What was your rod's breaking point?

[ks_ness]

Hi y'all

I'd love to hear any stories you might be willing to share about your ultra light or light powered rod snapping when out fishing, be it from setting the hook too hard to forcing your way out of a snag.

I have my sights on a BFS light powered rod that I plan to occasionally use for bass fishing, particularly largemouth bass. I'm curious to learn if anyone has ever tried setting a non-exposed hook (i.e. a weightless Keitech swimbait rigged weedless) on such a fish. How did your rod hold up? I'm really set on a light powered rod, but will be cautious and stay away from heavy cover. Am I still just asking for trouble?

I'll share one time that I was able to bring in a carp on an ultra light to shore and got too excited and high-sticked him in the process. SNAP!

[Houndfish]

I use a lot of light tackle and a lot of t-rigged plastics and have never had an issue breaking a rod. I trained myself to always do a reel-down-and-sweep hookset and with thin wire hooks it's very reliable. I never use the rod/reel to pull out snags, I have either a little length of dowel or a purpose-made line breaker tool always on hand and use them for anything I can't shake/pop free.

Every year there are 1-2 times when during a fight I get a given rod to the point where I do not at all want to apply more pressure. If it's a fish I don't care about losing then I just slack the line and try to let it off, if it's a fish I want to land I grab a hanky from my pocket and hand-line it in.

[Preston]

I've never broken any rod fighting a fish. Only doing dumb things like getting eyes caught in black berry bushes or stepping on rods.

For UL or BFS fishing, I mainly use the Dobyns Sierra Ultra Finesse rod. I bass fish almost exclusively, and that rod gets used a ton for river smallies. It's caught a bunch of smallies from 18-21 inches. A smallie that size in current definitely puts the rod to the test. No issues with rod breakage, and I'm using 6-8lb test with drag set properly.

IMO, proper line and drag settings combined with not doing dumb things with the rod, you shouldn't have rod breakage issues.

[goldrod]

Just above the word Orochi

[toddmc]

Most rods will last a really long time if you use your hand to break snags, you don't high-stick, and you don't boat flip fish. I have a late 1980's custom Phenix ultralight that has an ancient 96% graphite Loomis made blank that has faded threads, yellowed clearcoat, and scratches everywhere. The rod is probably at about 12,000 fish caught including a double digit largemouth, catfish over 15 pounds, and trout up to 7.5 pounds. All of those fish came on 2-4 pound mono or flouro. The only blanks that I have broken regularly have been old IMX MBR743 and 744 blanks after a lot of use and an early Dobyns that was defective from the get go.

[slipperybob]

I have never broken a rod due to just fishing. The one St. Croix Premiere 6' L power spinning rod I have used the most, from panfish to pikes and catfish has held up very well. I rarely use it anymore because the cork is super pitted, the blank is dirty and scratched worn. If I just want to go randomly stream exploring this would still be my first pick rod.

[Smead]

Being dumb trying to unsnag, otherwise didn't notice that I nicked the blank in handling the rod.

[DirtyD64]

Broke a cheap $30 Abu 2-piece rod when I first started so I learned early to be careful. Had a bass less than 1.5lbs on and just held the rod tip too high, kind of dropped him toward me while still hooked and that was it for the cheap rod. My Proflex2 UL scares me on the river, big walleye like UL/panfish style lures too. 6' Light TFO rod has held very strong and hopefully will cause they stopped making them.

I would bet big money my next nice rod break comes from a door or ceiling before fighting a fish, always been careful in fighting a fish, keep my drag looser than most, and really don't catch as many fish as I would like...