Fishing is almost as old as human history itself, with historians estimating that the practice is over 40,000 years old. For at least the last 4,000 years, anglers have used fishing rods to make it easier to catch fish. Fast forward to today, and breakthroughs in technology have revolutionized the fishing rod industry.
Today, we will look closely at how fishing rods are made, what materials manufacturers use to make them, and where they manufacture them.
How are Fishing Rod Blanks Made?
To understand the manufacturing process for a fishing rod, you must start by understanding how to make a rod blank.
Virtually all the rods on the market today are made from either fiberglass or carbon fiber. The process begins with a flat sheet called a prepreg, regardless of the material. The sheet consists of thousands of strands of carbon fiber or fiberglass that are impregnated with a slow curing resin.
The blank-making process begins by wrapping the prepreg sheet around a steel mandrel that matches the taper of a fishing rod. Applying heat makes the prepreg easier to work with during the wrapping process. Once wrapped, the rod is baked for up to an hour at around 300°F.
The resin activates as the rod is heated, which shrinks during the heating process. As it shrinks, it brings the fibers closer together and strengthens them. Once the healing process is complete, the maker removes the mandrel from the rod blank, and final sanding and finishing take place to prepare the blank as it becomes a rod.
Turning a Blank into a Rod
Once the rod blank is complete, there are a few more steps to complete before the rod blank becomes a fishing rod.
First, a rod handle and reel seat are added to the rod. The reel seat is typically graphite or steel, and handles are made from cork or EVA foam. These components are pre-fabricated and ready to be attached to the rod using epoxy.
Next, the rod eyelets must be attached to the rod. The builder begins by placing the eyelet in its proper location and taping it in place using a thin piece of masking tape. Rod eyelets have feet that extend from the front and back of the eyelet, and rod thread and epoxy hold the feet in place.
The rod-building thread carefully wraps over the foot, and a thread burnisher ensures the thread wraps are perfectly uniform and tight. Once the eyelet is bound, the builder applies several coats of a slow-curing epoxy finish to fully secure the rod guides.
With all the rod guides and tip-top attached, the rod is placed into a rod turner, ensuring the thick epoxy finish cures evenly and dries smooth. Once the guides are attached, the rod is ready to enter quality control, and then it’s packaged for sale.
Fishing Rod Materials: Glass vs. Graphite
Over the years, the materials we use to manufacture fishing rods have changed significantly. These days, fiberglass and graphite are the two most common materials. Both materials represent a massive leap over the metal or wood rods common in the past, but that doesn’t mean all materials are equal.
Fiberglass preceded graphite as a fishing rod material. At the time, manufacturers loved the strength and flexibility fiberglass provided. But like most other building materials, it was quickly replaced with something even better.
Graphite rods came onto the scene in the late 60s, and by the 1980s, the benefits of a graphite rod were undeniable. Graphite offers significantly more sensitivity and strength than fiberglass, and graphite is also lighter, so it can have a narrower taper without sacrificing strength.
Graphite’s benefits over fiberglass are clear, but choosing the best rod material for you isn’t as cut and dry. Fiberglass rods can be made more cheaply than graphite rods. If you’re new to fishing or purchasing a rod for occasional use, it might be worth opting for a fiberglass rod, even if it isn’t as advanced as a graphite one.
Many manufacturers combine the two materials, adopting a best-of-both-worlds approach to building their rods. With this approach, the manufacturer can offer an affordable rod that’s stronger and more sensitive than if it were 100% fiberglass.
How are Bamboo Rods Made?
Bamboo was the most common material used to manufacture fishing rods until the 1940s when the first fiberglass rods hit the market. In some areas, bamboo rods are still reasonably common.
Making a bamboo rod blank is pretty similar to a fiberglass or composite blank. The manufacturer starts with bamboo canes around 6-8’ long between 1-2” in diameter. A heavy blade splits the canes in half and removes any additional material inside the cane.
Next, a blade cuts the cane into several thin strips. This process must be exact, as variations of more than one-thousandth of an inch between the cut strips will compromise the rod. The strips are then glued together around a mandrel, similar to how you’d make glass or graphite rods.
Once the glue is dried, the mandrel is removed. Finally, the rod can be sanded and prepared for the next step.
FAQ
Where are fishing rods made?
Fishing rods are made in specialized manufacturing facilities worldwide. Most rods costing less than $200 are manufactured in China, Korea, or Mexico. Most high-end rods are made in either the United States or Japan.
What fishing rods are made in the USA?
Many fishing rod brands make their rods in the United States, including Penn, St. Croix, G. Loomis, and most custom rod manufacturers. American factory production is usually for high-end rods, and many companies who use American manufacturing still make their budget-priced rods overseas.
Where are Shimano fishing rods made?
Shimano makes their rods at multiple facilities depending on the type of rod. Shimano manufactures their high-end rods in the $300-and-up range at their flagship facility in Japan, and Shimano manufactures their less expensive rods in China, Thailand, and Malaysia.
Where are Penn fishing rods made?
Penn makes all their rods at overseas production facilities, mainly in China. Until 2002, Penn fishing rods were manufactured in the United States. While Penn may have moved production to China, their rods are still well regarded as well-made, high quality, and affordable.
What materials are fishing rods made from?
Companies make fishing rods from various materials depending on the rod and its intended use. Graphite is used to manufacture the most high-end rods on the market, while fiberglass is for more inexpensive rods. Most mid-tier rods blend the two materials, which provides many of the benefits of graphite at a lower price.
Some specialty rods are still manufactured from bamboo, although this is becoming increasingly rare. Bamboo rods fell out of popularity with the introduction of fiberglass rods in the 1940s.
Does the manufacturing process change because of the material?
The manufacturing process is still very similar whether a rod is fiberglass or graphite. Both raw materials begin as a flat sheet of material known as a prepreg formed into a cylindrical rod blank. While the heating temperature and the resin used to form the rod may differ depending on the material, the manufacturing process is identical.
Happy Fishing & Tight Lines