Top 10 Fishing Rod Killers: The Mistakes You Need To Avoid
- By: Luke Simonds
- on May 13, 2023
These are the top 10 fishing rod killers you need to avoid!!
Fishing rods are our #1 investment as anglers and we need to do all we can to protect them.
Not only do they help us cast our lures and baits out, but they are what we use to fight and put pressure on fish to reel them in.
Don’t make these mistakes and you’ll extend the life of your fishing rod!!
Top 10 Fishing Rod Killers [VIDEO]
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Whether you are targeting redfish, seatrout, snook, flounder, or any other species, your fishing rod is THE most important tool in the entire arsenal.
It helps you cast your lures, feel for strikes to set the hook, and handle fish while you reel them in.
The other unfortunate fact is that rods are the piece of equipment that is most likely to break.
It is on us to get the most life out of a rod as possible.
Not too long ago, I put out a similar post highlighting 3 MAJOR mistakes anglers commonly make that break their fishing rods.
After sifting through and reading all of the comments, I compiled a list of TEN mistakes we all can learn from.
1. High-Sticking
Make sure you are NEVER high-sticking the fishing rod.
We talked about this in the last video as well.
This means the load the rod is under forces it to bend at more than a 90-degree angle which will compromise performance.
This commonly happens when fish make a run under the boat or vessel you are fishing from.
To avoid this mistake, simply drop the rod tip into the water to prevent the tip section from pointing down to the butt.
2. Transport With Care
Take care of your fishing rods during transport!!
In the last video, I mentioned I had only ever broken ONE fishing rod in my life.
Well, in just over a week since that was published, I broke my second fishing rod.
I was on my way to St. Augustine for a Salt Strong Chapter meeting and the rods were in the bed of my pickup truck.
We drove through a hailstorm and one of the rods became compromised.
As I went to cast out a lure using that rod, it snapped in half on my follow-through.
Rods should never naturally break in this area which means something happened during transport.
If you are traveling, ideally don’t put your fishing rods in the bed of a pickup truck without any additional cover.
Use rod sleeves or I’ve seen other anglers use PVC tubes to protect their gear.
The same applies to those that keep their fishing rods upright in their boat while driving to the ramp.
Any small object can hit those rods and compromise them.
3. Mind The Hook Keeper
When you go to fasten your lure to the hook keeper, do not force it down to reach the keeper.
If you go to secure your lure and the line is not far enough, open your bail and let out more line.
Do not pull the lure down because that causes the worst high-sticking situation.
Another thing to do here is to loosen up the drag.
If someone or something bumps into the line, there won’t be any pressure on the rod the line will just come off the spool.
4. Walk Carefully
If you are walking through mangroves or under bridges, never walk with the rod pointed forward.
The best thing to do is hold the butt section and have the rod out behind you.
If you do hit something, the rod tip is the impact point which can easily lead to breaks.
5. Be Careful When Snagged
Lots of times when we do get snagged, we try to pull the rod tip up and yank the lure loose.
It is not worth breaking a $150-$200 fishing rod for a $5 lure.
Do not use the tip of a fishing rod to get a lure off of a snag.
6. Don’t Reel Too Far
Reeling your lures, hooks, or swivels all the way to the rod tip puts that entire area at risk.
It won’t break the rod but it will compromise the inserts on the rod guides.
If the metal of a hook or swivel hits the insert, it can knock it out or it can leave a chip in it which is even worse.
That will chew up your fishing line.
A line-to-line knot has no problem at all moving in and out of the guides.
However, swivels will cause further issues if reeled in too far.
7. Vertical Rod Holders
A lot of saltwater boats have vertical rod holders, and I personally am a huge fan of them.
We just need to be mindful of two things.
The first is low bridges.
Especially if you have rods up on a tower, this is something you have to be mindful of.
The second is casting.
If someone is not paying attention, they can hit the rod on their cast or with their lure which causes more issues.
Keep your rods out of harm’s way in this situation.
8. Store Rods Clean & Dry
If you are fishing in saltwater, the areas likely to have issues are around the guides.
Spray down your fishing rods with a hose using fresh water.
The best thing to do after that is dry off the crevices and potentially compromised areas.
As far as storage goes, store your rods inside.
Do not leave your fishing rods in a garage that is not temperature controlled.
All the humidity changes lessen the life of the components of your rod.
9. Hold The Door!
Swinging doors like patio doors that commonly swing open and shut raise a hazard.
Be careful when walking in and out of doorways.
When I walk through swinging doors, I typically choke up a bit on the rod and walk tip first.
I open the door with my left hand and walk the tip through and use my body to keep the door open.
10. Don’t Join The Fan Club!
Ceiling fans!!!
Be extremely careful of ceiling fans in your home!
This has probably taken the lives of more fishing rods than anything else.
Account for any fans in the room if you are working on your gear while inside.
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I’m curious to know – how many of these rod-killing mistakes have you violated in the past??
I personally have violated multiple which resulted in a broken rod.
Often, rods are the most expensive tool in our arsenal but it is also the most prone to breaks.
Oh, and if you are a Salt Strong Insider Member, if you buy any reel in our tackle shop, we’re going to give you FREE braided line AND we’ll spool it up for you on top of FREE SHIPPING!
All you have to do is pair it up with a fishing rod, tie on a leader, and hit the water!!
If you have any further questions or comments, please leave them down below!
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2. Smart Fishing Spots Platform (updated every 15 minutes)
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#2 WOW I use bungee cord to fasten my surf rods to the top of my explores. I guess it is time to invest in some PVC pipe.
#3 Guilty as charged… Good tip on the loose drag.
#5 Again guilty as charged. Especially if I am hooked on an oyster bed or root.
All good stuff. Thank Luke!
PS: #6 I put a plastic bead before my swivel to keep it from going in the rod tip. I have not seen any ill effect as far as chipping.
You should make it 11 things not to do.. do not ever lay your rod on the deck if a boat or on the ground where it a can be stepped on.
You seem to have missed what is perhaps the most common thing that damages a rod, and causes it to break. That is when fishermen are in a baoat, and are using a so-called fish-finder rig (hook, leader, swivel above the hook, stopping a sinker from sliding down to the hook Fishermen will put the hook around the frame of the lowest or one of the lower guides (or even in a hook holder just above the foregrip) and then put that rod in a boat rod holder while running out, to and from spots, or back in). All that time the sinker is is shaking with the winds and waves and bouncing against the rod blank, with each impact making a small damage to the rod blank, …such that it breaks there unexpectedly when a big fish is on or stress is applied to the rod. I have seen so many fishermen do this, so they should be warned
Surprisingly I’m good with all but number 8 I do store mine in my garage so I’m gonna have to make an effort to get them into the controlled environment in a spare bedroom thanks for the videos.
Great tips. Thanks for the rod saving advice. Many of the suggestions I did not know or foresee. You guys are great !
I just purchased the rod and reel combo. Can’t wait to hit the water. Quick question. In reference to the rod is there a product to apply to the rod to insure its longevity? Also in the video you may want to include vehicle doors smashing the end of the rod off. It’s happened to me 3 times. I guess I haven’t learned. Lol!
Luke,
i wonder if that egret in the back ground earlier in the video learned anything. LOL.Good video all the same.
Ric
Haha!
The link to this very good video was sent to me when I purchased a couple of rods from Salt Strong. It immediately made me think, what a good and successful company.
One question. The best way to secure a line and lure or rig while temporarily transporting the rod to beach or through the woods when it doesn’t have a hook keeper integral to the rod?
Looping the line and rig/lure back around the reel and back up to the first eye support to look it? Using a hook keeper? Bama Bum does some kind of securing of line and rig but I can’t quite make it out.
For 1 piece rods, I just use the first guide and just put the hook through the frame’s gap (not the eye of the guide).
Tip #11…Be conscientious of open rod boxes or storage boxes in your boat from slamming on your rod. It’s easy to lay your rod on an open box when unhooking a fish. Don’t do it!
I’m guilty of a few, but the one most is # 10. hitting the fan.