Tried using a fish tape reel that wasn't steel core...

Last month on a job in Austin I grabbed one of those cheap fiberglass fish tapes from the supply closet instead of my usual steel core one. Ran it through a 90 foot conduit run with three 45 degree bends and it snapped clean in half halfway through. Took me an extra 2 hours to finish the pull because I had to re-fish from scratch. Has anyone else had a fiberglass tape just give up on a tight bend like that?

3 comments

3 Comments

gavin_hill274d ago

I snapped a fiberglass one at 30 feet last month and wanted to throw it in the river.

jamie_white3d ago

Were you using one of those cheap telescoping poles or a nicer two piece... @gavin_hill27 I've broken a few rods myself but never had one snap clean at 30 feet unless it had a crack already. What kind of retrieve were you running when it happened? I feel like a fast moving crankbait or a heavy swimbait puts way more stress on a rod than people realize.

hunt.quinn3d ago

Used to swear by fiberglass tape for the price, but after a steel core saved me on a long pull with tight bends I can't go back. Cheap fiberglass just can't handle the torque of pushing through multiple offsets without buckling. That extra cost is worth it when you don't have to redo an hour of work.