The Best Fishing Rod Warranties

I sat down to write about the best fishing rod warranties that today’s rod manufacturers have to offer but do you know what I found out? Most rod manufactures offer pretty much the same thing. Typically, manufacturers offer a limited one-year warranty on factory defects and that’s it. Some do have longer term warranty coverage on certain models but they generally cover the same thing. A one-year warranty is sufficient for defects and I’m positive that after a couple of uses of your new rod you will find whatever defects may exist.

In all likelihood, given enough time and use, your rod will meet its end not due to a defect, but from an accident. In my experience, there is one very valuable offer that a rod manufacturer can provide to differentiate themselves from the competition – a rod replacement program.

On a recent outing, I broke my favorite spinning rod – a medium light Fenwick HMG. It was my own fault, I lost my balance while climbing over a boat seat and my foot came down on the tip of the rod. I didn’t hear a snap or feel it break but I knew right away my rod was doomed. Luckily, Fenwick has an accidental breakage replacement program. If your rod breaks due to a manufacturer defect they will replace it for the cost of shipping; but if you break it (accidentally or not) they will give you a generous 45%-off MSRP for a new one.

I emailed Fenwick support and sent them some pictures of my broken rod. After a quick phone conversation and my payment information Fenwick mailed out a new rod, which I received in about 12 days. A replacement program was not something I considered when I purchased my rod but I’m glad it was an option. With so many fishing rod manufacturers on the market, who are the ones that offer replacement programs?

Fishing Rod Replacement Programs:

Shimano Rods:

Shimano offers a replacement program they call Shimano Express. The details include 50% off MSRP and free shipping in the US. You may have to return the broken rod in the tube that your new one is shipped. Canadians may have to pay for shipping, but that’s a common theme.

http://fish.shimano.com/content/fish/northamerica/us/en/homepage/INFO/ROD_SERVICES.html

Shakespeare: 

Shakespeare says they will offer a discounted replacement if your rod doesn’t qualify for warranty but their website doesn’t go into detail.

http://www.shakespeare-fishing.com/Shakespeare-warranty-service.html

http://www.uglystik.com/UglyStik-warranty-service.html#rods

One Three Fishing:

One Three Fishing has an Oops Replacement program, it only covers certain rod series and prices are available on their website. You will have to send your broken rod back and shipping is not included. 

http://www.13fishing.com/rod-warranty

Berkley:

Similar to Shakespeare, Berkley will offer a discounted replacement but that is determined on a case by case basis. 

http://www.berkley-fishing.com/Berkley-warranty.html

Daiwa:

Daiwa offers a replacement at a discount but you have to send the rod in for inspection first.

https://www.daiwa.com/us/service/warrantyservice/index.html

Okuma:

Okuma has a three-tiered replacement program. The first tier is a basic warranty and you pay for shipping. The second tier is an accelerated replacement, where for a flat fee Okuma will send you a new rod. The third tier is called their high performance upgrade and Okuma will send you a new rod for the same flat fee as the second tier plus the difference in retail price. 

https://okumafishingusa.com/pages/okuma-limited-lifetime-rod-warranty

Fenwick:

Once you send in some details about your rod and how it broke, Fenwick will contact you with a replacement offer. I had a very good experience with Fenwick recently when I broke my HMG. 

http://www.fenwickfishing.com/Fenwick-warranty.html

St. Croix:

St. Croix is another three tiered replacement program and is very similar to Okuma’s but prices are a bit higher – which makes sense since St. Croix rods are typically more expensive.

https://stcroixrods.com/pages/service-warranty

Abu Garcia:

Abu Garcia will offer a replacement for a nominal fee but you will have to contact them.

http://www.abugarcia.com/AbuGarcia-warranty.html

G.Loomis:

Once again, G.Loomis will replace your rod for a nominal fee but the fee is not listed, contact G.Loomis directly for more details. 

http://www.gloomis.com/content/gloomis/northamerica/usfly/en/homepage/WARRANTY.html

If the rod manufacturer you are looking for is not listed, they likely don’t offer a replacement program. If they do and I missed it, comment below!

Conclusion:

The best bang-for-your-buck is a rod that’s easy (and cheap) to replace when you break it. I do mean “when you break it” because if you use it long enough, Murphy’s law will prevail. Unfortunately, most cheap rods do not have the same level of sensitivity or refinement as higher end rods. As a casual angler, I was happy with my bargain rods for many years, but once I started using quality fishing rods I can’t say I would go back. For me, a quality rod with a great replacement program strikes the ideal balance between performance and value for my money.