# Bent Rod Tip



## pierjunky (Dec 7, 2008)

Hopefully someone can help me out cause im out of ideas. Ive got a star spinning rod that the tip is permanently bent back from being leaned against a wall for an extended period of time. I have tried hanging it on the wall and hanging weights from the tip to bend it back but after months, this still has not worked. Any ideas?


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## NC KingFisher (Nov 20, 2011)

Never leave a rod against a wall for an extended period of time where it is flexed. Not sure about how to fix it though


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## solid7 (Dec 31, 2010)

Unless that's a fiberglass rod, it's not going to bend back. However, no worreis, it's an easy fix... You throw it away a get a new one. The rod is permanently deformed, and any attempt to straighten is only going to weaken it the same amount in the other direction. All roads lead to a broken rod. If it doesn't go back on it's own, its elastic limit has been exceeded. (similar to a spring)

Never store a rod in a bent state. That includes leaving a hook or lure on, and cranking the reel down.


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## WNYBob (Aug 16, 2011)

solid7 said:


> Unless that's a fiberglass rod, it's not going to bend back. However, no worreis, it's an easy fix... You throw it away a get a new one. The rod is permanently deformed, and any attempt to straighten is only going to weaken it the same amount in the other direction. All roads lead to a broken rod. If it doesn't go back on it's own, its elastic limit has been exceeded. (similar to a spring)
> 
> Never store a rod in a bent state. That includes leaving a hook or lure on, and cranking the reel down.


Exactly!! That’s one of those things you (anyone) knows better but still lots do it. It’s really just a matter of establishing good habits with gear, like rinsing salt gear. Then taking that couple of extra minutes to store gear properly rather than running in the door and running on to the next thing pulling and grabbing for your time and attention and neglecting your own routine. 

Even with not completely dismantling a rod, line from rod to reel for storage, however anyone does it. with a set-up I’ll probably turn around and use the next day again or very soon, I’ll leave assembled. But at the very least I’m anal about getting the swivel snap onto the hook keeper and as mentioned, do NOT crank the reel down. Actually, I take a second and back off the drag until it is very loose. That prevents an accidental turn too tight bending the rod. Plus for longer term storage, I’ve always been told to back all the drags way off.

And keep rods standing or hanging in proper rod racks.


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## pierjunky (Dec 7, 2008)

I have established good habits over the past few years. I have all the rods hanging in racks in the shed and i always rinse and dry them properly after each use and back all drags off. This mistake was made a few years ago and unfortunetly its a $140 star offshore spinning rod... Oh well, you live and ya learn i guess. Its still usable i just hate the way it looks with that slight backwards bend.


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## solid7 (Dec 31, 2010)

pierjunky said:


> I have established good habits over the past few years. I have all the rods hanging in racks in the shed and i always rinse and dry them properly after each use and back all drags off. This mistake was made a few years ago and unfortunetly its a $140 star offshore spinning rod... Oh well, you live and ya learn i guess. Its still usable i just hate the way it looks with that slight backwards bend.


Hey, it's all good, we've all made that mistake at least once. Point is, don't try to fix it. Either use it as it is, or throw it out. Don't attempt to fix it, cause it won't ever be the same again...


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## Oyster (Jun 28, 2000)

pierjunky said:


> Hopefully someone can help me out cause im out of ideas. Ive got a star spinning rod that the tip is permanently bent back from being leaned against a wall for an extended period of time. I have tried hanging it on the wall and hanging weights from the tip to bend it back but after months, this still has not worked. Any ideas?


I’ve been building rods for about 35 yrs. and my buddies are always bringing rods by the house for me to fix for them. Usually it’s just minor stuff like replacing tips and guides or handle repair but I have seen several rods that were bent from improper storage. I have tried several methods to straighten them with varying degrees of success. By using weights (the method you tried), I have been able to get the tip pointing in the right direction. But, the rod that started out with a slight “C” shape now had an “S” shape. This was because the stress placed on the blank by the weights did not exactly mirror the stresses that caused the initial set (in the rod world, a rod that gets bent like we are talking about is known as having a “set”). 

However, I have found one way to remove a set if you have the time, energy, inclination and patience. That is to lean the rod up against the wall exactly the way it was when the set was put in it, except rotate the rod 180 degrees where it is now leaning into the set. But don’t expect quick results, it will sometimes take as long to remove the set as it took to put it in. I have done this twice in the past on high modulus graphite rods with good results and the rods are as sound as ever, straight as an arrow and still fishing. One of the rods belonged to me. It was one of my Zziplex Quatra Sports that I had let a friend use for a couple of years. I was glad to save that one. At 26 years old she can still outcast most rods you see on the beach today. 

Most rod manufacturers sell seconds. Many times these are blanks that took a set after removing the mandrel. They have to sell them cheap because the bend is a cosmetic flaw but they will tell you they are just as strong. I have never seen or heard of a blank being weakened because of a slight set. According to Dale Clemens, every rod has a certain life expectancy. However, this life expectancy has nothing to do with time, it has to do with the number of times the rod is flexed. He told me that every time a rod is flexed the structural fibers will get microscopic fractures and at some point will fail for no apparent reason. He said this is most often seen with fly rods because there is less material to start with and the nature of fly-fishing runs up the flex count very quickly. Most other rods used in other types of fishing never get near the flex count needed to cause fatigue failure.


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## Reelturner (Dec 24, 2003)

Oyster, thanks for the very informative information. It might pay off for myself one day.

RT


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## pierjunky (Dec 7, 2008)

Thank you so much oyster, that was excellent advice. I have plenty of time so i will give that a shot.


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