I built (7) spinning rods using the Cabelas IM7 blanks in 6' 6" and 7'0" 'med/fast 6-12 line models.
I built (4) of these rods for my freind, (1) for my son and (2) for me. We have broken (5) out of (7) rods.
I asked both my freind and my son if they were being over abusive (as they can be) but no, they weren't doing anything unusual just putting pressure on the rod when it broke.
With mine I hooked a stump and set the hook hard, then snap.. I have one left now my 7' that I use for crankbaits.
All of these blanks broke aouut 6-10" above the ferrule. I've built about 100 custom rods so I don't think it was anything I did during the build.
I realize these were not expensive blanks but I really liked that they were light and had good action.
They did seem to have a thin wall.
Just wondering if anyone has had the same experience?
I'm going to rebuild these on St. Croix SC II blanks.

It almost sounds like high sticking. I know at one time Gloomis made blanks for Cabelas. Who knows were they are contracted with today.
Good Wraps Bob

The new more sensitive graphite rods won't tolerate fighting angles past vertical. The more sensitive the rod the more you have to watch your angles. I know we see the guys on the fishing shows do it all the time but they get their rods from the mfg and many don't pay for them or get them ar reduced rates. I personally try not to take the rod over 60 degrees from horizontal to the water.

I've heard the term high sticking before, what exactly is this? Does it occur when guys swing the fish directly into the boat?
Or is it mainly overbending of the rod tip like if a fish was directly under the boat and you rear back on the rod past vertical?

High Sticking is indeed taking the rod past vertical. Understand though, that you can exceed the 90 degree angle in other ways as you pointed out with the analogy of the fish under the boat.



Edited 2 time(s). Last edit at 01/11/2009 10:32PM by David Swiderski.

Steven, here is a link to a great article in the library on eliminating broken rods. [www.rodbuilding.org]

Chuck

Did you ask Cabellas to replace them under the warranty?

I try to keep the rod around 45 % If you get to 90% you are asking for a tip break..
Good Wraps Bob

I have had all of my fly rods WAY past 90 degrees. And my fiberglass bass rod as well, but not the stiff Graphite one.

Glass rods can handle going over 90% but not grapht. Do the construction of graphit it well not handle going over 90%. the correct way to hanle a grahit rod is to handle the rod about 45%. Chck out the link Chuck recomended [www.rodbuilding.org.
Good Wraps Bob

Fiberglass rods are a diferent ball game. They are hard to break under most circumstances barring , of course, damage to the blank. Fly rods seem to be designed for the stress of the "overbending" we all seem to do. You hear about the breakage in the high modulus graphite spinners and casting rods, and sometimes with the composites. I have broken a factory Penn and It went about 6" from the tip while bringing in a flounder. I believe it was a combination of a nick on the blank and too much bend on the rod. A bad combination to be sure. The Penn is a fathom master model which is actually a downrigger rod made to have significant bend at the tip.

. The only fly blank I've ever broken was when I sat on the damn thing and the ferrule snapped riight off.



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 01/12/2009 02:43PM by David Swiderski.

The first rod I ever built was a Cabela`s 6` U.L. I love it It is a fun little rod.

The largest fish I caught with it is a 10# 4oz. channel cat. It was a blast!

I worried about the rod but it was fine.

bill

Ohio Rod Builders

Canton, Ohio

Steven,

Given that they all broke in roughly the same place, could there be something in the way they were transported, such as strapped to a boat deck with tips hanging off of the end of the boat deck, or laying in the bed of a truck with tips resting on an object?

I recall seeing somebody posting that he had a bass fisherman with mysterious rod breakage habits that was related to strapping the rods to the deck in rough conditions. I used to transport my rods laying on the deck of my boat, so all I had to do was dump in and go, but after reading that post, I started laying my rods in the back of my truck flat, not touching one another, on the bed mat to and from the water.

Joe

Chuck I read the article, it was very informative. After reading this I'm sure that my friend, who as I mentioned can be abusive, probably did high stick or bend it back past vertical. In fact I've seen him do this when I fish with him, especially on a snag or a hang in a bush. Even on the one I broke I could have done the same (I really did lean into that hookset).
As I mentioned these were very thin walled so I can see where they require more TLC.
Bill no I did not ask Cabelas about replacement, I don't think I've got any receipts left for them as they were bought a year or two ago.
Thanks everyone for the input.