What to look for when buying used rods?

aaarneson said:

How can you tell if a rod is still in good shape when buying used? What are some things to look for to make sure it is still a good rod and has a lot of use still in it?

I want to save some money by buying used, but I also do not want to buy something that was once a nice rod but now is a piece of junk.

Thanks for the help in advance.

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Dude just look it over, make sure you dont have things that stand out, cut blank, busted wrap, eyelets, other than that go catch a fish w/ it

I dont thnk that anything really goes bad. Dirty cork makes no diference, scratches dont matter. I would just make sure that the rod is the length its supposed to be (make sure the tip wasnt broken off then a new tip guide put on). And check the guids for cracks that will shred line.

Soft scrub will clean up dirty cork and make it new again. eyelets can be replaced if the rod is worth it.

Yeah, I am not too concerned about how it looks...I just didn't know if I needed to check anything with the flexibilty or what not or anything else. I don't know if a rod can end up loosing any of its usability from being used so much. Can a rod be used too much to where it is not performing like it did when it was new, or at least some what close to the original performance?

Your best bet would be to buy one off of here.....great people on here that are pretty honest and stand-up. I've bought and sold a lot of stuff here and never had a bad experience.

I've bought quite a few used rods from the Zone classified and I've never been screwed. Some have been like new for 1/2 price. I look for the above problems and I don't think graphite or fiberglass looses it's spring unless it breaks. I look for stress cracks especially on the upper 1/3rd of the rod. Good luck-

Buying Used Fishing Rods.

If buying used fishing equipment, check the rod for hairline cracks on the pole. When testing flexibility, listen for any cracking noise from the tip of pole.

With the rod tip facing you, bend the rod with one hand near the tip, and one hand near mid section of the rod. Do not hold the rod tightly while bending and let it move freely. Check and see if the ring's position is the same as the bend direction. This will help to determine if the line will sway when casting. Most mass produced rods do not conform to this. Only custom-made rods will. But, if you can get one at a mass production price, it would be a great buy.