Random Fishing Tip: Storing Strung Rods

While it is generally acceptable to store a strung rod by placing the hook on one the pole eyes and drawing the line tight with the reel, use caution not to draw the line so taut that the tip of the rod bends - even a little. Over time, the torque on the rod tip will cause the rod to lose its proper shape. When this happens, not only will your rod look funny, but even a small amount of curvature in the rod will seriously affect the distance of your casts, not to mention your accuracy. Also, be careful that once strung in this matter (even when done properly) the line can be easily and inadvertently tightened by the reel handle being turned when moving in and out of a car or a boat.

I tell you all of this because I once ruined a great little rod that had bested hundreds of smallmouth bass. I knew better than to intentionally tighten the line until the rod tip bent, but I had been carrying the rod in the trunk of a vehicle for months and didn’t realize that the reel had over-tightened while being jostled in the trunk. It was a tearful moment for me the next time I attempted to use the rod, only to discover that it was misshapen and thus ruined.