How Fishing Rods Break
Most fishing rods are broken from abuse or accidental misuse. Often unseen damage goes undetected until breakage occurs. It is not uncommon for the consumer to believe that it was from a manufactures defect. If the rod breaks from a manufactures defect, 98% of the time it occurs under factory testing or the first time out on the water. Not after hours, months or years of use.
The rod tip portion of the rod, commonly the top ¼ of the rod blank, is not covered under our limited warranty program. The tip of a fishing rod will not break under normal fishing conditions and/or when fighting a fish. If you feel that your rod was in fact a manufacturer defect, we will need all parts of the broken rod sent in for an in-depth examination. Our staff will look closely at the break itself and the general condition of the rod to rule if it was in fact a factory defect or not.
Most Common Reasons for Accidental Rod Breakage
- J-Hooking. Placing your hook in the hook keeper while not loosening the drag or allowing the proper amount of slack in the line. This can pull the rod tip into a very tight compact downward bend straight towards the handle. This is called a “J-Hook Bend”. A “J-Hook Bend” does not occur while fighting a fish. If a fish is hoisted out of the water with the rod shaft pointed straight up and the fish hanging straight down, this can also result in a “J-Hook Bend”.
- High sticking. Setting the hook with the rod pointing backward over the shoulder will result in a severe J-Hook Bend in the upper third of the rod.
- Over loading the rod. Creating undue stress on the rod when snagged to a log, rock or weeds and trying to pull the lure or bait free. This can result in unseen stress fractures that may result in the rod breaking later while under load.
- Stepping on the rod. This can result in unseen stress fractures in the graphite materials that will result in the rod structurally failing under pressures, even though it has withstood that pressure many times before. This often causes the angler to believe that it broke from a manufactures defect.
- Accidentally hitting the rod on the gunnel of the boat or other solid object. This can bruise the rod blank wall and cause stress fractures resulting in breakage when under a load.
- Placing a rod in a rod sleeve or rod tube not realizing that the tip is caught or stuck and is being jammed forward under pressure. This can result in tip breakage. Rod tips are not designed to be jammed.
- Breakage that occurs during whip casting a lure heavier than what the rod is rated for and / or stressing the rod with higher pound test line that exceeds the line rating. Rods are designed to handle maximum lure and line ratings. If it doesn’t happen right away, it doesn’t mean that it won’t. Exceeding lure and line ratings will cause rod material stresses that can result in rod failure.
Two Brothers Innovations reserves the right to examine and inspect a rod while under warranty to determine the cause of failure.
Register For Your Warranty Coverage
Get your rod registered within 30 days of purchase.
Manufacturer Defect Claim Process
If you think your rod broke as a result of a manufacturer's defect, submit a claim.
Accidental Breakage Program
Accidents happen and we're here to help get you back to fishing your favorite rod.