Broke my first pro angler

Not a rant about Pro Angler but how great these rods are. Fishing Grapevine today had had no bites . Turn away for a second and the rod goes down, raise the rod it almost gets yanked out of my hand. I know this is no crappie. After a 35min. fight I get to see a flathead around 30lbs. Almost in the net and one last surge and he snaps the rod tip and straightens out the hook. That rod took some drastic punishment and probably wouldn't have broken the tip except it caught in the net. only fish on for the day but enjoyed the fight.

Pro Angler rod's are the best bang for the buck, as far as I am concerned. There are better rods out there (I am sure??), but most are WAY more expensive.

Langdon has a Pro Angler 5' rod he got at the CAT Crappiefest the first year they had it and it's by far the toughest rod he's owned! I honestly can't tell you how many rods I've replaced of his in that time frame but not the Pro Angler!!

We actually have 7-8 now in the boat.

I left a 20AH lead acid battery in my yak hull ( on a light bouncy trailer ) by accident last week and it rode on top of a Pro Angler 10' crappie rod all the way to Fork. It was resting 6" in from the joint, and the rod looked like someone that was mad at it had a sledge hammer. First one I have ever broken. I was broken-hearted because it is my "GoTO" rod when I am tight lining and I only took the one of that version. I will be heading out to Ed's place soon for a replacement tip and probably another new rod or two. My shorter PA's caught a couple of nice flatheads while crappie fishing and I never ever worry about the rod. I have broken 4 rods in the last 10 years, but never a PA.

I have not had that happen this year yet, but most years a few times. Just think, was it worth it? I always think it was well invested money on a nice day.

I've got 18 PA's and have broken 3 tips in 5 years and all 3 were my fault and never on a fish. Dam good rods for the money.

Ed and Bob are awesome as well!

I have two 8 footers. Tough but super sensitive. Definitely my go to rods.

Got mine a few months ago and im really impressed! hooked into a 46lb Buffalo while crappie fishing with 6lb test and landed it in about 15 minutes. Good rod!

It's all I use and probably have 12 PA rods of various lengths....
I fish with them all the time and have yet to break one.
Great service, great rods, great price!

You can't go wrong with PRO ANGLER PERIOD!

Well, I'm kinda hard on rods, so I don't fish them much...I won 9ft PA with two tip sections., at a bid auction...I got one tip section left...broke the first one pretty quick, but I realize I am the exception...

You sure it's a PA? I don't think they sell a 9 footer.

Ill wait LMAO!

Yea I'm sure...it's a 9ft PA Jerry Hancock/Paul Obier Signature Series...

I guess that was one of their old models....

Best I recall, two years ago...is when I picked it up..I know it wasn't last year

They don't currently but they did, my first pair were 9'

One of the best, toughest, and cheapest on the market

If you are into a good, cheap crappie rod...Shakespeare Micro series, UL, is a good way to go...seems like they have the same blank as PA (based solely on my side to side testing), just not as many eyelets (which does make a difference) and not as many length options as PA (which also makes a difference)...but for $20 out the door (Wally world) they will do in a pinch...which I was, when I bought that rod...got more than what I expected or paid for...I am assuming Wally World still sells them, but don't know for sure...

The PA's are fairly sensitive rods and fine for boat fishing or where you have lots of room for the arch and/or hookset motion....Personally, I do better with a stiffer backbone rod with a very fast action tip. Most of the fishing I do can be considered "Combat Style" fishing, where maneuvering room is limited (or non-existent) and where hooksets must be nothing more than a pull of the line with your offhand or just a flick of the wrist. That is why I said I am hard on rods, because of my style of fishing, not because I disagree with your perspectives.

I broke a PA this year too. I had caught a few hybrid with it but when I was casting with a small weighted bobber for crappie on another trip...the thing just snapped. Had it for 2 years. I bought a new tip. Afraid to break it again.

Shakespeare and PA are definitely not the same blank. PA uses a blank material that is far superior to the Shakespeare. The Shakespeare is still IM6 graphite I believe. PA blank is one of the newest generation graphite.
And PA did have a 9 ft. Those are 15+ yrs old. The blank material has improved many times since the first rods.

Well, Ken, not that I disagree with you or anything, just wondering how I got a "New" PA rod two years ago, donated by PA folks to a forum auction, that is/was made over 15 years ago...If you know the answer, Please Advise, because that just doesn't add up in my book...maybe the guys at PA would care to explain this situation to me...because I would hate to have to call BS on anyone...

Also, what type of graphite version are the PA rods currently, since you seem to know them very well.

If I remember right Paul had to order 500 rods to get his first order .Im guessing it was a left over .Darrell

DW to the rescue...Now that makes sense to me...got any idea when he ordered them?

didn't know if you were aware of this,Ed sells replacement sections for the pa rods.nice read.

Dale, according to Ed at PA, the 9 footer was last made in 2001. And the way this happens; I've got a B&M rod that I won at a tournament 7 years ago. Never been used, brand new. But it's not brand new from the mfg. I plan to donate it to a raffle one day. I donated one to the tournament Clay Epperson had on Palestine 3 years ago. That rod was a few years old but "brand new". There are a few distributors of PA rods and one of those guys could have had the rod for some time and donated it.

And the blank material will remain a secret. There's been two rod mfgs call Ed inquiring what type material is in the latest blank and Ed will not reveal that info. So I don't know what it is. But rest assured it's far different than a Shakespeare. If you look at a PA above the handle where the info is printed on the rod, you'll notice a warning label about lightning. That's required due to the type and amount of graphite in the blank. More of that material equals lighter, more sensitive, and stiffer.

I believe that about wraps this story up.
Thanks for the clarification Ken.
Sometimes old stuff is new to the beholder!

+1