Okay, I know what you’re probably thinking: How to use a fishing rod? Are we really talking about this in 2020?
And honestly—yes. We are. Not because anglers aren’t smart, but because a surprising number of people were never actually taught how to use a rod properly in the first place.
How do I know this? A few years back, Chris and I made a video trying to answer a simple question: What does it actually take to break a St. Croix fishing rod? We didn’t baby it. We abused it. We high-sticked it. We tried lifting awkward, heavy objects that no fishing rod was ever designed to handle. We pushed it far beyond what any reasonable angler should. And even then, breaking the rod was no easy task.
In fact, the only way we finally managed to break it was by attempting to lift a 60-pound concrete weight we had made to anchor one of our event tents. And even that felt like it took an act of God.
Fast forward a couple of years, and that same video has accumulated hundreds of comments. Many of them say things like, “My rod snapped the first time I used it,” or “That brand is junk—mine broke instantly.” What’s interesting is you can go to almost any rod manufacturer’s website and find the same types of reviews. So it raises an uncomfortable but important question: is it really the product…or is it the user?
There’s no denying that defects happen. No manufacturer is perfect. But if I had to bet, I’d say at least 85% of broken rods are the result of user error, not faulty equipment. Unfortunately, that’s not something most anglers want to hear. It’s far easier to blame the rod, throw it away, and move on than to ask, “What did I do wrong?”
So what’s actually happening with the rod?
Contrary to popular belief, fishing rods are not designed to carry loads high up near the tip. They’re engineered to distribute pressure closer to the butt of the rod. In a perfect world, your rod should rarely exceed a 45-degree angle while fighting a fish. Keeping the rod butt braced against your body and using both hands allows you to maintain leverage and apply steady, controlled pressure.
When you raise the rod beyond that—60 degrees, 90 degrees, or straight overhead—you dramatically increase the risk of failure. This is known as high sticking, and it’s the number one cause of rod breaks. We see it all the time, from beginners and seasoned anglers alike. I’ll admit it—I’m guilty of it too, especially when trying to flip a fish into the boat with nothing but the rod.
Transportation is another major culprit. Rod blanks are incredibly strong under load but surprisingly vulnerable to small impacts. Tossing rods in the back of a pickup truck, letting the tips bounce against a tailgate, or driving 70 miles per hour down the interstate can create tiny fractures you’ll never see—until the rod explodes on a fish weeks later. I’ve noticed that many breaks occur right where the rod tip would have been tapping the tailgate for miles.
When you consider all of this, it’s honestly impressive how tough modern fishing rods really are.
That’s why we put together a rod infographic—to help anglers understand proper rod angles, pressure points, and handling techniques so they can keep their gear performing at 100% for years to come. Be sure to also check out our article on how to cast a spinning rod properly, as good habits start long before a fish is on the line.
And now I’ll throw it back to you. What do you think causes most rod breaks? User error? Poor transportation? True product defects? This is definitely a debatable topic, and I’m okay with that. Drop your thoughts in the comments, share this graphic with fellow anglers, and let’s help each other keep more rods intact and more fish coming over the rail.
Thanks for reading. Tight lines.
