Caring For Your Three Rocks Rod

Most of us have a great deal of money invested in our tackle – especially our fishing rods. Yet most of us rarely take proper care of these sensitive important fishing tackle components. Here are some recommended ways to extend the life and performance of your rods.

Today, we construct rods from a variety of materials. Regardless of the construction of your new rod, whether Graphite, Fiberglass or Bamboo, it can be broken or seriously damaged through misuse and/or mishandling. To maximize the performance and the lifetime of your new Three Rocks rod, remember these simple steps:

1. Choose the right rod for the application. You can probably use your new rod for more than one application and more than one type of fish, but you need to exercise care not to use the rod in a situation that is beyond its capabilities resulting in a damaged or broken rod.

2. If you snag your lure or fly, use extreme caution in your attempts to free it from the snag. Do not overstress the rod with repeated tugging or "high sticking" (see item #4). It is very easy to break your rod or cause personal injury when attempting to free snags; please be very careful.

3. Objects such as hooks and weights striking the rod will damage the blank and greatly reduce its strength. This is especially true of modern graphite composites. A small nick or "bruise" created in this fashion can lead to blank failure resulting in a broken rod.

4. Avoid “high sticking” your rod when fighting or landing fish. Your rod will break if it is bent in an arc that is tighter than its design will allow, or at too steep of an angle. Never attempt to lift a fish using the rod.

5. Do not place your hand on the rod blank above the handle while fighting or landing fish. This puts excessive pressure at the single point where you place your hand, rather than allowing the rod to distribute the pressure exerted from a fish over the entire length of the blank.

6. Do not exceed the recommended line rating for your rod. Doing so can cause excessive stress on the blank. Braided line does not stretch like monofilament line. Using braided line without adjusting your drag or adding a monofilament leader can result in the rod breaking on a heavy hook set or when the rod is loaded.

7. Take great care in transporting your rod. Deep scratches and nicks will greatly reduce its strength. Guide inserts can be cracked or chipped. Completely disassemble your rod, and use a protective case, whenever possible. Remember: More then 80% of rod damage occurs during the transport of rods going to, coming from, or moving between fishing spots. In fact, many rods that break while fishing actually break due to damage caused to the rod during transportation.

8. After using your rod in saltwater, be certain to thoroughly rinse it with freshwater. Pay special attention to the guide frames, and any other metal parts. Use of a corrosion inhibitor protects guide feet and metal components.

9. When fly-casting weighted flies, be careful not to hit the rod blank with the fly. This will damage the blank and greatly reduce its strength.

10. Never use a graphite fishing rod in an electrical storm. Graphite rod blanks contain carbon fibers, which are excellent conductors of electricity.

11. On multi-piece rods, remove any dirt or debris from the male ferrule section before inserting it into the female ferrule section. Also, slowly twist and push the rod sections to align the guides.

12. Take care of your cork! Do not stick hooks into your cork handle or fore grip. Hook points will cause small gouges in the cork that will lead to larger gouges, which will lead to an uncomfortable grip and costly repairs. Use the hook keeper, if one is included on your rod, or the reel to keep hooks. Cork is more prone to wear than other handle materials and more readily shows stains and dirt. It may not look new, but will continue to perform as good as new as long as you protect it.

13. Your rod may or may not be equipped to handle braided or fused lines. If it is not, do not use them. The abrasive nature of these lines will score and pit the guides on your rod causing reduced performance in casting and, eventually, costly repairs. Check your guides from time to time. Guides that are scratched or damaged should be replaced if wear is indicated.

14. Never retrieve the line so far that knots, swivels, lures, etc., impact or pass through the tip of your rod as this can sometimes damage or knock loose your tip top or leading guides.

15. Store your rod in a safe, dry location between fishing trips. Car trunks, truck beds and pickup rear windows can get extremely hot. Even a disassembled rod that is properly stored in a container can suffer damage from extreme heat. In addition, rods should be stored in an upright position - storage in any other position eventually causes them to warp.

16. Never place your rod in an insecure position, against the side of a vehicle, lying loose on a boat deck, on the ground, leaning against a tree or fence, etc.

17. If you are ever in doubt of the proper use and care of your rod or you see indications that it may need repair - immediately stop using the rod and contact your custom builder for information and/or service.

Contact: Buzz Natzke – Three Rocks Rods