Fishing rod care and handling

[iJay]

Hey guys,

Wanted to open this up to discussion on the boards here. I have now become more of a seasonal fisherman, My fishing rods see allot of down time. Mainly through the winter. I have always brought them indoors, made sure they are in an area of the house that isn't cold or dry, not too damp either (Laundry room ect)


My dad and I have got into a couple great debates over the last little while. In the passed 5 years I have out fished him by leaps and bounds in regards to hours on water as well by # of fish caught. We both purchased rods @ the same time and same year. In the passed 5 years he has snapped 2 rods while a fish was on. I am yet to break one. Closer to the end of the season last year, I purchased him another. Which we both agreed should be brought inside. Low and be-hold, it wasn't. At his age and stage of life a fishing rod really isn't a priority, which I get.

Has anyone else had the experience of leaving their rods out in a garage over winters and having them snap?

In the fall I clean the rod thoroughly with vinegar and water, It gets all the row gack and oils out of the cork but also the rod portion. I have treated the joint in the rod with a small amount of paraffin wax to avoid friction. This year I will be inspecting the rod guides under a magnifying glass to determine if I need to sand any of them smooth.

What do you guys do?

 

[staffman]

I clean the guides after each trip with Armorall and wipe the rod with it as well. I use a MR. Clean magic eraser to clean the cork down about every other year. I store my rods hung up on the floor joists in my basement.

 

[BASSMASTER19]

i leave my rods in the garage and have never had one snap, usually they snap if the drag is too tight and the line too heavy. I never even clean my rods for 2 reasons, they dont get dirty and i dont see a need to clean it, if i do i just give it a dip in the river and dry it out

 

[iJay]

^^

Really in the river? I am too afraid to get my reel mucked up with river water/sand to allow the cork anywhere near the water.

Specifically I am talking about light action rods. My dad uses 6lbs line as a main line, when fishing for salmon that is the only line. When fishing for trout he uses 4lbs leaders. And the rod still snapped.

The one I do remember was a Shimano Northern Series 12 or 13' (it was an older rod at the time it snapped). The other was just 2 years old, bought @ JB's Fishing depot, the brand name and series is eluding me right now.

 

[hamiltonangler94]

Honestly I have never had rods break due to wear or lack of cleaning. The only time I'll clean them is if the cork gets dirty.

 

[Shawarma]

Maybe they're in a bad spot in the garage and the rods are getting knocked around too much?

I have an 8 year old 7' shakespeare that's still going strong. It's never been cleaned, but it has been stored properly.

 

[W_boughner]

I have a 15 year old raven im6 that has never seen a cleaning solution and never comes in the house !! It's been dropped In the water ,sand and on the rocks and never broke !! The only rod I've broke was a 12' noodle rod that whipped bake into a tree and broke the tip ...
Your fathers rods were probably knocked around it had a manufacture defect

 

[Kit]

Every season I clean and oil my reels. Rod no. Don't see the point.

 

[BASSMASTER19]

theres never a lot of dirt in the water so what i usually do is just hold it under the surface, reel and all and after a couple of seconds pull it out and rest it under a tree to let t dry while i fish i usually carry 2 rods

 

[iJay]

That's risky business, I have heard so many stories of rock deposits in reels. I actually saw it in my friends Penn reel. There was a plastic white disk in the top of of the reel (spinning reel) it was chewed to crap by the time he opened it up.,I have red in alot of articles, the 2 most common causes of cork decay on rods is 1. body oils 2. Cork dries out due to being submersed and drying out. This season we have exactly the same rods, and bought at the same time. I have left the plastic on the cork grip of all 3 (mine, my wife's and my dad's)

My dad I have to say, from the times I have been around he has been quite careful and diligent about storing and transporting his rod. I am not with him all the time, but it is stored in an upright rod holder on the wall of the garage in a section that doors cannot hit it and no one walks by it.

Weird, I thought for sure more people would clean and prepare their gear for end of or upcoming seasons.

I always have the thought in the back of my head of loosing a fish due to one of the guides being rough, my luck it will be the prettiest that gets away.

 

[miles]

So you think it's the cold from being outside or just exposure?

I drifted in -24 degree weather this year and I always fish in the rain and my cork obviously gets wet, my rods get plenty of abuse just being fished, probably a lot more than being stored in a outdoor building.

 

[W_boughner]

So you think it's the cold from being outside or just exposure?

I drifted in -24 degree weather this year and I always fish in the rain and my cork obviously gets wet, my rods get plenty of abuse just being fished, probably a lot more than being stored in a outdoor building.
totally agree

 

[iJay]

This is what I am not sure, I mean you were outside for a max I would say of 24 hours? Then returned indoor? Situationally I see where you are going with this, but I mean I am thinking of it as

Our cars up here stay outside year round. Cars rust due to oxidation. We can slow rust down or even prevent it by taking early precautionary measures if it is to be a long term investment. ex- rust proofing, regular washing, regular waxing.

Id like to think the same about the rod, graphite I understand has different properties than a car, however I think it is more delicate no?

 

[W_boughner]

Graphite doesn't deteriorate over time .. Fiberglass can become brittle over time but I've never herd of graphite loosing integrity from age

 

[Jacklake]

re. rod breakage - in my experience rods only break from 4 causes, not counting being caught in doors or whacke against a tree or rock, etc.
The ferrules work loose while fishing rod snaps on the female ferrule side of the joint.
The angler puts keeps one hand on the handle and tries to apply extra pressure by putting the other hand up near the first stripping guide.
The angler points the lower section of a rod 180 degrees from the fish (and even that is not always fatal.
The angler has previously hit the mid/top section of the rod with a jig or other weight while casting. This may not show from the outside, but on the inside there is a little explosion of particles, which of course makes a weak spot in the blank.

To generalize and over simplify: graphite is basically toasted rayon, the tube of graphite cloth is held together by baked epoxy/plastic. There is no reason for it to deteriorate unless it sits in the sun for years. Stealth bombers are made of the stuff.

As to cleaning rods, I can't imagine leaving the plastic on my cork handles - cork is chosen because of the excellent grip it provides - and it hardly absorbs water at all. Cork handles can also be cleaned with toothpaste or Vim - just make sure you rinse thoroughly. I do this every couple of years to the handles that start feeling grungy, which are mostly the ones I use the most.

As to reels, I have had to dismantle a few reels for friends who dropped them into the river while landing a fish. Fine grit has washed into the bearings or drag - yuck! Keep reels away from river water or sand.

 

[iJay]

Thank you for the information!

The plastic I left on, I will give it a go and see how we/I fair thru the first outting today. I realize why its there, just wnted to see if there was another option. Like my grandmother did. Kept the plastic on the sofa's LOL

 

[[email protected]]

Rods definitely won't break from.exposure to elements my dad has a rod he bought 35 years ago, it was a dark blue colour when he bought it now its a brackish brown coupe or clear in some spots. Its his go to rod he never stops using it. He keeps his rods in the garage right by the door in the winter non heated/ insulated garage and in the boat all spring summer and winter he even uses the old cardinal 4 reels and.dunks them on a regular basis woth no issues.

 

[usernamehere]

I clean my rods and reels over the winter when I have nothing to do. I dont use any cleaning solution but dont dip them in water either. just a clean wipe with a cloth and re-oil/lube the reels.

 

[buck]

I have a 15 year old raven im6 that has never seen a cleaning solution and never comes in the house !! It's been dropped In the water ,sand and on the rocks and never broke !! The only rod I've broke was a 12' noodle rod that whipped bake into a tree and broke the tip ... Your fathers rods were probably knocked around it had a manufacture defect

X2

 

[Kit]

theres never a lot of dirt in the water so what i usually do is just hold it under the surface, reel and all and after a couple of seconds pull it out and rest it under a tree to let t dry while i fish i usually carry 2 rods

Thats pretty ballsy haha.