rig and I set the hook with the line draped across the rod between the Top and second eye. I know that is what happeded as it was during windy conditions nad my cast had a bit of a loop to it.

[Rolltide09]

I dont know why I have problems with all these rods. These are the first rods I have ever broken while "fishing". I  store my rods in pvc tubes and try to take care of them. I only use them for up to 1/2 ounce jigs and smaller down to 1/4 ounce t-rigs and finnesse jigs.

[Raul]

4 broken rods , man or either you are terribly unlucky or you are doing something terribly wrong. I 've been fishing for 37 years and I 've only broken 3 rods, 2 of which were broken by my own fault, so in 37 years and a bunch of rods from different brands only once I 've got a defective rod.

[TommyBass]

4 broken rods , man or either you are terribly unlucky or you are doing something terribly wrong. I 've been fishing for 37 years and I 've only broken 3 rods, 2 of which were broken by my own fault, so in 37 years and a bunch of rods from different brands only once I 've got a defective rod.

Nope... I have a friend with the same problem.   He has broken 3 shimano rods in the last year... absolutely ridiculous.  Its something to do with the rod, his all broke in the upper regions of the second eyelet as well.  There is something weird with them, they are definately seeming brittle.

I however, have one that I have not managed to break yet. 

[Rolltide09]

Thats where all mine have broke.

[Raul]

Breaking rods is an exception and not the rule, if you guys see how rods are manufactured and the quality control that 's made to those rods then you would not blame rod breakeage to the manufacturer but to yourselves most of the times.

I 'm going to play the devil 's advocate in this issue. the material is cut and rolled, then baked, depending upon the manufacturer and upon the level of rod samples are taken randomly for testing before blanks are assembled, take to a lab where the techincians perform performance and destructive tests to those samples from each lot, why before assembly ? because if there 's something wrong in the lot they can detct it before assembly and take the precautionary measures to insure the quality, if the samples perform like they should then the lot is given approval to continue the process, that 's why I say that rod failure is rare occurence.

We are talking here about two guys breaking a total of seven rods not about seven guys breaking seven rods, the chances of such event happening are minimal. You are either really unlucky or you are doing something wrong.

[Rolltide09]

I understand to point. I have 5 crucials, 2 IMX's and a couple Carrott Stix. Fished with them for a few years and have yet to any problems out of them. BP said they get alot of Cumaras returned every week.

[steezy]

I wish Bantam1 (the shimano rep) was here to chime in, I'd really like to get his opinion on this bizzare problem.   

Its hard to believe that many breaks in such a sort time by 2 people.  This has got to be something to do with how the rod is being handled.

[northern basser]

I'm with David P.  DOBYNS!!

[RobbyZ5001]

I broke two cumaras as well. I have a 7'2 mf that has held up. I will not buy another one.

[21farms]

the laws of physics are immutable. the higher the graphite content, the more sensitive it is...but, also the more brittle it is. also, to achieve light weight, the blank walls are thinner and may not incorporate an inner core. in summary, the super sensitivity and light weight of the cumaras comes at the price of increased fragility and need to be handled accordingly. for me, the cumaras are great but it sounds to me like they're just not a good fit for your fishing style and you'd be better off going in a different direction.

hard-to-break graphite rods are the bass pro shops rods with their "powerwall construction" and the cabela's rods with their "spiral core technology", which are both essentially a blank-within-a-blank, but that makes them heavy and less sensitive (both stores want to reduce their broken rod warranty claims to an absolute minimum). so, it's all about tradeoffs. something between the cumaras and the BPS/cabelas rods is perhaps your best bet. good luck.