I lost a rod last week on a fishing trip to Minnesota in the Boundary Waters Canoe Area Wilderness. It was a rod I had built for a birthday present for myself back in the spring. With a brand new never been out of the box reel. My hands were wet and as I made a cast it flipped out of my hands sinking to the murky depths below. after knowing I couldn't retrieve the rod from where it was with what I had I went back to camp and made a snag out of some treble hooks and slip sinkers. After about 30 minutes of fan casting I snagged something. As it came to the surface i could see the glimmer of a gold guide and just knew I had found my rod.

But sadly not my rod...It was another rod somebody else lost in the same exact place. What are the odds? in a lake that probably not over 100 people fish a year i snag a rod that wasn't mine in the exact place i lost it. Baffling.

It's funny you mentioned this.

About a month ago a friend of mine was fishing near the Florida Middle Grounds (More specifically the pipeline for those in the area). A rod I built him broke below the reel seat and he lost everything except a 12" piece of foam (reel included). I even made a post about it after it happened because he was accusing me of poor craftmanship and I told him there is no way a rod could break below the seat. Anyways, he calls me up after another trip this past weekend and says "You ain't going to believe this ___, I caught the rod".

Now mind you this is 60 miles offshore, so I figured he was spearfishing and came across the rod while diving but it turns out he caught the line between the reel and butt guide. The swivel and hook had since corroded or broke off and the only thing that was stopping the line from coming back up through the guides was it was wrapped around the tip a couple of times. He tells me that the rod was so buried in the rocks that it finally broke loose when he was attempting to break his 100lb. mainline because he figured he was rocked up. He could tell it broke free but something was still attached and he figured it was a piece of the reef.

Now the amazing part, Teh spot where he had caught the rod was roughly a MILE away from the original spot!!!! The fish must have drug the rod along the length of pipeline and surrounding rocks until it got lodged at the new spot. You can tell it was all beat up from being drug because the grip was no where near concentrical anymore.

I began to clean off the barnacles and growth off the rod, but stopped after thinking it would make a better conversation piece than any restoration efforts I could offer.

BTW I was able to prove that the blank was crushed and he admitted to the spot where it had broke as being the spot it hangs from off the overhead rod holders where he puts the rod on the way oput and the way in.




Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 06/18/2007 03:55PM by Scott Youschak.

Truth is stranger than fiction. Ked the rod you found was it a custom built rod?
Good Wraps Bob

Well... I am the KING of lost rods.. I lost two high end rods with Shimano Stella reels in two consecutive trips !!!!

The fist was an Ian Miller Bay Buster with a 6000 Stella. I had put the rod down to grab a beer and a Yellow Tail Kingfish shaffled it. I went over so quickly that I didn't even see it.. the spash was unmistakable though and of course, the absence of the rod and reel was evidence enough.

Exactly 4 weeks later, we were fishing the same spot and my fishing mate says "I have a snag".. the "snag" comes free and he is winding up a heavy weight. My other mate jokes that it might be a custom rod with an high end Japanese reel attached. This gets me interested and I lean over the side to watch and was astounded when my muddy, soggy rod and reel presents itself. What are those odds?? Moreover, it was hooked through the second to tip guide by a minute part of the hook which was protruding from the bait..

The week after the first loss, I was leaning over the side of the boat and a swell came thought and my spinning rod slipped out of my hands in 12 metres of water. My brother cast out a single hook and snagged it first go.. another "hit in the backside with a rainbow" story... I have purchased Lotto tickets.

Sorry about your rod Ked.. maybe I should come over and give it a go !!!!

Cheers
Chris



Edited 2 time(s). Last edit at 06/18/2007 06:48PM by Chris Beverley.

Nah the rod i found was a 5'5'' ultralight diawa rod with an abu garcia reel on it. Maybe a 50 dollar set up...doens't come close to the 300 dollar rod i lost. but thats crazy about the rod that got dragged a mile.

Not a lost rod, but a deliberaty thrown over the side rod on a head boat trip fishing over a reef. Captain came down and collected the money for the rig from the customer. About 20 min. later another fisherman succeded in snagging the outfit. He sold it back to the captain on the spot. I hope the customer that threw it overboard felt as stupid as he looked.

Why did this fisherman thow the rod over board? I sure in the heck would not allow him back on my boat.
Good Wraps bob