Fishing Monthly Magazines : Repairing a rod tip

I’ve broken my fair share of rod tips over the years – car doors, front doors, ceiling fans and airline travel. And my freshwater lure-casting mates tell me they’ve broken many rod tips, especially the ceramic rings, trying to ‘push’ lures off submerged snags.

No matter how you manage to break your rod tip, fixing it on the water, back at camp or at home really isn’t that hard, especially if you’ve planned ahead and purchased a few critical components to leave in your tackle box.

If all else fails you can always take it to a tackle shop but this really is a maintenance job that’s well within the means of most anglers.

The following steps should have you casting another lure or bait into the water within the hour.

STEP 1

This step is all about removing the remnants of the old rod tip, assuming you haven’t snapped it clean off – in which case you’ll need to assess the length of the break and the diameter of the blank’s new, shortened end.

Take a cigarette lighter and heat the remaining tip until it starts to smoke. Remove the tip with a pair of pliers.

If the rod tip has broken off completely, including a small length of the blank, fit a new tip directly onto the end of the rod. It won’t have the same action and the last guide and the tip will be closer together.

If the break is a big one then you might even consider removing the last guide but that’s getting beyond the scope of this article.

STEP 2

Take a cigarette lighter and some Fuji hot glue. Heat the end of the glue until it has melted but don’t touch the glue because it will burn your skin.

Rub some of the hot glue onto the end of the rod where the new tip will go.

STEP 3

Take your new tip and slide it onto the end of the rod.

The tip must fit snugly. If it is too tight then take some sandpaper and sand the end of the rod until the tip fits tightly. If it’s too loose then try a smaller diameter tip.

STEP 4

With a keen eye, line up the tip with the other guides by looking through the stripper guide (the one closest to the reel) all the way to the tip.

Once aligned, leave the rod to cool for about 15 minutes. Once cool, remove any excess glue from around the base of the tip.

You’re now ready to fish again!

Facts

Rod Tip Repair Kit

Carry a range of different-sized rod tips. Rods can break at different places along the end of your blank, depending on the cause. Carrying a range of sizes will mean you’re more likely to have one that fits snugly. Fuji hot glue, a cigarette lighter and sandpaper are other essential items.