How To Break A Long Pole

[Nightprowler]

A 10, 12, or 14 ft. long pole offers a lot of potential to be broken. They're limber and sometimes awkward. They get hung on every stick in the lake where you drop a jig or minnow. (Something about the earth's magnetism, moon phase, and the impurities in lead causes baits to be attracted to wood. I have no scientific proof, just a lot of experience.)

What's the number one way to break a pole? It may surprise you learn that it isn't slamming a car door on the tip. It isn't lifting a fish out of the water. I thought it would be stepping on them in the bottom of a boat or on the ground; not right. What about jerking when hung-up? A good answer with some falling to this problem. But not number one.

I went to the long pole guru, Buck Simmons, president of B'n'M Pole Company. "Over ninety percent of the poles we get back are broken from fishermen running the tip of their rod down to a jig hung on a stump and then trying to bump it loose. They break a thirty or forty dollar pole trying to save a thirty-five cent jig."

Hummm. That little trick don't seem as smart as it use to be. Anyway, a good tip to know concerning long poles.

Other factors. Buck says, "With time, a pole will get knicks and weak spots through everyday use. The pole may break when lifting or jerking, but it always seems to be caused by a weak spot in the pole from something else." Slamming one on the side of the boat is a good example of how to weaken a pole, but don't expect me to quit throwing temper tantrums after losing a big fish just because of a pole. A fisherman's got to have a little relief.

[catch fillet]

Interesting,very informative.

[luvjign]

"Over ninety percent of the poles we get back are broken from fishermen running the tip of their rod down to a jig hung on a stump and then trying to bump it loose. They break a thirty or forty dollar pole trying to save a thirty-five cent jig."

Yes, this is a fact, BUT, that little trick will work a large percentage of the time......UNLESS you don't know when to realize the pole tip can't make the route that the jig made to get in it's predicament!!! I've got a couple of 15-20 year old Bucks 10 footers that still have the original tip (with the wire eyes) that's had this exact chore of "bumping" a jig off of a hang-up many, many times. When you hear that distinct "tap" of the tip hitting the jig......there's a chance......If you feel that tip trying to make a bending route.......cut'er loose. But again, they will take a mild attemp, but you gotta know when there's not a straight route to the jig........at which point you give up that $0.50 jig.
That's my $0.50 worth

[Bluegilll]

Mine gets broke by letting my kids try to use them.(They think they have out grown there own).

[grubby]

All the rods I've seen broken in the past I believed they were broken from miss use prior to the action that broke the rod. They are delicate tools that will do the job if treated right.

[whackmaster]

good stuff NP.....lets not forget walking the banks and setting the hook on that first bite a little too much and slamming the tip in the overhead tree limbs......ouch !!!

[PaperMouth]

good stuff NP.....lets not forget walking the banks and setting the hook on that first bite a little too much and slamming the tip in the overhead tree limbs......ouch !!!

haha that sounds like me

[pstone]

I don't mind loosing the jig, but I hate retieing. I carry extra tips for the 1-2 times a year I break a tip....

[Quackrstackr]

They can also be broken when laid across the front deck to take a leak and a fish hits.

When it's rolled under the front cleat unnoticed and you grab the pole, snap.

Don't ask me how I know that.....:o

[Locator79]

I have broken two rods trying to knock something loose off a limb. Learned my lesson and bought a .99 lure retriever, works pretty good. But when you have three kids in the boat, the ways to get things broke are endless. Thinking about installing seat belts!!!!