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This is one of a dozen a stand up rods that I built for a charter boat. Blank is a Seeker S6460XH....it was paired with a Penn International 50VSW loaded with 80lb braid. Rod was built in 2017 and has seen tough duty drifting bait for sharks....sword.....trolling daisy chains and tracker bars for tuna (mostly yellow fin) and fast trolling deep divers for wahoo on occasion. Captain tells me the rig has landed some serious fish and that it is impossible to watch his guests all the time.

I know he cares for his gear as much as he can but the rods get worked hard.

The damage is only in the upper 1/3rd of the rod.

What do you think is happening here? Does this look fatal to you? Just stress?

All replies welcome.

thanks!



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 04/20/2021 01:17PM by Joseph Willsen.

Not sure what you are talking about, it looks good to me. It may be that the clear coat on the rod blank peeled off with time, sun and bending. If this is the case it’s not fatal. Picture not good enough to tell if this is the case.
Norm

Rod looks like it's been in some real battles with typical rod rash . The guide looks like it's been stepped on because it's slightly deformed but I don't think it's fatal . I'm not an experienced offshore angler and don't know much about offshore tackle so I can't say with certainty .

I should have been more specific......the guides are ok....the white spiderwebbing looks to be broken fibers from stress. The blank started off as solid black....now the top 3rd is showing that white webbing

Sand those spots down and see if its just the permacoat.

Joseph,
I do not know what “happened” to the rod or if it has been structurally compromised but it LOOKS really cool!!! I know that’s not much help.

Mark Talmo
FISHING IS NOT AN ESCAPE FROM LIFE BUT RATHER A DEEPER IMMERSION INTO IT!!! BUILDING YOUR OWN SIMPLY ENHANCES THE EXPERIENCE.

It was supported by the gunnel during a fight with a big ole yellowfin.

Ok, the paint/clear coat on the blank has gone up in smoke due to fishing stress and sun damage. However, I don’t think the rods have a fatal condition. You could seal the surface with a. clear coat using Permagloss or some type of automotive clear coat, and see what happens. You could also call or email Seeker Rods and see what they have to say.
Norm

I also feel that it's the coating on the blank that's been damaged, or perhaps something that happens to all those blanks after some time in the sun. Odd but from the photos that's about I can surmise.

.............

Looking closely at your photo where the epoxy transitions to the bare blank (a short distance past the gold trim), it appears that where the epoxy is present it has protected the manufacturer's blank finish. Where the epoxy is thin, you start to see the "damage" and where the epoxy is absent, you see the full "damage"- as previously stated, it looks line sun damage to the original blank's coating.

I think the dead give away is that the Cap'n said he can't watch his guests all the time.

Joseph,
Easy.

The rod was resting on the rail of the boat and a big fish fight was going on. It appears that the drag on the rod was so tight that the rod was overstressed and essentially overloaded the rod.

If the rod had been able to move as is the case as if the full length of the rod was free to move or if the rod was in a fisherman's harness, that had some give and the entire rod was able to take the stress and if in the worst case, the entire rod was pointed toward the fish to let it run ,there would have been no damage.

Summary -
Big fish run. No give in the rod. Rod break due to the big fish fighting with no give on the full length of the rod to take the stress of the fight.

This same damage will happen to any rod if the rod is overloaded and the rod is not pointed straight toward the fish to allow the fish to strip line off the reel without putting extreme pressure on any specific spot on the rod.

Best wishes.

p.s.
Awesome job of rod building.

I agree about the cosmetic damage with the finish worn off due to the rod being rested on a rail or something similar but I can't say the rod was overloaded none of us except the Captain and the OP know that .

As always a ton of knowledge and experience here. Thank you all for sharing it with me and for the compliment Roger. ....coming from you I it means a lot.

I am glad to hear that most think it is cosmetic and I am sure you guys are right about the rod being overstressed. I have since heard that along with winning some big battles the rod was involved in a losing 3 hr fight with what was believed to be a big sword that they broke off out at the Atlantis Canyon one night.

It is unlikely though, that the stress was caused by being in contact with the rail because the boat is a 32 BHM Downeast style boat and the gunwale is only just above your knee.

Would "high sticking" in a stand up bucket harness have the same effect?