2nd hand pole or new?

[nava]

I am keen to try and start pole fishing in the next few weeks after fishing on the waggler for the last 18 months. I went into my local tackle shop asking for a bit of advice and asked what pole I should be looking at. I was told if I didn't fancy fishing at range, which I'm not all that bothered about then the Preston monster margin pole would be a good shout.
Anyway I've kept my out on ebay and seen one not too far away from me for less than half the price. The only problem is there is a 4 inch split on the No 4 section (looks about half way down the section) and its adviced that a wrap will be needed. So basically I want to know whether or not its worth the travel for the pole which has only been used once for half the price or whether I should just bite the bullet and get a new one.

Cheers

 

[sagalout]

I have just sold my long pole and bought a margin pole because I broke my long pole twice in 2 weeks, both times my fault but the total bill for the damage was £240 and the pole only cost £500 new, so I made the decision to go for a margin pole.

I did a little bit of research and settled for a Shimano 850b with two top kits for £129 from bobco. I have since bought a third top kit. I really like this pole, slim, light and responsive plus I can get the pole and three top kits all in the one tube so it is very simple to take with me as an addition to the feeder and waggler rod. Because it is a relatively cheap and tough bit of kit I don't feel the need for rollers and socks and all the other paraphanalia that an expensive long pole demands, just a skid bung to stop dirt going inside.

I looked at the Preston monster roller pulla margin pole and in my worthless opinion it is not as nice in the hand as the 850b, it feels much thicker and not as well balanced.

There are a couple of reports on pole compare about the Preston splitting. There are 10 zillion reports on pole compare about how good the 850b is. I have had carp to 13.5lb on mine.

If you wrap a section to repair it that section will not normall go inside the next section for transport.

 

[trotter2]

A repaired pole is always going to sell at a fraction of one in perfect condition.
So when you upgrade it going to be the same story.
I would check out the price for a new section first mate.

My local tackle shop does repairs don't think they charge anywhere near the price sagalout has been estimated £240?

It's up you you on this one.

 

[sagalout]

Trotter, I was not estimating repair to the Preston that Nava is looking at, I was digressing and explaining why I had been looking at margin poles and stating how much damage I did to my long pole and hence the reason I sold it and went for a margin pole.

I broke the number 4 and lost the attached top kit then a week later I snapped a top kit, £80 for a number 4, £75 each top kit plus roller bungs at £6 each, plus elastic and bushes. A very expensive couple of sessions.

 

[silvers]

I'd expect to pay £20-30 for a wrap on a no.4 section (ex. delivery)

I'm not best placed to comment on cheaper poles as i've only owned flagship poles since 1988.
Both my current long poles were purchased second hand via angling forum classifieds. I've not regretted either.

 

[mikench]

Gentlemen if fishing was only possible with a pole I would take up golf!

 

[nottskev]

Hi. I get where you are coming from, but it does seem a shame to start your pole-fishing career off with a broken second-hand one, and a four-inch split is some serious damage. If you can stretch to a new or well-maintained example of the Shimano pole mentioned by Sagalout - the Beastmaster Margin - you'd have a quality item that's capable of landing anything you're likely to hook, and the confidence that it's 100% reliable. It's light and easy to handle, and mine - I have one alongside some much dearer poles used for roach and bream fishing, and it's 8 years old now - has landed carp in double figures and even river barbel to 9lbs with no problem. All poles are susceptible to accidental damage, especially when you're first getting used to pole-fishing, but these have a reputation for being highly unlikely to break in normal use and robust enough to forgive the odd mistake.

 

[trotter2]

I'd expect to pay £20-30 for a wrap on a no.4 section (ex. delivery)

I'm not best placed to comment on cheaper poles as i've only owned flagship poles since 1988.
Both my current long poles were purchased second hand via angling forum classifieds. I've not regretted either.

Pleased you said that, I think the price is about the same here.:thumbs:

 

[maggot_dangler]

Gentlemen if fishing was only possible with a pole I would take up golf!

As someone that really loves the game of Golf but can no longer play cus the dang stupid body wont let me i have had to get big time with the fishing .


PG ...

 

[Richox12]

Surely the 2nd hand pole + new No 4 is cheaper than a new pole anyway ???

 

[sagalout]

Dunno about that the Preston Monster Rolla Puller Margin in question is only £130'ish new and allegedly some of the tackle manufacturers know how to charge for spares.

 

[sam vimes]

I understand that many do, but I wouldn't touch a second hand pole, of unknown provenance, with a bargepole, unless it's very, very cheap. Different story if I knew the seller personally and knew the history of the pole in question. I'd also avoid damaged or repaired poles like the plague.

 

[soft plastic]

Broke a few sections on a couple of poles over the last year. Yes, I am clumsy but not all of them were my fault. If repaired properly there is no significant weight gain and they are nearly always stronger than before.

Sent from my E6633 using Tapatalk

 

[nava]

cheers fellas, good to see what some experienced pole anglers have to say!

I'm now probably gonna weigh up over the next couple of weeks between the Monster roller pulla (new) and the beastmaster, or whether to spend a few more quid and go for the middy nano xr8 10/11.5 package.

 

[sagalout]

I would recommend that you go somewhere and try to handle the ones you are interested in before deciding.

 

[robcourt82]

Remember when you first started float fishing and you caught a few fish off the rod tip but you could see an island and knew that if you could cast further you would catch more fish? Well pole fishing will be the same and while a margin pole might seem like a cheap way to get into it you will probably find it better in the long run if you went for something at least 10m preferably 13m it will be slightly more expensive but I think would be worth the extra. There's plenty of choice for under 300 quid.
I also agree with Sam, unless you know the seller I'd be wary of buying 2nd hand and definitely wouldn't buy anything with a repair or damage to a section.

 

[Gloucesteroldspot]

I would leave anything second-hand well alone unless you really know what you are looking for. As others have said, whilst it is possible to repair a split, you never know what else is wrong with it; there may be other faults which have either gone unnoticed by the seller, or have been ignored/covered up.

(Digression now, not aimed at anyone in particular: sometimes we have to be honest with ourselves and admit that if we really want something, we should be prepared to pay for it. Before the internet, and particularly before ebay came along, you rarely had the opportunity to source second-hand tackle anyway, so if you wanted a particular rod or reel, you went to a tackle shop and bought a new one. Nowadays it seems everyone has got suckered into the belief that there's always a better bargain to be had (or will have it pointed out by some smug so-and-so, usually after they've paid full price) and some people even seem to delight in buying a rod they'll never use, just to show off what a good deal they got).

Second thing to bear in mind with poles (and it is as true today as when I first learned it thirty five years ago) is always go for a pole that is 20% longer than you think you need, as any pole - whether budget or high-end - will perform best at up to 80% of its full length. If you want 11 metres, buy a 13 or 14 metre pole. Conversely, if you buy an 11 metre pole, expect it to be almost unfishable at that length, though it'll probably be fine at 9 metres. I had a glass Shakespeare take-apart pole in the 1980s that was 7.5m at full length, and also rather optimistically came with a one metre extension. It fished superbly at 6.3 metres, badly at 7.5 metres and was impossible to hold at 8.5 metres. Fast forward to 2017 and I have a Daiwa 13 metre job which can be held in one hand at 10 metres, is comfortable at 11.5 metres, but unwieldy at the full 13 metres.

I daresay someone will point out a pole that fishes well at full length and I expect there are some that do just that, but even so, it'll be even lighter and stiffer at shorter lengths; the fundamental principle still applies. To make a longer pole work requires better design and materials than is necessary for a shorter one.

 

[brookesey]

I tend to agree that a used pole is not necessarily the best thing to buy as your first pole. Buying used is better if you already have experience of that particular pole, especially if you're buying it for spares. I'm on the look out for spares for my very old Shimano diaflash because the new top end match pole that I bought recently, has been a disaster in my hands. Multiple sections have snapped already (in the course of normal fishing). I guess this also means that you also need to weigh up what you're buying new because if you're new to pole fishing, you will soon get disillusioned if the damn thing keeps breaking. Therefore go for something that is rugged rather than the latest that is light and stiff.

p.s. If anyone wants to get rid of their old diaflash or parts for one, let me know.

 

[nottskev]

I tend to agree that a used pole is not necessarily the best thing to buy as your first pole. Buying used is better if you already have experience of that particular pole, especially if you're buying it for spares. I'm on the look out for spares for my very old Shimano diaflash because the new top end match pole that I bought recently, has been a disaster in my hands. Multiple sections have snapped already (in the course of normal fishing). I guess this also means that you also need to weigh up what you're buying new because if you're new to pole fishing, you will soon get disillusioned if the damn thing keeps breaking. Therefore go for something that is rugged rather than the latest that is light and stiff.

p.s. If anyone wants to get rid of their old diaflash or parts for one, let me know.

I agree. I'm still using a Diaflash pole myself, bought in 1994, and along the way I've bought a couple of others as spares, not needed as yet. Apart from a moment of stupidity when I closed down a telescopic top-two carelessly and trapped the elastic irretrievably, I've had no breakages or failures. A few times I've been tempted to treat myself to a new top-end model, but then I notice how many are up for sale with repairs to several sections, how replacing broken sections seems the norm not the exception, and how little you gain in performance for your considerable outlay. Keeping it, and myself, well away from carp fisheries has probably helped it reach it's old age. Good luck with the spares - they do come up from time to time on Ebay.

 

[fishplate42]

When I first wanted to try pole fishing, I was lucky and was given a 14.5m pole that was about ten years old - I broke the No.4 section first time out, by mishandling it through ignorance, as it was not worth a lot, I decided to have a go at repairing it myself. It is easy, so long as you take your time and don't rush it. To see how I did it and how it came out See HERE. Whatever you decide, the best way is to try fishing short first and then fish further out (if you want to) as your experience grows. I love it, and I am still learning new things a couple of years down the road.

Ralph.