The dreaded sound of a fishing rod snapping may mean the end of your day, but in no way does it mean that the rod is finished. With little effort and some straightforward tools you can fix a broken rod tip yourself and head back out on the water in no time.
How to Fix a Broken Fishing Rod Tip
My truck bed is usually a thing of beauty, the perfect mix of organization and preparedness. But, when I’m done fishing for the day and have somewhere else to be, all thoughts of neatness fly out the window.
Last fall—in just such a hurry—I closed my Yeti Roadie 20 cooler lid right onto the rod tip of my go-to casting rod. The audible snap was a nightmarish sound, but replacing a broken rod tip doesn’t need to keep you awake at night. In fact, it’s one of the easiest repairs you can do when it comes to kayak fishing.
Materials Needed for Fishing Rod Tip Repairs
- Replacement rod tip. Sometimes you can also use your old rod tip, depending on how it broke off the rod
- Glue, similar to the type a hot glue gun uses
- Lighter
- Forceps, to protect your fingers
- Knife
6 Steps to Fix Your Broken Rod Tip
1. Prepare and size the replacement tip
If you’re using your old rod tip, heat the base of the tube with your lighter for 3–5 seconds to loosen the glue inside. Try to heat the tube as indirectly as possible. You should be able to lightly pull and twist the tube free from your broken rod tip. Repeat the heating process until it pulls off. If you’re using a new rod tip from a replacement kit (available at local tackle shops, Bass Pro Shops or Amazon), fit the tip top over the rod to figure out which size will fit best. Look for a snug fit without any glue.
2. Get your glue ready
Cut a few slivers of glue with your knife and then cut the slivers into small strips.
3. Place glue in replacement tip
Place the slivers of glue into the end of the new tip top tube until it has enough glue to get a good hold. I pretty much fill up the tube with solid glue.
4. Hold replacement tip in forceps
Attach your forceps to the tip top, along the metal wires holding the guide, not the tube itself. Holding it by the tube could crush the tube and ruin the tip top.
5. Heat up glue
Heat up the glue with your lighter, as indirectly as possible, for 3–5 seconds.
6. Attach replacement tip
Slide the new tip top onto your rod tip and align it with your other guides immediately. Apply slight pressure and hold until the glue has time to cool and harden.
That’s it! Your rod should be as good as new and ready to go fishing again. Now, don’t break it again!
