Today’s fishing rods are a marvel of modern engineering. These rods are exceptionally lightweight and sensitive yet capable of wrangling tremendous game fish with ease. A quality fishing rod will provide decades of reliable performance when used properly.
Unfortunately, things are rarely that easy, and anglers are a notoriously clumsy bunch. Perhaps you catch your tip-top in a car door or knock out a guide insert as you’re reeling in your lure.
There are dozens of different ways you can damage a fishing rod. Thankfully, it’s often possible to repair the damage with some basic tools and supplies.
Today, we’ll cover everything you need to know about how to repair a damaged fishing rod.
Repairing a Broken Rod Tip
Breaking the tip off a rod is one of the most common ways to damage a fishing rod. Fortunately, it’s a relatively easy repair that you can handle on your own.
What You’ll Need
You’ll need the tools and supplies below to repair your broken rod tip.
- Hacksaw (or coping saw or similar)
- Replacement rod tip
- Rod glue
- 100-grit sandpaper
- Lighter
- Needle nose or split-ring pliers
1. Prepare Your Rod
The first step will be to prep the rod for the replacement tip. Using a hacksaw or similar saw, cut the rod flush just below where the break occurred. Use a piece of sandpaper to lightly rough up the surface of the rod, which will help the new tip adhere permanently.
You might be able to reuse the tip-top from the broken rod. Using a lighter, gently apply heat to the tip-top, being careful not to stay in the same area for too long. Whisk the flame evenly across the tip of the rod, and use a pair of pliers to remove the tip-top from the broken section.
2. Size Your Rod Tip
Depending on how far down the tip the rod was broken, you may be able to reuse the tip-top from the broken section.
But, if the rod tip broke far enough down that it’s in the tapered section of the rod, you’ll need to use a replacement. Replacement tips are usually sold in packs of three or more, with each tip top a different diameter.
Test fit the different rod tips until you find the size that fits snugly on the rod without any glue. The tip that fits most snug is what you’ll use for your repair.
3. Attach the New Tip
With the lighter, heat the bottom of your glue stick so it begins to liquefy, and put a dab of the hot glue onto the rod’s tip. Then, working quickly, place the new tip top onto the rod, and line it up with the other rod guides.
Use your lighter to gently and carefully heat the rod tip once more, which will help distribute the glue evenly and solidify your repair.
Replacing a Broken Guide
Another common repair that you can tackle at home is a broken rod guide. It’s pretty common for a rod guide to become damaged and even more common for one of the eyelet inserts to pop out of the guide, which requires replacement.
What You’ll Need
Here’s what you’ll need to complete a rod guide repair.
- Replacement guide
- Heat gun (or lighter)
- Razorblade
- Flat metal file
- Rod building thread
- Epoxy finish (two-part epoxy preferred)
- Paintbrush
- Thread burnisher
- China marker
- Rod dryer
1. Remove the Damaged Guide
The first step in repairing your rod will be to remove the damaged guide to the rod. Start by applying gentle heat to the epoxy that attaches the eyelet to the rod. A heat gun is best for this task because it’s easier to control. If you don’t have a heat gun, a lighter will work, but you’ll need to be extremely careful not to overheat the rod, which will damage it.
Heating the epoxy weakens the bond between the epoxy and the rod. Once heated, use the razor blade to cut through the epoxy finish. Be sure to cut directly over the rod foot, which will prevent you from slicing into the rod and damaging it.
2. Prepare the Area
Once you’ve removed the damaged guide, epoxy finish, and rod thread, thoroughly clean the area so that you’re working with a pristine surface when you attach the new guide.
Most of the time, there will be a small imprint left on the rod from the old guide, which makes it easy to line up where your new eyelet will go. If there’s nothing on the rod to indicate where the guide should attach, line up the new guide and use a china marker to show where the eyelet will connect.
3. Prepare the New Guide
Replacement guides require preparation before they’re ready to be installed. You’ll want to file the new guide to a point, which helps make for a clean install.
Using a flat metal file, bring the guide foot to a point. Once you’ve achieved a point, run the rod guide across your fingernail. If the guide scratches your nail, you’ll want to continue sanding the guide until you can pass it across your fingernail without scratching it.
4. Wrapping the Guide
Using your rod building thread, start wrapping from left to right about ¼” above where the foot of the new guide will sit. Once you’ve completed the first wrap, lay the tag end flat against the rod and continue wrapping the run end over the tag end to lock it in place.
Wrapping the new guide is the most critical part of the repair process, so take time to ensure that each wrap is perfect and seated tightly against the wrap that precedes it.
A thread burnisher is a helpful tool for this portion, and it ensures your wraps are tight. Take extra care as you wrap the transition between the rod and the guide foot.
5. Finishing the Wraps
Continue wrapping the new guide until you’re about ⅛” below the eyelet for the guide. Next, cut a small length of rod-building thread and form a loop with it. Hold the loop against the rod and complete about ten more wraps over the loop.
Next, cut your running thread from the spool, creating a new tag end. Take that tag end and run it through the loop you created. Pull the loop and tag end out from under the wraps, which will lock your tag end in place.
Using a razor blade, cut through the tag end as close to flush with your wraps as you can get. Use a fresh razor blade to avoid fraying the rod-building thread.
If you’re installing a double-foot rod guide, repeat steps four and five to wrap the foot on the opposite end of the guide.
6. Applying the Finish
Start by mixing your two-part epoxy finish, so it’s ready to use. Then, using your paintbrush, carefully brush the epoxy finish over the threads, being careful to apply an even coat over the entire surface.
7. Dry the Rod
Finally, you’re ready to place your rod into a rod dryer to finish your repair. A rod dryer will rotate your rod continuously to ensure the finish dries evenly.
Without a rod dryer, the finish will pool to one side, creating an ugly repair that won’t have the same structural integrity as one with an even epoxy finish.
Other Rod Repairs
We’ve covered how to repair a broken tip top and a broken rod guide, but what if you need to fix a rod that’s snapped in half? Unfortunately, completing a repair like this isn’t quite as manageable.
In most cases, it’s best to scrap the rod and get a new one. If the rod is still under warranty, send it back to the manufacturer. Otherwise, stop into a local tackle shop and consult with their repair person about whether it’s possible to fix the rod.
FAQ
Do most local tackle stores repair fishing rods?
The vast majority of local tackle shops have an in-house rod repair team that can provide professional-quality rod repairs. So if you’re apprehensive about repairing a rod yourself, or if the repair is incredibly challenging, it’s best to enlist the help of your favorite local tackle shop.
How much do fishing rod repairs cost?
Fishing rod repairs are relatively inexpensive. Many types of repairs are easy enough to complete at home, and they only cost a few dollars to complete.
More involved repairs that require a professional are also reasonably cheap, and they can repair most rods for $20-50 depending on the type of damage to the rod.
Is the repair process the same for all rods?
While fishing rod materials have changed significantly over the years, the process of building a rod hasn’t changed much. Whether your rod is fiberglass, graphite, or a composite of the two, the process for repairing the rod is identical.