Fishing Rod "Sharky"

V5 Design - Please leave comments with feedback how to improve the design!

You may also like my other Design: Fishing Rod - Grizzly - optimized for fishing from the riverbank or shore!

→ Also on MakerWorld with files for Bambustudio ← 

Fishing Rod “Sharky” V5 - Your companion on any adventure in the water!

Although it looks very similar, this is a complete rework of the successful V3 design. Please leave Comments for further improvements! As of right now improvements contain:

• Improved Lever Design: Features a refined form factor that integrates more seamlessly into the body, providing better handling and a more natural feel.
• New Wheel with Increased Capacity and Stronger Teeth: The redesigned wheel can now hold significantly more fishing line and includes teeth that are over twice as thick, improving the bail function during heavy catches. In testing, a 10 kg line broke while the rod remained intact.
• Interchangeable Tip with Add-on Compatibility: The tip now supports an ISO-M8 threaded insert, allowing for easy replacement and customization. This reduces wear on the line and opens up possibilities for printed rod extensions, larger tips, or other modular attachments. Two new holes at the front help safely secure your hook during transport.
• Reinforced Threads on Wheeling Pin and Screw: Threads are now thicker and easier to print, with the wheeling pin thread length more than doubled for added durability and resistance to pulling out.
• Larger Attachment Hole: A new front-facing hole allows for direct attachment to small carabiners or cords—practical for carrying or securing the device.
• Upgraded Clipping Mechanism: Small grooves have been added to the clip design between both body halves, resulting in smoother operation and reduced wear over time.

How to print:

I recommend using the .3mf files for Prusaslicer. All recommended print settings and modifiers are already set if you open the files as project. Otherwise:

• Dimensions of the walls are adapted to 0.4mm Nozzle size
• 0.2mm Layer height
• Body Parts & Tip: 2 Perimeter
• Wheel & Lever: 3 Perimeter
• Screw & Pin: 4 Perimeter
• 15% Infill
• I recommend using PETG, PCTG or similar for longevity reasons but PLA does also work. Especially when in contact with saltwater, PLA might fail quicker.

Optional as seen in the pictures ans included in the .3mf files: 

• Load the “Printing Modifiers” as modifiers by right-clicking on the corresponding body part → add modifier → load. Add settings “Layers and Perimeters” and “Infill”. Set the solid top and bottom layers to 0, perimeters to 0, and the infill to 25% honeycomb pattern.
• Add fuzzyskin for better grip using the paint-on-fuzzyskin tool only for the outer shell of the Body.

How to assemble:

1. Prepare your print
   Clean up the printed parts and ensure that both the wheel and the lever can move freely.
2. Attach the fishing line
   You have two options: either use an arbor knot, or thread the line through the small hole in the wheel and tie it to the neighboring spoke using the adjacent hole.
   ⚠ Make sure to tie the line around the front side of the wheel—otherwise, it may rub against the back and eventually wear out or snap.
3. Spool the line
   Wind as much fishing line onto the wheel as needed for your setup.
4. Assemble the main components
   Insert the wheel and trigger lever into the bottom body part.
   Make sure the wheel is facing the correct direction—the hole for the wheeling pin should be facing upward.
5. Attach the tip
   Screw in the tip and pull the line through the hole at the front.
6. Add the hook
   Tie a fishing hook to the front end of the line.
7. Close the device
   Snap the two body halves together.
8. Secure everything
   Screw in the security screw and the wheeling pin.
9. Tension the line
   Hook the fishing hook into the front of the device and apply light tension to the line to prevent it from coming loose.
10. Store the pin
    For a more compact transportation setup, you can screw the wheeling pin upside-down into the body’s axis when not in use.

How to use:

1. Go snorkeling or diving and bring some bread or other bait with you.
   Once you spot some fish, press the trigger and pull out the hook with a bit of line.
2. Bait the hook – I personally recommend day-old pizza crust.
3. While holding the trigger, manually pull out more line until the bait reaches your desired depth.
4. Watch the fish gather around your bait… and wait for one to bite.
5. If the fish just had a good time snacking on your bait (congrats, you just fed some wildlife!), simply repeat steps 3–5.
6. Reel in your catch.
   Take a picture and share it in the “Makes & Comments” section.
   And of course, treat your catch responsibly and follow local rules and regulations.

⚠To avoid any tangling issues I recommend to always pull out more line manually and not unwheeling line without having tension on the hook.

Pro Tip: If you are having a hard time impressing the fish with your bait, just throw some more of that pizza crust (or other bait) to the fish. In the commotion, they will forget about the hook, and you increase your chances of one actually going for it!

Alternatively, you can also try this technique shared by Pixelplanter (thank you very much for sharing!)

“To cast out put a weight on the line and let about a foot of line. Swing the line in a circle and get it moving quick (like slinging a rock). Press the button when the timing is right and it’ll launch up to 20 feet in the water! Super fun once you get the technique down, don’t put much line on it and be careful of backlash!”

Disclaimer: Know the rules regarding fishing in the region where you are! Not everyone is allowed to fish everywhere. Only keep fish that you know and that are not protected by any laws. Avoid hooking fish that are too small—which is very possible using this device. Please avoid causing unnecessary harm to any animal at all cost!

Story behind this design:

A couple of weeks ago, I went on vacation and found myself snorkeling in the beautiful Mediterranean Sea. Little did I know already (as the hobby fisherman and snorkelist that I am): There will be fish! So, before I left home I decided to pack some fishing line wound up on an old pencil and a little hook with me. After a couple days of snorkeling, I even managed to hook a fish using some old pizza crust as bait. I had the fun of my life watching the hook dangling down from the surface, observing the fish surround the bait and then some of them actually going for it. It quickly became my favorite activity on the beach!

Back home and with just one week until my next vacation to the Mediterranean, this time camping with some friends, I reflected on my makeshift setup and thought to myself that there must be a more elegant way to do this. At least more elegant than an old rusty pencil. So I browsed the fishing contest page and found this beautiful design by ZF Designs. I instantly knew this was going to be awesome. But after a closer look at the original design, I immediately realized that I needed to change some things to suit my specific needs when snorkeling with this device so I decided to design a similar device on my own.

So, I made the following “improvements”:

1. I designed a wheel with ratcheting teeth and added a spring-loaded lever. Now, the line cannot be pulled further unless the lever is triggered, just like the bail on a normal fishing reel.
2. I added small threads to the wheeling pin. Now, it can be screwed into the wheel when the fishing rod is in use but can also be unscrewed and screwed in the other way around into the body to prevent it from breaking off. This also minimizes the thickness of the whole device when not in use and prevents the risk of loosing the pin overall.
3. I increased the wall thickness of the entire body to enhance its stability and incorporated a clipping mechanism so that the whole assembly holds together without any glue. This also allows the device to be opened again in case you need to change the line or accidentally pull the hook completely into the device. I also added a 3D-printed safety screw that can easily be (un-)screwed with a penny of your choice.
4. I reduced the size of the hole in the front so that it is unlikely to accidentally pull your hook into the device, which would require opening the body to retrieve it. To store the device, you can now attach the hook to the small hole in the front and put some tension on the line. The “bail” will hold the tension and this way the hook won't come loose when the device is stored away.

Experience report:

This specific design was tested last week on said camping trip to the Mediterranean Sea and it worked flawlessly. Even my fishing-inexperienced friends were immediately able to use it and this time we even caught a couple of fish and had a feast afterwards! It was an absolute blast. Definitely recommendable! I would share some photos of the fish, but as every good fisherman does, I too of course forgot to take pictures. The device can also be used from land by pulling 2-3m of line and throwing it into the water by hand! 

I hope you enjoy the design, have fun with it and share your experience and tips in the comments!