Hey fellow fishermen,
So I was taking my first time at night fishing today, with a black buzz then a spinnerbait, and boy were they slamming it, nothing big but I pulled up 12 fish in a hours time so that was exciting. the problem I had is that when sent out a cast the snapped mid cast, so when I put my spinner bait on, 3 casts in, it snapped too.  I use PP 30lb braid, and I dont think I am swinging it with 30lbs of force.  I have noticed though that at my top guide, has grooves in it, probably from getting a snap and trying to force it out, do you think that could be causing the snaps? and if not what do you guys think is going wrong?

Much thanks.

Braid is the worst for abrasion resistance standpoint. I would check your guides.

Braid is the worst for abrasion resistance standpoint. I would check your guides.

Lets say it is my guides, what do I do then?

Lets say it is my guides, what do I do then?

change them.

change them.

Are the parts universal, or are the guides have to be with the same brand?

Run a Q-Tip around the inside ring of every guide.  If the guide inserts are cracked the cotton will catch and you will know.  If any of the guides are bad you will have to pay someone to strip them off and wrap on new ones.  You could do it yourself if you have the tools and the know how.  If the tip is bad you will have to buy a new one and basically hot glue it on the rod.  Find out what parts are bad on your rod and post back, we can help you figure out what to do next.

Run a Q-Tip around the inside ring of every guide.  If the guide inserts are cracked the cotton will catch and you will know.  If any of the guides are bad you will have to pay someone to strip them off and wrap on new ones.  You could do it yourself if you have the tools and the know how.  If the tip is bad you will have to buy a new one and basically hot glue it on the rod.  Find out what parts are bad on your rod and post back, we can help you figure out what to do next.

Thanks very much Jrob,

I ran some cotton through them and  inspected the guides, and the only one with any visible damage is the top guide, it has a groove in it, but it is filled in with a piece of braid (I imagine the piece that snapped today)

Sounds like that tip top is the problem then.  You can use a lighter to gently heat the tip guide and slide it off the rod.  It should be hot glued on and should come off relatively easily.  Most sporting good stores sell generic Fuji tops that you can glue on.  If the rod is newer, you might can contact the company and ask them to send you a new tip top for your specific rod.   The tip guide is a much easier fix than the other guides.

Sounds like that tip top is the problem then. You can use a lighter to gently heat the tip guide and slide it off the rod. It should be hot glued on and should come off relatively easily. Most sporting good stores sell generic Fuji tops that you can glue on. If the rod is newer, you might can contact the company and ask them to send you a new tip top for your specific rod. The tip guide is a much easier fix than the other guides.

X2 .... I would go this route.

Definitely the tip. It's crazy that it's so grooved that a piece of braid is actually stuck in it. If that rod is newer, I'd for sure be calling the company and seeing if they'll do anything about it. Not that it's too hard to replace the tip or expensive, but depending on the brand you might get a new rod out of it. 

A big thanks guys, ill see about getting the tip replaced, dont wanna see another lure go flying into the middle of the pond

That sucks.  Never happens to floating lures.  I threw a spinnerbait halfway across the lake a couple weeks ago.