Just trying to figure out why my Fitzgerald rod folded over when I set the hook on a 1lb bass.. I was throwing a chatterbait and I set the hook and the rod just collapsed. Never seen this happen. 7'1" MH jig rod. Still got the fish in but I called Fitzgerald and the guy said it was my fault it collapsed that I had to have done something to make it do that. Considering 3 casts before I caught a 3lb bass with no issues . Any help would be great.
2003 skeeter sx200. 200hp Yamaha vmax ox66.
hook 9 and hook 7
dual Bluetooth gauge style radio and speakers
109lb motor guide tour trolling motor
dual power pole pro series
atlas 6" hydraulic jack plate
custom rims
live well full of hogs.
Just checked the rod warranty and they charge 60$ fee to replace it and you have to pay 25$ shipping fee as well.. so that's 85$ to replace a rod that folded over when I can get the thing new for 169 all day
2003 skeeter sx200. 200hp Yamaha vmax ox66.
hook 9 and hook 7
dual Bluetooth gauge style radio and speakers
109lb motor guide tour trolling motor
dual power pole pro series
atlas 6" hydraulic jack plate
custom rims
live well full of hogs.
I would bet the rod had a flaw or had sustained damage from an external blow. Was it the manufacturer, the retailer, shipper or the user? Who knows but something was definitely defective in the area that failed.
As stated above, something on the rod failed. Was it a clean break or did splinter? It’s weird a rod manufacturer would’ve automatically stated user error without inspecting the rod themselves. But in all honesty, $85 for a $160 rod isn’t that awful. That’s half price for a new one. More and more companies are going to this type of warranty. If you’re not happy with the rod then don’t bother. If you liked it, then $85 isn’t bad.
1995 Ranger 481v
1995 Johnson Fast Strike 175hp
Yea it splintered and folded over never broke.. folded like a lawn chair.. but where is the incentive to buy another one. And they don't even want the rod back. They just want you to cut a 6" section with the model number on it. If I've only had the rod 3 months and it does this why would I want another one of them
2003 skeeter sx200. 200hp Yamaha vmax ox66.
hook 9 and hook 7
dual Bluetooth gauge style radio and speakers
109lb motor guide tour trolling motor
dual power pole pro series
atlas 6" hydraulic jack plate
custom rims
live well full of hogs.
If the blank splintered then it sustained damage. A clean break is indicative of a flaw in the blank. Sounds as if your rod may have taken a hit and maybe you didn’t realize it?
Guess we will never know but it sucks because that's 189$ down the drain.. I'm gonna buy bamboo and mount a reel to it and let it eat.
2003 skeeter sx200. 200hp Yamaha vmax ox66.
hook 9 and hook 7
dual Bluetooth gauge style radio and speakers
109lb motor guide tour trolling motor
dual power pole pro series
atlas 6" hydraulic jack plate
custom rims
live well full of hogs.
Sucks that it happened. Most companies want a section of the rod scent back almost as collateral so people don’t pull a fast one over on them. Abu Garcia does that occasionally as well. A clean break is a sign of a manufacturing defect. If it splinters then there was some impact between it getting shipped and the break.. doesn’t mean user error but at that point it’s impossible for the company determine a cause otherwise. they probably are just going according to policy word for word.
I’d suggest giving a Fenwick Elite Tech as they are just under what you’d pay for a Fitzgerald. A St Croix mojo bass and a Kistler Argon (on sale)would be around the same price but only has a 5yr and 1yr warranty reapectively. They are great rods though
1995 Ranger 481v
1995 Johnson Fast Strike 175hp
How long have you had the rod?
2020 Skeeter ZX150
3 months....
2003 skeeter sx200. 200hp Yamaha vmax ox66.
hook 9 and hook 7
dual Bluetooth gauge style radio and speakers
109lb motor guide tour trolling motor
dual power pole pro series
atlas 6" hydraulic jack plate
custom rims
live well full of hogs.
Had the same thing happen to a Dobyns I had. It’s though to deal with in the moment and took me a while to understand... but if the section is splintered at the breaking site, it’s usually from some sort of damage. Inadvertent stepping on the rod, or something along those lines. A manufacturer defect is usually a clean break, and happens pretty much immediately on first few hook sets. Have to send in a 6” section on Dobyns as well. Hopefully it all works out for you. I replaced mine with another one, and have been happy since.
Graphite can suffer from impacts, and just fold up if stress is put on it in the exact perfect direction. When we had graphite aircraft panels we had to do ultrasound to check for impact damage, totally invisible to the naked eye.
These guys are correct in saying a splintered rod blank is one that has had impact damage. A splintered blank that is intact usually means it was crushed or stepped on to cause wall failure.
I'm going back to my bass pro extreme rods ... 20yrs old and still bending strong
2003 skeeter sx200. 200hp Yamaha vmax ox66.
hook 9 and hook 7
dual Bluetooth gauge style radio and speakers
109lb motor guide tour trolling motor
dual power pole pro series
atlas 6" hydraulic jack plate
custom rims
live well full of hogs.
It's a heckuva lot cheaper and easier to ship in a 6" section of rod than it is a 7'+ entire rod. Also serves a dual purpose as proof of purchase and keeps dishonest people somewhat honest by keeping them from double dipping.
If it broke after some use was likely due to some sort of damage. Real easy to damage one. Getting caught in cleat steeping on it dropping pliers on it heavy weight hitting the blank etc. getting damaged while being shipped or in the store is also possible.
Yes it sucks but time time to move on. Does not happen often but may happen again with any high performance rod. Want a rod that is designed to hold up? Use ugly sticks.
For that price, I would ditch the Fitzgerald rods and buy a Hammer or ALX. Both American made and much better than a cheap Chinese rod with huge markup.
How much more mark up does Fitzgerald have vs ALX or Hammer ?Originally Posted by BigSexyPhoenix
Are they made in China?
Imported rods as a whole have a significantly higher profit margin than a US built rod.
Usually you see US manufacturers ask for the whole rod. We can do something about quality, etc. so we want to see it. The whole rod also tells us a story a 6" section doesn't.
Import rods - you make enough $ that eating a broken rod (which they aren't when you are paying a replacement fee) is no big deal. Send me 6" to let me know you really had the rod and I sold another at a big discount and you got "a deal". We are both happy. I'd wager that a $50 replacement fee covered the entire cost of that replacement rod (and maybe some extra).
In many cases I've seen imported rods cost half of what it costs us to produce a rod here in the US. Depending on the rod (materials, styling, etc) it could even be a greater discrepancy.
Not throwing any shade... just is what it is. We've looked at imports for the same reasons... but the quality is just not what we want our name on and we're happy writing pay checks to employees who give a rip about what they do.
Reply With Quote
