Broken Rod Advice

[Bill B]

OK here's a couple NOOB questions.....i was in a hurry and picked up my 10' spinning rod from the tip and broke approx. 9" off the end...DOOOOH 

Q#1:  Does this mean it was a cheaply made rod or am I guilty of rod abuse?  (It is a Pinnacle 10' 15-30lb class)

Q#2: The rod broke directly above a rod guide....would you cut off the guide and glue a new tip top guide?  (I'm not really worried about loosing the length, but this would make it considerably stiffer....it wasn't too limber to start with and didn't cast very well)

Q#3  After surfing Al Gore's internet, I saw a couple of ways to repair a rod.....one that looked promising was to insert a smaller rod into the broken rod then use a ferrel, whipping and epoxy to strengthen the break....does this sound reasonable? (Could I use multiple layers of shrink wrap tubing, in place of the ferrel and whipping?)

I hate doing dumb things like breaking a rod like that, I guess a tall fish tale to match it's former 10' length might help  , but I hate throwing away something that still has use....I won't be able to post pictures of the rod until after the New Year....any suggestions would be greatly appreciated......Bill

[Newell Nut]

Just put a new tip on it.

[MarkT]

#1 guilty as charged.
#2 yes, your best bet.
#3 no, epoxying a rod to reconnect the tip would create a dead stiff heavy tip.

A Seeker Ulua 93h is 9'3" and I don't think they picked that length by picking up the full 10' blank by the tip!

[Jon Vadney]

#1 guilty as charged.
#2 yes, your best bet.
#3 no, epoxying a rod to reconnect the tip would create a dead stiff heavy tip.

A Seeker Ulua 93h is 9'3" and I don't think they picked that length by picking up the full 10' blank by the tip!

This is about as perfect a response as one could type out. 

[SoCalAngler]

Adding a new tip top to a 10 foot rod that lost 9 inches off the top is going to change the way the blank feels and fishes. Adding a new tip top is the least costly and fastest/easiest thing to do but after doing so you may not like how the rod feels but for a few bucks, the cost of a new tip top, I'd give it a shot.  

[Bill B]

Thanks guys.....will add a new tip....and for my part in rod abuse....I sentence myself to 6 hours of hard fishing...and a clear liquid diet for those six hours....vodka is clear...isn't it

[SoCalAngler]

Take your rod to a shop that sells the tips so you can try it on so you get the right size. Many shops will install them for free then you buy from them but if they don't all you need to install it is a glue stick that goes into hot glue guns. I melt the  glue stick with a lighter or match and smear onto rod tip,  I install top while glue is still hot and wipe off any excess with a rag. Sometimes the glue may harden before you have the tip either fully on or alined correctly. If this is the case just soften the glue with a lighter and adjust the top with the rag. Don't heat the tip too hot or you will damage the blank, just enough heat to melt the glue enough to slide the tip on and wipe off excess.