# Ever break a rod fighting a fish?



## Buckbaker (Aug 3, 2015)

I overheard a guy in a bait shop today say he liked heavier, all around rods. His reason was he didn't want to have it break if he happened to hook a big one.
I'm not saying that couldn't happen, I assume someone has probably done it. But I would assume your line would break long before your rod would.
So my question. Has anyone here done that? If so, why do you think it broke instead of the line? Was it defective or did you hold it at an angle that put too much stress on it? Some other reason?
I've only broke one rod while fishing. It was well over 30 years ago. It was a glass rod that broke trying to pull a hook free of a snag and I'm pretty sure it was cracked to begin with.


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## TK81 (Mar 28, 2009)

Buckbaker said:


> I overheard a guy in a bait shop today say he liked heavier, all around rods. His reason was he didn't want to have it break if he happened to hook a big one.
> I'm not saying that couldn't happen, I assume someone has probably done it. But I would assume your line would break long before your rod would.
> So my question. Has anyone here done that? If so, why do you think it broke instead of the line? Was it defective or did you hold it at an angle that put too much stress on it? Some other reason?
> I've only broke one rod while fishing. It was well over 30 years ago. It was a glass rod that broke trying to pull a hook free of a snag and I'm pretty sure it was cracked to begin with.


I had one of those eagle claw "yellow clubs" that I used for cats and gar on the Guadelupe River down in South Texas. I don't remember what line size those rods were rated for, but I think I was spooled up with 30 or 40 lb big game, whatever you got cheap at wally world back in the day. Anyway, a gator gar that had to go at least 75 lbs plowed my bait and I ripped back to set the hook. That rod exploded..and then the darn gar broke my line of top of it. I would have to call it operator error.

If you horse a fish on a rod above its line rating, they will break. My buddy blew up two consecutive st croix avids on salmon one year. Running 8 lb leaders on an 8 wt rod. Fresh chrome fury with a bunch of current.


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## boomer_x7 (Dec 19, 2008)

I broke 1 rod when I was young. Salmon went straight straight down, I pulled straight back.... Really you should never break a rod on a fish. There is always exceptions but in reality a broken rod would come from improper use...


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## Rasputin (Jan 13, 2009)

I broke my favorite rod last spring catching a sucker. It was pretty big, but I got impatient and hi-sticked it and boom. I know better, but I'm still po'ed because I can't get that blank anymore. What's the matter with this world!


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## Wallywarrior (Apr 1, 2016)

I broke a nice frabil heavy ice rod, designed for large predator fish, fighting a six inch perch. Not sure how but it snapped right in half. 

I also broke a cabelas trolling rod fighting a nice smallmouth. 

Both rods were held properly. Both broke about 1/4 of the way up from the handle. 


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk


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## plugger (Aug 8, 2001)

I break an average of one expensive fly rod a year on big trout during the hex hatch. Even with the warranty it costs a bit to replace one. Cheaper rods seldom break. Rods at night and big fish do put stresses on them that aren't in the design criteria.


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## Rasputin (Jan 13, 2009)

plugger said:


> I break an average of one expensive fly rod a year on big trout during the hex hatch. Even with the warranty it costs a bit to replace one. Cheaper rods seldom break. Rods at night and big fish do put stresses on them that aren't in the design criteria.


I need to fish with you.


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## PunyTrout (Mar 23, 2007)

Buckbaker said:


> So my question. Has anyone here done that?


Funny you should ask... You can read about it here.

https://www.michigan-sportsman.com/forum/threads/have-i-ever-mentioned-heraclitus.583964/


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## Big Skip (Sep 1, 2010)

I once broke 2 ugly sticks in one day battling kings on the pier Marquette.


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## wyandot (Dec 5, 2013)

plugger said:


> I break an average of one expensive fly rod a year on big trout during the hex hatch. Even with the warranty it costs a bit to replace one. Cheaper rods seldom break. Rods at night and big fish do put stresses on them that aren't in the design criteria.


I'm curious, what brand are you breaking that many rods? Are they getting damaged from impact or do you overline them or just rough handling in general?


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## old professor (Oct 26, 2008)

wyandot said:


> I'm curious, what brand are you breaking that many rods? Are they getting damaged from impact or do you overline them or just rough handling in general?


I can only recall breaking one rod while fishing. I do not remember what make of rod but it was a heavy rod that I used for pike fishing. I hooked a BIG northern and had it up to the boat, when the rod snapped in two about mid way between the reel and the first line guide. The fish made a sudden surge away from the boat. For some lucky reason the line did not break and I was able to fight it off the reel and my buddy was able to net it.


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## Mr Burgundy (Nov 19, 2009)

I broke 1 a few years ago (cheap riversider) playing with kings on my favorite river. It was for sure my fault as I tried to muscle him in.... SNAP lol. And my wife somehow broke an ugly stick battling a king off the pier. Other than that can't say I've broken any more l.


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## plugger (Aug 8, 2001)

wyandot said:


> I'm curious, what brand are you breaking that many rods? Are they getting damaged from impact or do you overline them or just rough handling in general?


 Sage and Loomis. Using 10 pound maxima, which is probably 17 pound in anything else, as a tippet on a 4wt is probably the main reason. Fishing for big fish in the dark, in tight quarters with a lot of wood I end up with bad angles on a short line many times. Dabbling especially is explosive.


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## Nostromo (Feb 14, 2012)

TK81 said:


> I had one of those eagle claw "yellow clubs" that I used for cats and gar on the Guadelupe River down in South Texas. I don't remember what line size those rods were rated for, but I think I was spooled up with 30 or 40 lb big game, whatever you got cheap at wally world back in the day. Anyway, a gator gar that had to go at least 75 lbs plowed my bait and I ripped back to set the hook. That rod exploded..and then the darn gar broke my line of top of it. I would have to call it operator error.
> 
> If you horse a fish on a rod above its line rating, they will break. My buddy blew up two consecutive st croix avids on salmon one year. Running 8 lb leaders on an 8 wt rod. Fresh chrome fury with a bunch of current.


Trinity river?


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## Nostromo (Feb 14, 2012)

I broke a cheaper rod once it snapped clean about 6" from the tip. Steelhead.


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## TK81 (Mar 28, 2009)

Nostromo said:


> Trinity river?


Never fished the Trinity as I was living about 1.5 hrs southwest of Houston. I fished the Guadelupe and Coleto Creek. I heard of the monsters in the Trinity.


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## greelhappy (Feb 20, 2004)

Nostromo said:


> I broke a cheaper rod once it snapped clean about 6" from the tip. Steelhead.


Had a king right at the boat all tired out.............so I thought. While reaching for the net and trying to keep the king close to the boat, it had a burst of power that almost broke my wrist and the 9' rod broke a little up from the handle. Very good reason they call it a KING.


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## Zib (Jan 7, 2008)

99.9% of the time that a rod breaks it's the fault of the user. Drag too tight or bad, line strength greater than the rods max rating, too heavy of a lure, angler drops the rod & doesn't notice small damage then it breaks when casting or fighting a fish.

I broke a spinning rod while fighting a pike due to the drag no giving out any more line & the fish went under the boat when my rod was almost at the 12 o'clock position.

I snapped a heavy mush rod in half fighting a 60" sturgeon. Fish started going towards the anchor line so I put my thumb on the spool & pulled then snap!


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## Nostromo (Feb 14, 2012)

Zib said:


> 99.9% of the time that a rod breaks it's the fault of the user. Drag too tight or bad, line strength greater than the rods max rating, too heavy of a lure, angler drops the rod & doesn't notice small damage then it breaks when casting or fighting a fish.
> 
> I broke a spinning rod while fighting a pike due to the drag no giving out any more line & the fish went under the boat when my rod was almost at the 12 o'clock position.
> 
> I snapped a heavy mush rod in half fighting a 60" sturgeon. Fish started going towards the anchor line so I put my thumb on the spool & pulled then snap!


You break a lot of rods.


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## Fishsmith85 (Mar 4, 2015)

Had a musky rod and reel break on me last year at the same time. When I set the hook on a boat side strike the reels drag failed which caused it to free spool really bad. The line was so knotted that it wouldn't go out anymore and which the drag being broke I couldn't reel in. I had a very fresh thick musky that wanted to be as far away from the boat as possible, so when he took his initial pull directly under the boat it pinned my rod against the gunwale it snapped the tip off. Was lucky to land it but it's probably the most expensive fish I have ever caught.


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