During a lifetime of angling, you’re going to come to a point where you want to retire an old fishing rod. Perhaps you bought a new one that you like better, or maybe your old one broke. You might wonder what to do with your old or broken fishing rod. Before you throw it in the trash, consider some of the creative ways you can give these old rods new life.
Do Old Fishing Rods Go Bad?
There’s no need to get rid of your old fishing rods if they’re still working fine. Though heavy use can break down rods (and especially fiberglass ones) over time, a fishing rod doesn’t automatically go bad with age. If you’ve taken appropriate care of it throughout its life, it may just out survive you. I know I’m still fishing with rods I used 30 years ago as a kid, and I’m not the only angler who can say that.
With that being said, it’s not easy to keep any fishing rod in pristine condition. The mere act of using them exposes them to potential damage constantly. Every door or rod locker could potentially snap their tip, and each hook could scratch the blank while you’re clawing for the keeper with cold hands. When you get too excited by a big fish, it’s easy to forget about your rod and drop it awkwardly as you work to unhook a monster pike.
Some rods, such as fiberglass ones, have bonding agents that hold the glass together. If you used this to its full potential for a significant amount of time, it could weaken. It’s not uncommon to hear fishermen say that their old fiberglass rods just aren’t what they used to be for this reason. However, this just means the rods action is slightly different. That’s not to say it has “gone bad” – just that you might have to start using different lures or techniques.
What is the Life Expectancy of a Fishing Rod?
Many fishing rod manufacturers offer lifetime warranties on their products. Several even allow this warranty to be “no questions asked” in exchange for a high deductible. They wouldn’t do this if fishing rods weren’t expected to stand the test of time. While anything abused will break, a fishing rod that is properly maintained and stored will be fine for a lifetime. Again, I have several that I have fished with for over 30 years. There’s nothing wrong with them at all and now my kids are using them.
This does, of course, assume that the manufacturing process is a quality one. It’s not my place to disparage any manufacturer, so I won’t, but the reason I spend so much time raving about both Ugly Stik and St. Croix fishing rods is because I’ve found them to be exceptionally durable, and, in the case of St. Croix, often backed by a great warranty. This has not been my experience with every single brand I’ve tried.
Creative Things to Do With Old or Broken Fishing Rods
There’s no need to march to the garbage when your fishing rod snaps. There are several creative things to do with your old or broken rods.
Claim a Warranty
Before you do anything else with a broken fishing rod, you should see if it is under warranty. Many companies offer solid warranties even to second owners. I wrote an article about buying used rods with confidence that illustrates this point. While it might not be worth it for less expensive rods, if your prized possession breaks, see what the company will do for you first.
Attempt a Repair
If you’re handy, you could see if it’s possible to make repairs. As the video below that I’ve linked to shows, this is even possible if your blank snaps in the middle.
Fixing a Rod Tip
Amazon sells kits to repair fishing rod that you can use for on the water repairs. You’d just use a lighter to heat the glue in this kit and make sure you coat both the broken rod as well as the new tip with it before sliding it on.
Fixing a Blank that Breaks in the Middle
This is an interesting video showing you how to fix a broken fishing rod that snaps directly in the middle. He uses a dowel rod and generous use of epoxy and string to make the repair.
Spare Parts
If the rod is too far gone to repair, you can always break it down further and use it for spare parts. The line guides can be removed and salvaged for use on other rods. Further, cork handles and be ground down and used to fill in the handles of other rods for little touch ups.
Even if you aren’t comfortable parting it out, remember that others are. There’s quite a market on e-Bay for broken fishing rods (especially when they’re high-end), so before you toss your broken fishing rods, consider posting them on e-Bay to see if you can get a bite.
Décor
Old fishing rods and other used fishing equipment makes great décor around a lake house or barn. If the rod is in fairly good shape you could simply mount it crossed against another like swords for a cool look. You could also line your walls with them or hang your child’s name, letter by letter, down from the line guides while the rod is mounted near their crib.
Really, you should go check out this Pinterest page with multiple ideas for fishing décor to help get your creative juices flowing. There’s a lot of cool art projects that you can do with old fishing tackle in general, much less rods.
Modeling Components
I’ve been getting into scale modeling a bit as another hobby I can’t afford. What I’ve noticed right away is how just about any “junk” becomes useful in this craft. I was downstairs today stringing up some Ugly Stiks when I noticed just how translucent their tips are. Considering they’re also quite strong, they’d be a great way to prop up model airplanes in a diorama.
Consider this photo below. This was my son’s Black History Month project this year. He used wooden dowels to get the planes up in the air. These of course stick out quite a bit. I’ll bet the tip of an Ugly Stik also would have done the trick and been less noticeable. Of course, the only problem with this is that Ugly Stiks are darn-near indestructible, so we’ll never get the chance!
I’m sure there are plenty of other ways to make good use of old fishing rods in scale modeling. For example, I’m already wondering if a foam handle wouldn’t make a great, lightweight, interior support structure…
Lawn & Garden
I have to say, a medium-heavy or larger rod blank would make a great stake for your garden. Indeed, the line guides would be very good places to tie off some fabric to keep your tomatoes growing strong. Depending on how tall you need them, you might need to connect two broken blanks together with a dowel, but you’d think this system would work quite well. Come to think of it, I hope my wife doesn’t read this. If she does, I think I just bought myself a new project…
Plow Reflectors
Fishing rod blanks are lightweight, flexible, and (if you remove the eye guides at least) unlikely to do any damage to something that walks into it. This would make them a pretty good use as a reflector during the winter months to help you avoid the lawn while you’re snow blowing. Just wrap that rod up in reflective tape, sharpen on end with a knife, and push it into the ground as you would with any other reflector.
Line Stringer
I once lost the top half of a 2-piece fishing rod, but rather than throw it out, I’ve put it to great use as a line stringer. I find it much easier to put new fishing line on a reel if it’s on this shortened rod than a longer one. It’s more convenient and can be done in tighter quarters. I’d keep a broken fishing rod around specifically for this purpose.
4-Wheelers Spider Web Catcher
I was mauled by a brown recluse spider last year, so any opportunity to not encounter one of these creepy crawlers is music to my ears. You can recycle old fishing rods by attaching them to the front of your 4-wheeler and using as a spider web catcher. Just place 2-3 old fishing rods vertically in front of your ATV to catch any spider webs before you eat a mouthful of arachnid.
There’s a Lot of Life Left in Those Old Fishing Rods!
As you can see, there’s little need to throw out old or broken fishing rods. First, you can likely repair them. Even if you can’t, you can either use them for parts, or perhaps file a claim under warranty and get it replaced. Lastly, you can put old fishing rods to good use in a variety of crafts, decorations, and practical applications. I hope this article helped you think of a few ways to get some more life out of your old and broken fishing rods. If you have other tips or ideas, please leave a comment and share with our readers!
Thanks,
