Public Service Anouncement 
by our Rod Guru, Lou Caruso
In the last 3 weeks I have now heard of at least 14 rods snapping. This is the most I have heard of in any one season, especially so early in the fall run. It is not one particular brand either. It runs the gamut. Lami, both GSB and Super Surf, CTS, St Croix, Fiber Star you name it. No one has been spared.
A few quick tips and I’m back on the beach.
1 – STOP high sticking !!!!!!!! That means if you have a fish under the light, don’t think you can lift a fish up by the rod instead of going down the rocks and grabbing the leader
2 – Follow number one if you are up on a jetty fishing…. Remember, you change the angle to the water drastically when you are up on the rocks either under the light or atop a jetty fishing. This causes high sticking by default.
3 – Make sure of what is behind you when casting. You would not be the first to hook a rock or fence behind you when casting. The outcome is never good when this happens.
4 – If you are fishing a 2 piece rod make sure the rod is together tight. I have seen what appears to be a rod that twisted on the cast and exploded, also a rod that snapped at the ferrule. These are usually indicators that the rod was not tightly together. It can also happen if you are a side caster and twist the rod following through the cast.
5 – Like it or not, if you snap cast you stand a good chance of snapping a rod at some point…..The compression of the cast will eventually take it’s toll on the blank.
6 – This one is easy to remedy, watch what the hell you are doing with car doors, windows and rear hatches… In the heat of battle it becomes too easy to loose track of where the tip of the rod is …..nuff said.
With all that being said, if you have been using a rod for more then a week or 2 and snap it, it’s most likely not a manufacture defect. It’s user error. There have now been many tests done on blanks to determine how a blank snap. There tests have been done in slow motion and the results recorded and published. Be honest with your builder or tackle shop where you purchased the rod.
That’s it for now.
Lou Caruso