After breaking several rods in ever more inventive ways, I can offer these tips:
1. If you have the right kind of vehicle, lay your rod on TOP of your car when rigging up. Don't lay it against the side of the vehicle or anywhere near a door or gate or dog. (Thanks to friend Bill K. for this tip.)
2. If you buy a reel-on-rod storage case (those nylon fabric and tube thingees with the zipper that goes around your reel), ONLY buy one where the zipper starts at the END of the tube and closes in the direction of the middle of the tube. That is NOT a common design. The badly designed ones let the tip of your rod fall or poke out when the zipper is not completely sealed shut! (anyone want some rod cases, cheap!?)
3. Don't use those velcro rod holders on your float tube. They put your rod tip at risk just by snagging something in passing. (bummer!)
4. Never lose your temper with a rod in your hand. (guilty!)
5. When playing a big fish, keep both hands on the cork of your rod, always. Don't grab the rod higher up on the blank. (not guilty on this one so far!)
6. Rods were not meant to flex 180 degrees when landing a fish. (not guilty on this one either!)
7. When walking with your rod through brush, hold the rod butt end in front with the tip trailing behind. (graphite blanks make lousy machetes.)
8. Give me a few more moments, and I'll come up with more ways of trashing your prize possession.
Wes Wada Bend, Oregon
Tom Davenport wrote:
"a lifetime guarantee that can be abused by knuckleheads who abuse/neglect their equipment ..."
I resemble that remark. Here are the accounts of all the rods I have broken, all under lifetime warranty, all replaced. I was making around 180 short, 2 to 3 hour fsihing trips a year when most of these breaks happend. You decide if I qualify for the coveted "Knucklehead" title:
