This list regards frequencey of occurance pertaining to Operator Error incurred blank failures only, ***NOT MFG materials or workmanship warranty issues*** Consider "frequencey" only of these many cause and effect occurances; each is situational and relitive to the next. The first three maybe a industry given, or not; there may be something I overlooked or inadvertantly added.

What do think are the consecutive ways rods fail due to "operator error"? (OE)

I'd say the top 6 ranked ways in frequencey, a rod fails due to operator error are:

1.) IMPACT....sudden unexpected, car/house doors, weights/lures smacking blanks, hitting limbs on the back cast or slapping the water on a forecast, falls, vacuums in closets

2.) INCORRECT ASSEMBLY, of a multi-piece rod not using the bayonet technique. Usually showing itself as stress cracks on the ferrule after the tip section is thrown off

3.) HIGHSTICKING, The HORROR; of Highsticking (may be a toss up with assembly error)

4.) SNAGS...Reefing on a snag using the rod, it may not break today but you do stress it such that you shorten the rods possible life expectancey

5.) INCORRECT STORAGE..not using rod tubes for long term storage and combination rod/reel tubes for short term mobile transport of a rod, thus rendering the rod available to animals, kids, windows, load shifting accidents. Point 1.) IMPACT is so all encompassing it requires a cause and effectual subset which has a direct correlation to it.

6.) EXCEEDING THE MGF LINE RATING....for a given blank; a blatant disregaurd, or not realizing mono can absorbs 8% water from dry state and can loose up to 1/3 its strength in so doing. Rods having dry line on the 1st few casts might exceed the line rating for the blank until mono weakens. (not with flourcarbon lines)

You forgot ceiling fans....my wife broke a tip off one of my fly rods this way...I still married her.

Bass anglers and fly fisherman require the most attention around my parts. Impacts, short line hooksets with a snag attached, using the rod tip to free a lure, and poor rod storage practices for bassers. Rig door crushes and driving off with the rod still sitting on the top, etc for fly anglers. I find it strange that the salmon and steelhead drift/float rods are just as long, etc. as the fly rod, harder to stow than a bass rod, but I see far less damage returns.

Spence:
Bass guys will put a dozen rigged rods out on the deck of the bass boat and then continue to dance on the through out the day catching fish. Most Bass fisherman want one piece rods of 6 foot or better, Steelhead drift rods at 9 -10 feet ..broken down are only 5 feet max, less there to get hit and never transported full length. The bass guys I run into just see the rods as a tool to be used in the process of winning, then once they win sponcers supply them with all they need so they are somewhat disposable. I fix lots of bass guys production rods, but hardly do I fix any custom built bass rods. Plus when bass guys set their rigged rods on deck while fishing, they let the tips hang out over the gunnels to get hung up on all sorts of things, which I always thought as a steelhead fisherman myself was rule no 1 not to do.....keep all of it inside the boat.

Joe:
Everyone encounters the car/house door/window or ceiling fan, thats why impact is NO. 1 on the list, it creeps up on you in many forms and there is rarly a person who has not done this in one form or another. You almost need to do this once so you watch out for it for the rest of your life, and use tubes indoors or for transport

How about unprotected rods, that are placed in a pick up gun rack? They well keep on bouncing, but they well not be casting long.
Good Wraps Bob

Chris,
A lot of the guides are keeping multiple rods rigged and hanging out the offside stern on the sleds. Lets them keep more bait in the water for the customers during each drift. They usually set them up rear grip anchored at the rear seat box or they have a swing away arm rearward of the boxes and the rods hang further out the back in a more level position. I rigged mine like the first example, and keep a few bare in the interior rod holders. Works good for running hole to hole, not so good if your anchor fishing, pulling plugs, or backbouncing.