Break Line

[planebrutal]

Can some one plz explain what a break line is in a little more detail and what it may look like on a map or if you can tell were a break line is on a map and I do understand that a break line is not only the the bottom

[Scott F]

On a river, a break line is the line where fast moving water touches slower moving water. A rock sitting in current will block the flow of water. There will be a pocket of still water, called an eddy behind the rock. Where the current goes past the rock and the still water behind the rock meet is the break line. In river fishing, this is THE area you look for. Bass will hold on the edge of the still water or eddy, and face into the current waiting for food to flow by. Because break lines are formed by currents, break lines are never on maps. You might figure out where a break line might be by seeing where the current runs past a point.

[Th1317]

A break line is any change in physical feature (drop off, weed lines, rock piles)

[Bluebasser86]

When most guys refer to a break line, they're talking about a drop off in the bottom. When I say a break line, I'm talking about a long, fairly consistent drop off, like a channel edge or stair step drop. 

[Shane J]

It may be a regional type of deal, but when I say break line, I'm most often talking about a river current break or difference. I have also used the term to describe weed lines, and ledges. 

[Crestliner2008]

Seems like you really want to learn, which is great! There is a lot of misconceptions regarding the definitions that we fishermen use today. Especially when it comes to structure. I might recommend to you that you purchase "the" book detailing what structure really is, including breaklines, breaks on breaklines and how they relate to your fishing success. The book is entitled, "Spoonplugging For Bass" by Elwood Buck Perry, the father of structure fishing. You will definitely enhance your fishing success by studying this book. Google it.

[Grizzn N Bassin]

Seems like you really want to learn, which is great! There is a lot of misconceptions regarding the definitions that we fishermen use today. Especially when it comes to structure. I might recommend to you that you purchase "the" book detailing what structure really is, including breaklines, breaks on breaklines and how they relate to your fishing success. The book is entitled, "Spoonplugging For Bass" by Elwood Buck Perry, the father of structure fishing. You will definitely enhance your fishing success by studying this book. Google it.

Thanks for that book.

[Grizzn N Bassin]

Ill be picking it when i gey some,cash

[gulfcaptain]

As per the question, it would be a change in depth, I would consider anything more then 2ft to be a break line.  So if you see a point drop from 4ft to 7ft that would be a def break.  Weed edges are weed edges and current breaks are current breaks, but they aren't gonna show up on a map as they constantly change. 

[Alpster]

Fishing and underwater structure aside, I am a licenced land surveyor and on any topographic map, a break line is any observable change in elevation that will change the direction or rate of drainage. The top or bottom of the bank of a ditch or swale, a berm or ridge or simply an abrupt change in elevation. General terms can be interpreted reigonally, but a break in the slope or elevation of the ground or water bottom is just that. What causes it, river current, weeds or even a bull dozer is irrelevant. It's still a break. The term comes from the shape of elevation contour lines when the elevation changes suddenly. When the ground is flat or the slope is gradual and even, contour lines are smooth and concentric, but when they get to the drop off (break line), the contours will change direction suddenly and literally, look broken. I hope this makes sense and is helpful.

 

Ronnie

[gobig]

I would argue that shadows are break lines also.

[Catt]

Thank you Ronnie, excellent definition from a practical standpoint.

Adding to that, breakline as it relates to structure fishing.

A breakline can have more than one meaning. It can be another word for a drop-off/ledge, or a point of any quick change in depth. It can also be used to describe the edge of a vegetation line. For example, a "weed break" is the area of the weed bed where it meets up with open water; or where one type of vegetation meets up with another type. The last example happens when bottom composition changes. In rocky environments, a breakline can also describe a line where rock meets mud, sand, pea gravel, ect. In other words, the most correct defination for a breakline is, any distinct line that is made by cover or structure which leads to an abrupt change in bottom depth, composition, or cover transition.

[WRB]

Salt water fishing a break line is usually a quick temperature change or thermal break and can a change in water color, green to blue water for example. River anglers use the term break line for current breaks. We can confuse you beyond recovery.

Break line to most bass anglers is a quick change in water depth. Everything Catt mentioned are break lines. A quick change is also relative to surround lake bottom contour; 1' change can be a break line if the surrounding bottom area is flat, 5' to 10' quick depth change on a fast tapering structure is also a break line.

Soil breaks are easy to see above water, not so easy to determine underwater. Weed breaks are usually visual.

Tom

[Catt]

A "weed" breakline will be the very outer most line where it stops growing & the shear wall of the weeds.

[roadwarrior]

Break line to most bass anglers is a quick change in water depth. .

Tom

 

Short & sweet.

[FrogFreak]

I see a break line as any place where two different items meet. These items can include the following:

 

Weeds v No weeds.

Different weed types.

Rocks and weeds.

Current and no current

Elevation differences

Water clarity (stained v clear)

Water temp

 

It's the difference of the two items that matters. The more abrupt the difference, the easier I can identify them. It's those subtle differences that I have trouble with.