How long will your rods last you?
I got to thinking that my rods usually last up to 10 years, maybe longer. When I break a rod, it's usually my fault. The last couple of broken rods were flipping sticks. When I set the hook and missed a fish, the hook and bullet weight came shooting out of the water and hit my rod. A trip or two later, "snap"!! Other than that, they just don't break.
I end up eventually upgrading rods after many years of use to get the latest and greatest benefits from new technology.
Great thread! Like you, other than rod breaking by my doing, which is rare, btw. Rods last me YEARS!
Quote from: FlatsNBay on November 23, 2023, 07:29:54 AMHow long will your rods last you?
I got to thinking that my rods usually last up to 10 years, maybe longer. When I break a rod, it's usually my fault. The last couple of broken rods were flipping sticks. When I set the hook and missed a fish, the hook and bullet weight came shooting out of the water and hit my rod. A trip or two later, "snap"!! Other than that, they just don't break.
I end up eventually upgrading rods after many years of use to get the latest and greatest benefits from new technology.
Unless I break it usually a pretty long time.
It seems to me that rods get slower as they age. Like the blank wearing out or getting "tired".
My rods last me a long time. I have a Lew Speed Stick Spinning Rod that I still use on occasion. I bought this rod in 1973 ~shade
My BPS Extreme Rods were all purchased back in 2009 > 2014. I still have them and use them. I'm in the process of upgrading them to the Dobyn's series due to the new technology.
I bought cheap, saying that I will upgrade when they break, well that hasn't happened yet.
I have broken a bunch of real old rods but none in the last 10 or so years, go figure.
Because of the type of fishing I do now, I usually buy fiberglass or a fiberglass composite rod, and although they aren't as sensitive as those high cost rods, work well for around here, and are a lot more forgiving to dents and dings, etc.
I just recently broke my last pre-Academy All Star rod (bought probably mid 90s).
So, a while. lo
FWIW, it was a "mystery break." Put it in the rod rack in my boat intact, and next time I saw it, it was snapped 6" from the tip.
I have several carbon lites that I use almost everyday and they are close to ten years old. I don't baby them, throw them in the bed of the truck, and flip fish in all the time. They take a licking and keep on ticking. They only place showing wear is the handle and I rerap them every so often. They do last.
I usually rotate through rods every year. I'm pretty loyal to a few brands but I probably trade/sell 20 rods or more a year.
The exception's are a All Star Zell Roland TWS that I've had for 35 years at least, and a Yamamoto spinning rod that's still the best shaky head rod I've had and its close to 20 years old I'm sure.
I don't think age hurts them, maybe it softens them up a touch. but I don't think you would ever notice it.
the last awesomely, right up to the point where I break it. always user error. for me that is usually taking a tungsten weight to the blank.
I still have some of my original Shimano Magnumlite rods from the mid-1980's. I don't fish them anymore, but Shimano made such good looking rod and reel cosmetics back then that I don't want to get rid of them! Lol
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Rods can last several lifetimes, I have rods that I had when I was 12-14 years old.
I file this under questions like. "how long should my brakes last?"
seriously depends on how often you brake. there is no way to say a rod will take 10,000 bends. bends are all different. some are on thick braid with no give in the line. some are after a tungsten sinker does that 1/10000 shot of hitting the rod on the rocket ride back. some are because of a 20 pound catfish.
I do know this. they all break unexpectedly. less unexpectedly if it is a Dobyns Fury (for me)
I've actually only had 2 rods break since I got back into heavy bass fishing in 2018, both were Dobyns, both my fault. An Xtasy 752 and 753. I take a more care of these now, especially when moving them in and out of the rod locker....
I sent a nrx to loomis on the 5th of January and had a replacement on the 31st. Cost $20 for shipping. Had it not been warranteed it would have been $125, still well worth it. The new one is a nrx +. I wonder if if it will feel different?
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I've worn out and had to replace components like guides and handle materials but rod blanks are pretty resilient. The only ones I've ever had to replace were ones I either stepped on or shut in a car/truck door.
I have rods from the late 80's and early 90's that are still going strong.
Back in the 90's when I was using Falcon rods I shut the car door on 2 of them and snapped the blank about 3 guides down from the tip. One rod was under warranty and the other was not. They didn't charge me anything to replace the out of warranty rod so I had 2 brand new rods and all it cost me was $12.95 for 2 day air delivery.
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My rod builder was a happy man. I put his son thru college. I have only bought line since my retirement in 2008. I have had more rods taken by thieves than I have broken.
Wizard
Quote from: njpaulc on November 23, 2023, 09:44:13 AMIt seems to me that rods get slower as they age. Like the blank wearing out or getting "tired".
I think I'm experiencing this now with a 14 year old Shimano Compre. It feels less stiff than it once did. About 5 years ago I also hooked and landed a large catfish on a spinnerbait with this rod, and it was so bent that several times during that fight I thought the rod would explode into a thousand pieces, but it didn't. After that I always did think that took some of the fight out of it. Feels like the tip lost something and now flexes more like a medium mag instead of a medium heavy.
KNOCK
ON
WOOD
Rod Gods heard me loud and clear? RIGHT???!!!???
Unless I or my sons brake them my rods have lasted me longer than I would EVER dare brag here about.
I will say I have 9' and 9.5' St. Croix Salmon and steelhead rods I bought in the late 90's I cried as I parted with the cash for them.
I have several 7' Ugly Sticks I bought in the early 90's still going strong and are in essentially perfect working order.
I have several 7' one piece original IM7 Berkley Lightning Rods I bought back in the early 90's that are my go to live bait and panfish rods still in VG shape.