Very, very minor annoyance....

[Stick in Mud]

....but an annoyance nonetheless. 

 

Am I the only one who's annoyed (again, in a very minor way) when people leave the plastic wrapping on the cork handles of their fishing rods?  I know, I know.  I have a friend who leaves them all on his rods (keeps 'em clean, he says).  I still invite him into my boat, he was the best man at my wedding, and I even share an adult beverage with him from time to time.  But the plastic on the ends of the rods does bug me.   Yes, there are bigger things to worry about in this world, but....why?!?

[ZachD]

I don't get it either I like when the cork gets worn in. Plus it feels better in the hand why even have cork at all? just start buying plastic handle rods.

[BobT]

I personally could not use a rod with that plastic still on there. But then, I wonder if there are psychologists that can help us cope with those that do leave them on. Maybe we could start a PCA (Plastic Covers Anonymous)? 

[ozzie]

Funny as my father in law and my father do this and it baffles me!!  I agree with Zach's statement of why not just buy plastic handled rods? 

[AlwaysFishing23]

Can't stand it always has to come off.

[Musky hunter 82]

What about the guy that leaves the ziptie on the reel that holds it in place on some rods........ 

[AlwaysFishing23]

I can deal with that one. Most of the time I leave them on. Seems the reel is more secure on the rod with it left on.

[Stick in Mud]

3 hours ago, BobT said:

I personally could not use a rod with that plastic still on there. But then, I wonder if there are psychologists that can help us cope with those that do leave them on. Maybe we could start a PCA (Plastic Covers Anonymous)? 

 

Maybe for therapy I'll head over to Fleet Farm this afternoon with a little scissors and just cut them all off the new rods.  Man, that would feel good! 

[smalliehunter]

Funny!  I don't usually take the plastic off and my tournament partner always asks me "is that a new rod" knowing the rod is far from new.

[AaronTC05]

Same thing annoys me when I see someone's DVD player or other electronics screen that has the protective plastic layer on it that protects it during shipment months after they bought it.  That's the first thing I take off when I open the box usually!

[wildsmallie]

I used to do a lot of rod repair for a tackle shop.  Anytime a rod came in for repair with plastic on the grip I removed it before doing anything else.  Can't stand it!  Sometimes it would be a rod that had been used enough that half the plastic was falling off anyway.  

 

[delcecchi]

I take it off.   On the other hand why should I be upset about what other people do with what they use?  

[BobT]

15 hours ago, delcecchi said:

I take it off.   On the other hand why should I be upset about what other people do with what they use?  

Yeah, I hear ya. It is fun to dream though. 

 

Apparently, this is a bigger issue than a "very, very, minor annoyance" considering the number of replies already.

Edited April 8, 2017 by BobT

[delcecchi]

Maybe some folks think like the SNL character... "It is better to look good than to feel good"  

 

(Billy Crystal was the actor as I recall, easily could be wrong)

[Wanderer]

I've been guilty of leaving the wrap on a couple, er, few new cork handles.  It starts out with "I'll see how I like it" as if I'd return it for some reason.  And clean cork is pretty cork! 

 

But yeah, there really isn't a good reason to leave it on for years.  I took some plastic off a rod over the winter and thought about how rediculous it was to still have it on!

 

You CAN clean your cork with light sanding with fine grit sand paper.

[Stick in Mud]

On ‎4‎/‎7‎/‎2017 at 6:49 PM, delcecchi said:

I take it off.   On the other hand why should I be upset about what other people do with what they use?  

 

Because I'm human, Del, and I only achieve a true Zen-like detachment from the world when I'm fishing. Unless I'm fishing with someone who leaves the plastic on the end of the rod.

[Wanderer]

I got 3 mosquito bites this evening in my yard.

 

Now, that's annoying in April.

 

[Bass Thumb]

The best way to keep cork clean is to apply U-40 cork sealer to the handles. If the handles are dirty, they can be cleaned with a Magic Eraser (preferred) or lightly wetsanded with warm water and 600 grit sandpaper.

 

I have 5-year-old rods that look brand new because of this, and they don't have any of the cork filler falling out.

[IronDioPriest]

The way I look at it, things that are meant to be used are meant to be used, end of story. They make the handles out of cork for a reason. If they wanted to make a rod with a plastic handle, they would have done so. It's like spending $3000 on a beautiful new sofa, and then covering it with a sofa cover. Or like spending thousands on new carpet, and then putting those plastic runners over all the high traffic areas. Or like buying a nice new flatscreen TV and leaving the plastic film on the screen. At some point, in trying to protect a thing, you're defeating enough of the purpose of that thing to just forget about protecting it, and, you know - USE it.

[WallyGader]

Funny read, have to say it doesn't make any sense to leave the plastic on. Sorta shows to me though these people appreciate what they have. Makes me scratch my head, but I guess it don't bother me too much.

[Rick G]

Take it off....lol.  Leaving the plastic on the handle in a no no, the plastic can and will trap moisture in, breaking down the cork and glue much faster than dry would.

[delcecchi]

Moisture breaks down the glue?   What fool would use a glue susceptible to moisture when making a fishing rod?   Mine lay in the boat all summer and nothing bad happens to them.  

(and cork is ok with being soaked in wine for years and years and even decades.)

 

 

[IronDioPriest]

Years ago when my boys were toddlers, my mom bought some old-fashioned wooden puzzles from a craft fair and gifted us with them. Her instructions to my wife and I were, "Now these are very special, hand-crafted puzzles that would be valuable family heirlooms for the boys to pass on to their kids some day. You should leave them in the shrink-wrap."

My wife and I looked at each other and then I told my mom, "Mom, I don't want to disrespect the gift you're giving, but if you're gonna give puzzles to toddlers and not let them play with it, there really is no point."

Those wooden puzzles have chipped paint and teeth marks, and anything else would have been... illogical.

[delcecchi]

Yep, I almost always take the plastic off.  Sometimes I just don't get around to it right away.  

 

But you must have never really worked and scrimped and saved to get something nice, and wanted to keep it nice and unblemished as long as possible. 

 

My folks always put seat covers on the car as soon as they could...    and had those plastic runners.    It's old school, depression school.   You just wouldn't understand. 

[PRO-V]

Do you suppose there is any correlation between whether the individual has been circumcised or not? Just saying.

[Cliff Wagenbach]

 

[chaffmj]

As I am sitting reading these replies I realized I don't remember if I took the plastic off or not on the last 2 rods I bought a couple of years ago.

[Jighead4914]

I always take the plastic off.   But i know old school real well . good point Delcecchi.

[Stick in Mud]

On 4/9/2017 at 5:34 PM, delcecchi said:

Yep, I almost always take the plastic off.  Sometimes I just don't get around to it right away.  

 

But you must have never really worked and scrimped and saved to get something nice, and wanted to keep it nice and unblemished as long as possible. 

 

My folks always put seat covers on the car as soon as they could...    and had those plastic runners.    It's old school, depression school.   You just wouldn't understand. 

 

Me?  I'm hurt! 

[delcecchi]

I'm not Jewish, if that is where you are going.