Rod Care

Custom rods are all about performance and are an investment. If you want to maintain this performance and get the most of your custom fishing rod and not ruin a trip on the water with a broken rod then try to keep the following rod care tips in mind.

Watch Your Guides:
Never place the hook onto a guide for storage that is what the hook keeper is for. Hooking your lure onto the rod can damage the guide surfaces and cause issues when casting and cause excess wear on your fishing line. When reeling up don’t reel the lure right into the tip of the rod. This impact can cause the tip to become damaged or even break off.

Transport:
Most rods are damaged in the transport stage, it could be doors, trunks, or tailgates that cause damage. Lots of times you won’t notice this damage whether it’s a small nick or scuff but it will later break while catching a fish. Graphite rods are very sensitive one little nick could lead to a broken rod. To help prevent this we include a complimentary rod glove with each rod purchase. When you are not using your rod it is recommend you use this glove as well as a hard care to protect against possible damage. When carrying your rods always keep in mind where the tip is as this is the most fragile part. Striking the roof or a tree branch with it can often damage it.

 The High Stick Rule:
When fighting a fish ensure you don’t lift the rod past 90 degrees. This causes excess pressure being put on the tip of the rod instead of distributing throughout the rod. This often will lead to a broken tip. When fighting a fish keep the rod taught, maintain pressure on the fish as you get it to the boat. Don’t try and sling/flip the fish in the boat using the rod, often this can cause the tip to become overloaded and break.

Storage:
Never store your rod under load we recommend you use the hook keeper with just enough tension on the line to keep it there when leaving the lure attached. If possible use a rod rack to support your rod the entire way whether this is vertical or horizontal. If it is leaning in the corner with a flex on it for extended periods of time this will cause the rod to warp and can lead to an eventual failure at a further time when you use it.

Hopefully some of these tips help you prolong the life of your fishing rod and reduce the chance at a ruined trip with a broken rod.