Someone dropped the toilet paper spring tub in a flushing toilet. Now it isn't working so well. We tried to rod out but can't fix it. Any suggestions?

That spring should be fairly easy to fish out. You rod may slip past it since it is fairly small wire but here a real way to fish it out. Get yourself a treble hook from your fishing box and put some 90 lbs line on it. Drop the hook into the toilet and flush about 12" of line down, now pull back slowly but firming, just like real fishing you may need to do this more than once. Good luck, who was that person who drooped the pring?