I've heard about rods breaking due to high sticking. I think different people have a different take on this. What does it mean?

Holding the rod at anything greater than a right angle or perpendicular to what you are pulling against.

Usually caused by lifting a fish out of the water using a rod that is ill equipped to handle the weight. 
 

Also, at the same time placing your free hand on the rod too low or too high. 
 

 

 

 

Mike

oh, I thought it was a hockey thing............LOL.....

Essentially you are raising the rod while loaded to such an angle that it places the vast majority of the force on the tip of the rod. This frequently results in the tip snapping. The rods are meant to distribute the force over the length of the blank. You can also cause a similar effect to high sticking a rod by grabbing it somewhere in front of the handle while the rod is loaded. 

It’s also known as the most fun (and upsetting) way to break a rod. 

5 hours ago, J Francho said:

Holding the rod at anything greater than a right angle or perpendicular to what you are pulling against.

Its kind of like pot- Most have done it but few will admit to it!!

Yep pretty much holding the rod straight up and lifting the fish up instead of out if that makes sense...takes the strain of the weight off the backbone/spine of the rod and placing that all on just the tip section...I've never done it personally but have seen it alot..easy way to cause rod failure regardless of toughness or quality...I bet an ugly stik could take it tho

Good post. Back some years ago I broke one of my favorite SC Avid spinning rods (6’ 9” ML) by so called high sticking. They replaced it for me. And am great full for that. Just got carried away boating a smallie that really was not that big in the full scheme of things. Did not loose the fish. Was dejected about the rod situation. Glad it got replaced. Has not happened since, hope to never have it happen again. 

“High-sticking is the name of two infractions ... that may occur when a player intentionally or inadvertently plays the puck with his or her stick above the height of the shoulders or above the cross bar of a hockey goal.“

I think your post refers something that was referred to as hockey, and ancient sport, played on ice.

11 minutes ago, J Francho said:

I think your post refers something that was referred to as hockey, and ancient sport, played on ice.

I always thought of hockey as being a team-based gladiator combat event with chasing a little black disk as a sideline.

22 hours ago, Tywithay said:

^^^^this @ 90 degrees^^^ is "high sticking".

Tom

I never even heard of this term untill graphite rods became fast stiff actions.