Why do fishing rods break?

It’s time to stop blaming the fish and come clean. You are likely the reason your fishing rod broke right as you were about to land the amazing fish that got away. Honestly, there are many reasons why fishing rods break, but human error is the main cause. No one wants to hear that cracking sound where suddenly the tip of the rod is now in two pieces. Breaks cause frustration and finger pointing begins as to why this thing exploded.

Let’s talk about some of the causes of rod failure.

Cause #1: High-sticking with a fish

There is nothing more exciting than hooking a nice fish, enjoying the experience and being able to land the fish. All too often though, when rods break during that moment of excitement, the angler has the rod held skyward in what is known as “high-sticking.” More rods break at this point than any other situation. A fishing rod should never be bent beyond 45 to 60 degrees when fighting a fish. Instead, loosen the drag on the reel, tire out the fish and save the rod! Another tip: Don’t hold the rod above the fore grip. The alteration of load dynamics places stress on the rod it wasn’t designed to withstand.

Cause #2: Damage in transporting or handling

Today’s modern lightweight rods are correctly constructed and can handle large fish. The biggest cause of failure is misuse or mishandling of the rods though. Many rods are damaged before they explode or come apart while fishing. Imagine a fishing rod being dropped against a rock or boat seat or allowing a sinker to vibrate or bounce against the rod blank during a long boat ride. While these situations don’t usually break a rod, it may damage them enough to show up much later as the fibers have been bruised earlier. That’s when the rod snaps and breaks.

Carrying a rod tip first through a door is a disaster waiting to happen. For the rod and the person it may potentially stab! Always carry your rods butt first. The tip will always follow right along, out of harm’s way.

Cause #3: Mismatched tackle

Matching the wrong line weight, reels and terminal tackle to a rod that is designed for something else is also a cause of early rod failure. Most fishing rods can handle some over-lining or larger reels, but the angler must be aware of the consequences. You wouldn’t think of using a $400 fishing rod for a $25 lure retriever, yet anglers do. Yes, they may retrieve the snagged lure, but they also cause internal damage to the rod. Somewhere down the line, that rod may break. This is not a manufacturer’s defective fishing rod.

High quality, high return

Today, the most common material to build fishing rods is carbon fiber, which is very strong and sturdy. The quality of the carbon fiber fabric or scrim material and its weight-to-strength ratio are carefully selected to produce the lightest yet strongest blank possible. The technology used in rod blank manufacturing is amazingly technical.

These materials add compression strength and tension rigidity, which lead to less blank breakage. Carbon fiber, too, will break if over-stressed though. Multiple layers of fabric, the varying number of layers and the thickness and orientation of that material all contribute to the rod’s performance. Higher-end rods cost more but it’s because much higher quality scrim fabric was used in the manufacturing process.

Most broken rods have experienced a previous stress that will be noticed only during the most inopportune moments. We are quick to point the finger at the manufacturer or rod builder of the tragedy, but most often it’s previous mistreatment (intentional or not) of the rod. There are, of course, a few occasions where a manufacturing defect precludes the break, but this really is rare.

Today’s rods are incredibly strong, but anglers must also understand they are fragile, too. They will break if abused.

Experience the quality, fit and comfort of a hand-crafted, custom-made fishing rod created just for you. Combining traditional skills with state of the art technology results in a personalized LakeLady Rod at its finest.