Pole Life span

[TF_raver]

How many years do you keep your pole for on average ?

Had mine 4 years now & nothing wrong with it but i’m itching for a upgrade !!!!

[TF_bully100Participant]

Had my tourny pro since they come out still going strong can’t see any reason to change.

[TF_Matchcarp]

If spares are still availble why not – But most of us like a new one every 2 or 3 years I think ……..

[Anonymous]

I read in one of the angling magazines a few years ago. That the average top of the range pole if used regularly by a match angler. Is likely to lasts approx 3 years with normal use before it needs changing. After 3 years the performance will have been reduced significantly enough that the pole needs changing to gain the higher performance wanted by the regular match angler. If you only use your pole once each week or less and often only use it in its shorter lengths. Then, it will last much longer. Taking care of the pole and cleaning it regularly will help in keeping the pole in good condition and last much longer. Cheaper, middle of the range and low end priced poles probably last longer than the average top of the range poles because of the types of carbon used. The joints dont ware away in the same way as top end priced poles!

[TF_proper tidal boy]

Well surely how you use it counts as well trublue. as a tightwad and sentimentalis have a DAM FUTRON.13.7 M .and a DRENNAN TEAM ENGLANDS 16M THAT COME OUT OF THE LOFT ONCE AND A WHILE still in great nick and boss those doubles out of the lillies down a club lake. Now both of these poles are over twenty years old WHY DO I NEED NEW LOL

[Anonymous]

It depends on the amount of use and the type of use a pole gets, proper tidal boy. I have had a few top of the range poles that have lost the crispness after bagging at longer lengths over a few seasons. They have needed to be replaced to keep the advantages of using a top of the range pole. Gravity and bagging big carp at long lengths does effect poles over time. As does wear and tear of bumps and bangs and being taken apart time and time again! If you dont use a pole very often and is kept in good condition. Its going to stay as new for a lot longer and will not need replacing as often. If you usually only catch small fish at short range. Then the pole will last much longer with normal use. If you take care of your pole. Clean and dry it after use. It is less likely to not get damaged or become weaker or lose its crispness as quickly.

DAM Futron,lol. Thats a blast from the past. The top kits where the only ones that also fitted my old Pro Logic!

[TF_proper tidal boy]

As for the top twos too short for todays angling unless silvers your forte. must try and see if i can geta new no three made to take longer top twos ie diawwa ck5s or 10s????????

[TF_pr@ngler]

@TrueBlue wrote:

I read in one of the angling magazines a few years ago. That the average top of the range pole if used regularly by a match angler. Is likely to lasts approx 3 years with normal use before it needs changing. After 3 years the performance will have been reduced significantly ….

I’m really sorry but I just don’t buy this. First of all there are no objective measures of pole quality and if that’s the case then you can’t compare between poles or with the same pole over time. I asked why I should buy a new pole on here about a month ago and nobody could come up with an objective measure of pole performance.

Next up is the very cosy relationship between the mags and the manufacturers. You NEVER read a bad review of a product and at least one mag has said on here that they have an explicit policy of never criticising products. In addition, mags only review products where the manufacturer has paid for advertising space.

With this in mind how can you ever believe anything a magazine says about a product?

Of course the mag wants you to buy new gear. They get their advertising revenue from the people flogging that same new gear to you.

I’m sure this happens in other areas of publishing (“journalists = laziest profession on earth” according to people working in PR) but it seems endemically bad in coarse angling mags.

My wife competes in triathlon and in her mags the reviewers will get 10 products (be they bikes, wet suits, trainers etc) and mark each one out of 10. There will typically be two winners – best overall (ie cost is no object – and the winner for this is not always the most expensive) and best value. I can’t recall seeing anything this thorough in a coarse mag.

Do yourself a favour and don’t believe much about products in coarse mags.

[TF_dellaboy]

Had my tournament since they come out its lasted but has slackened off a little, Just upgraded but keeping it for a spares which is good of diawa to use same mandrel any breakages have been own fault and only realie been used on commercials !!! Once had a maver it lasted a little over a season turned paper thin !!

[Anonymous]

pr@ngler, i dont disagree with what you are suggesting over tackle reviews of individual tackle items in magazines.

The question being answered in the magazine was in respect to the life span of poles made by all the pole manufactures.

It was suggested that the top of the range poles from all the manufactures under normal use. Where expected to last approx 3 years before needing to be replaced. This took into account the amount of use of those poles by typical match anglers.

Based on my experiences with poles over the years. I have had several top of the range poles made by different manufactures. I would suggest that 3 years is about right before those poles have needed to be replaced.

Wear and tear on the sections and joints of poles. The stresses of fishing at long lengths and the forces of gravity. Plus catching fish. All impact on the performance of the poles over time! This does not take in to account. Bad use of a pole which would reduce the life span of a pole even more!

What do you believe is the life span of a top of the range pole with normal use by a match angler fishing all year around and every weekend plus midweek matches in the summer, pr@ngler?

[Anonymous]

@TrueBlue wrote:

pr@ngler, i dont disagree with what you are suggesting over tackle reviews of individual tackle items in magazines.

The question being answered in the magazine was in respect to the life span of poles made by all the pole manufactures.

It was suggested that the top of the range poles from all the manufactures under normal use. Where expected to last approx 3 years before needing to be replaced. This took into account the amount of use of those poles by typical match anglers.

Based on my experiences with poles over the years. I have had several top of the range poles made by different manufactures. I would suggest that 3 years is about right before those poles have needed to be replaced.

Wear and tear on the sections and joints of poles. The stresses of fishing at long lengths and the forces of gravity. Plus catching fish. All impact on the performance of the poles over time! This does not take in to account. Bad use of a pole which would reduce the life span of a pole even more!

What do you believe is the life span of a top of the range pole with normal use by a match angler fishing all year around and every weekend plus midweek matches in the summer, pr@ngler?

forces of gravity will have nothing to do with it mate that’s for sure

[Anonymous]

so is this what i’ve got to look forward to with my pole as old age creeps in it goes droopy and weak and not upto much bagging ? ~sick

[TF_dave brittain]

Carbon and resin deteriorate over time, that is a fact. Poles will last as long as you treat them well. I have a Fox Envoy Elite and providing I don’t break any sections due to the way the joints are constructed it will last a very long time.

How much a pole will deteriorate over time will depend on how it has been stored, how often it has been used and exposed to UV and how the owner has cared for it. A lot of people are still using original Tricast XRS’s for animal fishing without any problems which does give a good indication as to how long poles will last if they are well built and maintained.

[TF_Mikey .J.]

If you were to put a brand new tourney pro never used up against one that was bought when they first came out, used weekly but well looked after. There is no way it has the same stiffness as the new one. I notice it myself all the time. Poles seem to lose there stiffness the longer you have them. But i guess its only noticeable with top of the range poles, as lower range ones are never that stiff to start with.

[TF_Gary]

I think carbon must wear out after a period of time and the performance of a pole will obviously deteriorate as a consequence.

I do thing that pr@ngler has a point though – do not read too much into magazine reviews. Improve Your Coarse Fishing used to do proper reviews along the lines of the triathlon gear reviews that you mention. I remember one where they tested entry-level poles to destruction, literally dead-lifting weights at 11m until the pole broke as a measure of pole strength.

[TF_JohnH]

I dont buy it either Peter. Sections will wear through use obviously but these can be refurbished. I dont accept that the carbon itself will deteriorate in any significant way over 10-20 years. The old carbon rods have been around since the seventies/ early eighties and I have not heard of any of them falling to bits. I am no expert but I do believe the materials in use now are far superior to what was used then.

Aircraft are now being made of carbon fibre also so it must be durable under severe stress and be expected to last years.
Objective measures would help but seemingly will never be provided when purchasing your latest piece of carbon technology.
Ignorance seems to be bliss for the manufacturers when looking at the consumer.

Scott at Esselle is probably the site expert who could probably advise on the technical side.

[TF_pr@ngler]

I suspect that the pole fatigue is a form of ‘bias’ as well. We fancy a new pole and so begin to find problems in our old ones. It’s odd because presumably this kind of droop could be measured really easily.

But until someone shows me hard data I won’t believe it. Just the same as at work I wouldn’t accept that a treatment worked without objective seeing data either.

[Author]

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