Before You Throw Away Your Broken Fishing Rod, Try This

Your fishing rod is prone to breaking and when that happens, it’s much more rewarding to repair the rod than to just toss it in the trash. Some folks don’t realize that repairing a rod can also be cheaper than investing in a new one. We’re here to tell you everything you need to know.

How to Repair a Broken Fishing Rod

1. Get a fishing rod repair kit

You’ll need a bunch of items to repair your fishing rod. These items may include epoxy resin and hardener, laminating brushes, rod winding thread, polishing compound, etc. Instead of purchasing the items separately, buy a complete fishing rod repair kit and it’ll be more than enough — just make sure it has the aforementioned items. Also, make sure you’ve got 10-15 minutes to spare so you can sit tight while repairing the rod. Leaving things in the middle may hurt your results.

2. Identify the damages

Start by figuring out where exactly the break is and what your plan of action should be. If the crack appeared on the blank, that’s good news because you won’t have to disassemble it. If the break is uneven, you’ll have to go through some drudgery. If the break is smooth and plain, that’s perfect.

3. Sanding and measurement

Your kit will probably come with an abrasive paper — use it to roughen the surface around the broken pole. If the broken parts are uneven, you’ll have to sand them properly to make a good fit. If any tiny portions shatter along the way, you’ll have to add an insert made out of an old rod or similar material.

4. Epoxy the broken pieces together

Once you’ve got the right fit and both the pieces are sitting together, hugging nicely, it’s time to epoxy them together. Remember to be careful while using the epoxy and clean any remains afterward.

5. Wrapping the fixed area

Wrap the area with the rod thread and wrap it as tightly as possible. Some folks prefer using plain weave carbon fiber for this purpose.

6. Apply a polishing compound

Lastly, apply a polishing compound (which will be included in your repair kit) on the entire wrapped area. Wait for a few minutes, and you’ll practically have a brand new fishing rod.

Repairing Handle of the Fishing Rod

Most handles are made up of cork. If the handle of your fishing rod breaks, the fix is very simple.

1. Start by sanding down the cork.
2. Separate the sections and drill a hole in each section.
3. Take a small wooden dowel, coat it with hot glue and insert it into a section.
4. Take the other section and fit it on top of the dowel, leaving about an inch gap.
5. Instantly apply some hot glue in the gap and push the two pieces together for a tight seal.

Guide to Fixing the Rod

A rod guide helps you properly cast and pull back without messing up your line. They’re super important for your ease during fishing. If your rod’s guide is broken, the fix is installing a new one.

1. You can do this by heating the guide with a lighter near the joint. Once it’s hot enough, it’ll be easy for you to pull it off.
2. After removing the guide, you can sand off any remains and clean the area with alcohol.
3. Get a thin thread and the new guide. Mount the guide on your rod, wrap it up with the thread and apply the epoxy.
4. Leave it to rest for at least 24 hours before using the rod for fishing again.

How to Repair the Broken Tip of Your Fishing Rod

If you’ve come this far, you can surely fix the tip of your fishing rod as well! You’ll have to glue it back using a ferrule, an elbow (like a bandage) that helps join the two pieces together. Here’s how to do it: Remove the existing tip and sand the edge nicely. Get a new tip, put hot glue inside the ferrule of the new tip and slide it on top of the broken area.

Conclusion

We’ve explained how you can fix different areas of your fishing rod, but you certainly won’t have to fix them all at once (unless a car runs over your fishing rod 3 times, back and forth). So before you throw out your new fishing rod just because you broke the guide, do yourself a favor, try our method and save yourself some money.