Hi All, Iv'e had a friend approach me, who was Coarse fishing yesterday. He was using a Carbon Fibre rod, but kept his tip in the water during the retrieve.

He had a take and struck, but snapped the tip section. It looked like the break point was the portion that was submerged.

Can this happen with Carbon Fibre and how does the molecular structure change in the cold?

Best Regards

Stuart

Stuart - the molecular structure doesn't change at all over the normal environmental temperature extremes that any rod will experience. You have to bear in mind that when people refer to a carbon rod they are, in fact, referring to a resin/carbon composite. The mechanical properties of pure resin, in particular it's stiffness (modulus), are temperature dependant, generally becoming stiffer and more brittle as the temperature decreases. That said, I've tested the modulus of a broken piece of a rod (composite) and found that the change was less than 10% (maybe 5% - I need to check back) over a pretty wide temperature range.

James.

Hi James, With what you've just said, at what point does a rod become too brittle to fish with?

Regards

Stuart

Less of an effect than I remembered:

Does temperature effect rod performance?

From my tests you're still good at -20 deg.C

Hi James, Thanks for the link info and material. There's no way I'll be fishing at - 20c. Makes me wonder, whether my friend had a rod flaw or fault then.

Some good info though, thanks again.

Regards

Stuart

Hi Stuart,

Did he mention where the fish was in relation to the tip? One of the biggest breakers of rods during fishing times (i.e. not a car door or ceiling fan) is high sticking. That's when you make a very sharp angle between the very tip section and the butt section. It is common when landing fish when you bring the rod to vertical and the fish is at your feet. Then you need that extra little bit before he gets into your net so you bring the rod back a little further and snap. If in this case the fish was under the rod tip or even between the rod tip and angler when the angler struck it would have high sticked pretty quickly.

Another option is that the line wrapped around the tip top while it was in the water and when he stuck it was as if the line were tied to the tip top- i.e. all of the strain was on the tip and not spread over the whole rod and guides.

As James posted, fishing rods can handle cold weather. I've used high modulus graphite rods in 20 below before and not had a problem. At that point I worry more about an ear breaking off than the rod.

Thanks,
Rick

Quite easy, also, to do impact damage to a rod which won't be noticed until the rod breaks in use.

I've been fishing in Canada when it's been bitterly cold and like someone else posted you worry more about other things freezing up and falling off and not a rod tip snapping.

Neil

As far as I know, he struck with the fish out to his left. A kind of side strained strike, if you will. Seems pretty unusual, but definately thought provoking.

Thanks everyone so far, brilliant.

Best Regards

Stuart