Has anyone ever experienced a blank getting weaker or softer over time? I saw a discussion online whith a few anglers swearing they'ver had to retire rods that were "worn out" . Unless they're subjected to heat damage or something it's hard for me to fathom.

In times past, some fiberglass rods with polyester resin systems were prone to early fatigue from hard use; casting heavy surf sinkers, etc.

The material fatigue life of most modern rods, glass and graphite, is so long that few such rods would ever become "worn out" by an angler. Granted, there is a certain number of cycles and/or depth of cycle that they can withstand before they become noticeably softer, but that number is so relatively high that I seriously doubt you'd fish a rod to the point where you consider it "worn out" if you lived two lifetimes.

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I suppose the blank itself might deteriorate from UV damage. I can also imagine that, for example, guide wraps deteriorating and a possible weakening of the bond between the finish and the blank. This might explain why an angler with very sensitive hands might detect a change in the rods feel.

I've run into some customers from years ago tell me that the fiberglass downrigger rods I built them have taken a mild permanent set from all the years of trolling bent over in a rod holder. I usually suggest to them to try running the rods for a day upside down in their rodholders and see if this straightened them back out. It usually does. Does this mean the blank is bending or does it mean the guide frames and finish have moved from being bent in the other direction.

If I had to guess, intuition makes me think it's the guide feet taking a slight set over time that prevents the blank from returning to a state of equilibrium, rather than the blank itself.

If over time, a raw unbuilt blank's CCS characteristics changed from just sitting around that would make me think it's an environmentally contributed degradation. You'd almost have to do a test with a control blank and a rod, over time, to know if it was the blank itself or the components added to the blank.

It is my opinion that most rods, if fished, will likely succumb at some point to a break that can be traced to some other pre-existing damage such as hitting the rod on a gunwale, a tree branch, or having a split-shot etc hit the rod during casting. I assume that a blank left un built and un fished would eventually degrade, but I would bet that the resin would be what degrades not the carbon.

-The Batson TEAM
BatsonEnterprises.com

That is correct - it has traditionally been the resin that fatigues more quickly than the material it is being used to bind.

You're also correct about the lifespan of a rod. I did some consulting work many years ago for T&T and was told at the time that they considered the lifespan of the average fishing rod to be 3 years. During which time the rod would either be broken or replaced with a newer model.

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Tom does that three year span include angler perceptions, marketing and planned obsolescence? I ask because I often hear from new customers that someone has recommended my rods because they're inexpensive in the long run because they last forever. Would you say that three year term is representative industry wise? I would have guessed it to be more like 5 years.

John, I had a manufacturer tell me that their fiberglass blanks had a shelf life as downrigger rods. This was a discussion I had with them after one of my best customers was seeing blank failures in the fourth season of usage. He had a total of 8 downrigger rods in service, and each pair of two was built so that we could keep them straight. The first two to fail like clockwork was the first two in service, and so on. Back to the manufacturer. His story was that a glass rod fractures microscopic fibers every time it is flexed hard. There are only so many (millions) of these fibers, so over time, you will mathematically find the end of the life of that blank. True or not? Can't say, but I now use different blanks from a different manufacturer with no failures in many more reps. Who knows?

John,

My guess is that the type customer you are dealing with, and hopefully most who buy custom rods in general, are looking for long term use in a custom made implement. The general fishing public, which probably constitutes 95+% of the market, probably looks at this issue in a different light, and most of them aren't going to spend the money to buy the type rod you're building, no matter how long it might last nor how well it performs.

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John,

I think keeping an eye on the rod selection in a fishing catalog can be quite telling to a rod manufacturer's business model. Let's roll back 15-20 years to when I started fishing. Companies like Loomis and St. Croix had built a solid reputation for high quality rods. Their designs changed little at all over the years, even decades it seemed. The charged a pretty penny by factory rod standards, and customers took the belief that you got what you paid for. Other companies selling rods at a fraction of the price would revamp designs every couple of years. I believe that the goal is recoup as much from an angler in a time frame as companies with a higher rep, but they took to the plan of offering the 'latest, greatest edition' of more or less the same rod. In the end, both models have proven quite successful.

I'm inclined to think that the tackle industry in general is moving towards a 1-3 year life cycle on rods and reels. As far as bass fishing is concerned, I think the Shimano reels from the late 90's and early 2000s are the standard by which all should be measured. The reels I have from that era are still my primary reels. Those designs changed little over the years, and in recent years, Shimano has started revamping their line every couple of years and has gone through quite a few revisions. Rod companies seem to be doing the same thing. Even the established standards are coming out with newer lines more often. The internet age seems to have brought the bragging rights of a fisherman's equipment to a whole new level. In bass fishing last year's model is now virtual junk. It's great for the manufacturers, and if it reaches a head, may benefit custom builders, if they perceive a custom rod as being a more permanent solution to their problem.

The fact of the matter is that a good blank 50 years ago is a good blank today. I wrapped the Lamiglas 6702 that I got from Joe Azar at the ORBS Gathering and took it out yesterday. While I didn't fish it much, I did tie on a crankbait and try it out. It's a fantastic cranking blank and will have a permanent home in my rod collection! After I mounted the tip top, I put it on the duplicator board alongside my RFLE S-glass cranking rod tuned to my liking. The Lami has a bit slower action and is ever so slightly more powerful than my RFLE. Both rods are top notch. One is quite old, the other brought to market in recent years. Both are very effective options.

By the way, those 6702s are old enough that if they had a shelf life from aging alone, they would show it. I can't seem to find anything at all wrong with that blank, and it will be fished until I do something dumb enough to break it.

Joe
I don't know how old you are But I remember when I used to shake someones hand --- That was our Contract -- Now a days you need several lawers and sign many papers And still you can get it

Times do change

And as fare as I am concerned Not for the better

All things are computerized -- And hackers can get into your - House- Car And steel all you own - O forgot your bank account And no one can stop them

Building rods -- everyone seems to want it - Yesterday - And at a price better then Store Bought --- Please

St Croix used to have a Life Time Guarantee Now a Limited

Bill - willierods.com