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## Barrabundy (Sep 29, 2008)

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## yakgear (Mar 3, 2012)

After having snapped one last and thinking I did not high stick it, but then going over the angles from being in a yak I think maybe I did.. Plus I was probably pulling above the rods recommended weight rating.


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## intrepid (Oct 23, 2012)

i only watch fishing shows on TVS - so i dont really recall seeing many rod bending antics...

oh, except the You Fish TV one where they caught a few 10kg+ snapper on 1-4kg Shimano Bream Raiders with Saros 1000 reels!

but they were not high-sticking. just using the rods as they were designed...

it is the single most AWESOME fishing TV i have ever seen...

http://www.youfishtv.com.au/Episodes/ta ... fault.aspx


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## bundyboy (Sep 6, 2009)

I have got 2 berkley dropshots that I have given absolute hell and they are still going strong...using line and drag well in excess of their rating and high sticked a lot, caught a 70 odd cm mac tuna on the 1-2kg running 15lb braid with pretty heavy drag, rod looked like a horse shoe there at one stage, very tough rods. On the other hand I have broken two other light rods picking them up about 3/4 the way up, one replaced under warranty the other not worth the effort.


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## Shuggy22 (Sep 14, 2012)

Apparently walking along and accidently pushing the rod tip 
into a rock and continuing to walk also qualifies for 'incorrect technique'
FAIL


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## Guest (Mar 6, 2013)

Thank you. I've been trying to make up my mind whether to finally try a graphite rod or stay with glass and composite. No graphite rods for me. We'd be a bad match!


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## exp2000 (Jul 9, 2011)

There seems to be a trend lately of loading up reels with even sometimes 80 pound braid which is realistically closer to double the rated breaking strain. Not surprisingly there seems to be a succession of broken rods accompanying such sales. About the only rods rated to endure this are marlin gear.

Having said that, graphic blank production is far from flawless and I have broken one $300+ rod just flexing it in the shop. Upon inspecting the blank there was a solid plug in the broken section. I later found that this was the third such breakage in this model. Seems even paying a premium is no guarantee of reliability.

I would love to invest in the finesse of graphite technology but envisioning a $300+ carbon explosion just brings tears to my eyes so I have chosen to settle with Ugly Sticks and Silstar Crystal Blue composites. Gives you peace of mind to know you are bullet proof in a difficult situation and you don't have that level of disposable income. 
~


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## Junglefisher (Jun 2, 2008)

I reckon 3 or 4 years ago, the graphite blanks were being built to a higher standard. Maybe they were just being built heavier / stronger but they certainly seemed to last better.


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## bundyboy (Sep 6, 2009)

Junglefisher said:


> Maybe they were just being built heavier / stronger but they certainly seemed to last better.


I have just bought one of those new Diawa Generation Black rods, man those things are light. I picked one of the finesse ones up in the store and it nearly floated away on me...equally as impressed with the weight of the 5-10kg Supacasta model that I bought. A little more expensive but wayy lighter than the old 6-8kg Shimano Catana. Once I get a new ci4 to match it up with I recon I'll be casting for barra all day and not waking up the slightest bit sore the next day. It feels pretty solid too but only time will tell...


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## andybear (Jan 15, 2006)

Oh Dear !

I don't even know what any of my fishing rods are made of. I select rods, by looking at how thick they are, whether or not the taper looks nice, whether or not the layout of the runners seem "right" and how (dare I say it, ) does the rod feel in the hand?

I know not what high sticking is, but I imagine its something I do when hauling in a fish, keeping the tip up high. I guess if any of my rods are graphite, and yes I have exploded a tip or two, I will doing some more down the track. Oh yes, and I forgot to mention, choosing a rod, I kind of like black ones.

Cheers all andybear


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## Squidley (May 8, 2010)

So nice while it lasts but they break your heart


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## killer (Dec 22, 2010)

bundyboy said:


> I have got 2 berkley dropshots that I have given absolute hell and they are still going strong...using line and drag well in excess of their rating and high sticked a lot, caught a 70 odd cm mac tuna on the 1-2kg running 15lb braid with pretty heavy drag, rod looked like a horse shoe there at one stage, very tough rods. On the other hand I have broken two other light rods picking them up about 3/4 the way up, one replaced under warranty the other not worth the effort.


X2, I've had my Berkly drop shot for years, caught some good fish on the 2-4kg stick. 
I remember buying it well, the young sales man came over and said there a good rod mate, hold the but & i'll load it up, well it snapped about one third down, poor bugger a shop full of people watching, Didn't phaze me through I just said I don't want that one & grabbed another one out of the rack.

Cheers 
Killer.


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## bunsen (Jan 2, 2009)

Car doors are the surest way to break a graphite rod.


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## Barrabundy (Sep 29, 2008)

bunsen said:


> Car doors are the surest way to break a graphite rod.


Followed closely by children!


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## Shuggy22 (Sep 14, 2012)

Barrabundy said:


> bunsen said:
> 
> 
> > Car doors are the surest way to break a graphite rod.
> ...


And brute force and ignorance   
(tho ill blame it on the snag)


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## vladimir (Jan 2, 2013)

how do you transport your rods aswell may have an affect of wear and tear i see so many people just throwing them in the back of there utes or cars with out considering of puting any form of blanket or sheet and placing the rods and also securing them so the rods cant jump and bounce around .my rods have lasted for years . iv just recently replaced mine due to the graphite weakening or wearing out .and that took at least 10yrs .


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## punchanello (Oct 6, 2011)

I have only ever broken two graphite rods. One cheapy in a car door and the other one because I ever so slightly (1 cm) bent the tip when tying a lure. Otherwise I have treated them like an unwanted friend.

IMO, tackle companies save a lot of money blaming users for busted rod-tips. Bad batches occur a lot and there is a fine line between a cheap, over-flexible, indestructible graphite and an expensive, brittle and stiff graphite grade.


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## lightly (Oct 25, 2012)

i've broken one rod from high sticking it but it wasn't that expensive so i didn't bother to try get a replacement, but i broke my daiwa generation black 5-10kg NOT high sticking it just fighting a big bonito and after i broke it i must of bent a guide after getting mad and shoving it in the car, then after waiting 2 months for the daiwa rep to go to the local store they wouldn't replace it.
Made me wait 2 months then they didn't replace it


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## shadowrunner (Jan 18, 2013)

only Graphite rod i own is my fly rod, refuse to use full graphite rods for much else as they are too delicate for me


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## peterman (Jul 9, 2012)

I have a cheap graphite Daiwa Exceler 702MLFS spin Rod (with a Daiwa Heartland xa2000 reel) that I have used for the last 3 years as my main rod for plastics and bait fishing.

It has been great, has landed some good fish, and has endured high-sticking , getting stuck in mangroves, and any other sort of abuse, and is still perfect.

I give it a freshwater wash after use and a spray of Inox on the runners.

Cheers


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## anselmo (Aug 26, 2008)

Shuggy22 said:


> Barrabundy said:
> 
> 
> > bunsen said:
> ...


Goog old BF&I
One of my favourite companies


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## pstar (May 20, 2013)

I have high sticked, low sticked, stood on, had my children abuse them, sometimes they break, most of the times they live on.
The one thihng I have learned with fishing is don't get too hung up on your gear because it is bound to break, get snagged, broken off etc etc.
The other thing is that apart from maybe reels I find there is very little gain between some $70 rods and some $400 rods.
Or maybe I'm not sophisticated enough to pick up on it ?


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## Squidley (May 8, 2010)

I swore off graphite a while ago after breaking two but then I realised it was because I was high-sticking fish onboard while bait fishing. Now I take one when I want to cast a lot and I'm loving it but trolling and bait fishing = glass


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