I am glad you guys are on top of all this, I'm too busy fishing.

Whether I tie #100 test mono from the tip of a hotshot blank directly to a tree root or run a line from a locked-up reel, through the guides to a tree root and pull straight up until the bod breaks, I would bet the curve of the blanks will be identical just before they break. I would also wager 99% of rods broken in use were victims of high-sticking (or previous physical damage). I would like to compare videos of two of the same blanks, secured horizontally being pulled down by a weight until they break: one with a line passing through the tip-top only, the other with the line passing through tip-top and whole guide train before being secured. Every experienced angler I know has a "safety fuse" between the reel and the end of the line - a section where the leader will break before the rod does.



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 06/16/2020 12:44PM by Phil Ewanicki.

If the guides are sufficient in number and properly spaced, two rods, one with the line simply attached to the tip, will both break from overload in the same place, in the lower 3rd of the rod a few inches forward of the handle.

If the guides are not sufficient in number or not properly spaced, the rods will break in different places and the one without any guides will withstand more load before breaking.

We don't have to guess at this stuff - we know.

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If they both break in the same place, one employing a line through a complete guide train, the other just the tip top, I conclude they assumed the same bend, which is what I observed.

If the complete guide train contains enough guides and they are properly placed, yes. That's the point of using enough guides and placing them properly - so that the blank can take its natural flex under load and maintain it's maximum deadlift capability.

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