Skip to Content

Do Fishing Rods Snap or Break? (Quick Answers)

If you are an angler, then you surely know the importance of a fishing rod. Sometimes it can break and can cause some unnecessary hassle.

But Suppose you know the reasons behind why and how a fishing rod breaks and how you can save it from breaking. In that case, you will not only have the superpower to fix it but also you will be able to avoid some unnecessary situations.

This article has all these answers to these questions. So, grab your popcorn and dive into this article.

Do fishing rods snap or break?

Fishing rods can snap or break. Over time, fishing rods go through some minor fractures and due to that it eventually breaks. It also breaks due to heavy pressure. If it breaks from the top, it is primarily because of a microfracture, but if it breaks from the bottom, it is due to heavy pressure.

Why do fishing rods snap?

Your fishing rods can break or snap for several reasons. But there are 8 major reasons that can break your fishing rod. So, let us discover those together:

Leaning tendency:

You can damage your fishing rod if you are leaning it against something concrete. The same thing can happen if you are leaning it against the wood.

Defect in manufacturing:

This is the least common cause because manufacturing defects are rare. But if you are very unlucky, then it can happen to you. In most cases, if there is a manufacturing defect, then the rod will break within a few days.

Using 90-degree angle:

When you are raising the rod more than 90 degrees from the ground, you will eventually break the rod because it puts a lot of pressure on the rod.

You need to ensure that your rod is at less than 90 degrees angle when you are lifting it from the ground and fighting with a fish.

Bashing tendency:

If you bash your rod consistently with strong elements, then it will eventually break. You should be gentle with the rod as it is not that strong and it cannot survive from a significant trauma. Consistently bashing the rod against a wall, car, or ground, will break the rod.

Due to excessive pressure:

One of the significant tricks to consider while fishing is that you have to put the right amount of pressure on the fish to pull it out of the water.

Most of the time, people put pressure on the rod rather than focusing on the fish and its proper weight.

The simple rule is that if you can pull the fish with the right amount of pressure, you can easily pull it out without causing any harm to the rod.

That’s why you need to have the proper sense, agility, and intellect to calm yourself and think while fighting with the fish.

If you are just putting pressure on the rod, then it will never benefit you rather it will break the rod, and you will lose the fish too. Just be gentle with your rod and use the strength in the right place.

If the rod does not match the tackle:

Your rod must always match the tackle that you are using. Even if you are using a solid rod, it will eventually break when you are not using a matching tackle.

Whenever you are fighting with a fish, if you are constantly thinking that if you stretch the rod too much, you will break it, then surely you know that your rod doesn’t match the tackle.

This is why, before your fishing adventure, you need to make sure that everything is perfectly aligned to their position. For example, you can never go for a big salt-water fish if you have a 30-pound tackle.

But, if you still go with a 30-pound tackle, you will not help yourself in any way rather, you will pay some extra money to buy a new rod later on.

Due to a bad reel:

If you don’t have a good reel, then you cannot stop your rod from breaking. According to experts, without a good fishing reel, your rod is entirely valueless.

When you are fighting with a big fish, you need a reel that can take pressure up to 14 to 16 lbs. If the reel doesn’t have the strength and cannot take the amount of stress, your rod will break.

Holding the rod straight up:

This thing is quite common while fighting with a fish. Due to excitement and rush, it even happens with experts. While you are fishing, you cannot just lift the rod straight up.

It creates pressure on the rod, and it is not a good way to catch a fish because by lifting the rod straight upwards, you are giving the fish upper hand and eventually, the rod will break.

Why do fishing rods not break? 

Nowadays, fishing rods are made of strong materials like carbon and fiber. So, fishing rods are designed as unbreakable as long as you use them correctly. Besides, fishing rods are flexible because of keeping proper tension on the line when the fish tries to get away.

What do you do with a broken fishing rod? 

You can fix the broken fishing rod either by mending with fiberglass pole or by wrapping a new on in its place. If the damage is not repairable then you can simply replace your rod tips.

Can you fix a snapped fishing rod?

Although modern fishing rods claim the ultimate durability, things might go wrong sometimes. You can fix it by following some easy steps with the help of some regular handy tools.

Mostly, you can fix your snapped rod by mending it together with a fiberglass pole. Moreover, there are other options like wrapping with tape, threading, replacing and applying epoxy.

Can you fix a fishing rod that broke in half? 

The probability of fixing the broken rods depends on the severity of the damage. It is pretty difficult to fix a fishing rod that broke in half. Still, you can fix it with the help of professional handymen. They might fix it by using some complex tools and powerful epoxy resin. 

However, it completely depends on the way of damaging. If it is entirely broken then it is needed to replace the entire rod. 

How to fix snapped fishing rod?

You can fix your snapped fishing rod by following some easy steps mentioned below,

Measure the break

You need to measure the wide of the break first and choose the method to fix it. Use a flexible measure tape and measure the broken ends. 

Sliding the fiberglass pole 

Get a fiberglass pole that is smaller than your fishing rod. Now hold the rod horizontally to place the pole in the rod. Make sure that you haven’t slid too far. Push and Keep sliding the fiberglass pole into the rod. 

Apply Epoxy 

Use a paintbrush to apply 2-part of epoxy on your fixing area. Spread a thin layer of it on the exposed fiberglass pole. Now let it dry overnight. 

By working a little bit, you can fix your snapped fishing rod as good as new!

Can you fish with a broken rod tip? 

Usually, broken rod tips slow the action of fishing but still, you can fish with it. You may struggle while targeting larger fish. In that case, you won’t find the fishing pleasurable with your broken rod tip

How to replace a broken fishing rod tip? 

Consider a glance to the following steps for replacing the broken fishing rod tip,

Cutting the thread around the broken area 

Use a razor blade to cut off all the threading around the broken rod guide. If you find it difficult to do with a razor blade then use a craft knife instead. After that, heat the area for few seconds to loosen extra adhesives of the old tapes or threads. 

Warp it with tape and thread to keep it aligned

Place the new guide on the rod for lining it with other guides. Now wrap the tape around to hold it in the right place. After that, wrap the broken rod guide with a thread. Maintain the tension on the loop while threading. 

Epoxy on the thread 

Now apply at least two coats of epoxy to hide both broken and threading areas. Then keep it aside and let it dry.  

These easy steps will help you to get your job done!

Do graphite rods break easily?

Graphite rods actually break easily because they are pretty sensitive and not very powerful to hold weight for a long time. It’s not that graphite rods are weak. These are very useful to catch small fishes.

But they are not built for fighting with big fishes and holding their weight. Thus, do not go for graphite rods if you are always after big fishes.

It’s not very easy to do fishing with a broken rod. Whether you are an angler or an occasional fishing enthusiast, you must have all the necessary details about your equipment. A fishing rod is one of the equipments which is mandatory to do fishing.

This article will back you up as it has all the necessary details about how and why your fishing rod breaks and how to fix it quickly. So, read the article carefully and enjoy fishing.

Frequently Asked Questions:

Does fishing rod length matter?

Fishing Rod Action, Power, Weight, Size, Capacity Explained?

How strong are fishing rods?

How much weight can a fishing rod hold?

Why are fishing rods so expensive?

Do fishing rods attract lightning?