Braid Breaking Issues

[Bluebasser86]

I've always been a straight flouro/copolymer guy, this is my first year really fishing braid a lot. One of my favorite techniques during the heat of the summer is flipping the holes in the water willows that line a lot of our lakes. For those that don't know them, they're a tough weed but not abrasive or anything. A few weeks ago I was flipping with a 7' 3" MH/MF LTB and 50lb Power Pro with a pegged 3/8oz tungsten weight and T rigged Pit Boss. Pitched into a hole and the weeds started moving immediately, felt the thump, but when I set my line immediately broke? Cussing what I assumed was just a bad knot or something I retied and caught a few more with no issues. Next night with the same setup and during a weeknight tournament it happened again! At this point I'm thinking it has to be my line is just getting too old (2 or 3 seasons), so a few days ago I bought a new spool of 50lb Power Pro super slick because I have some on my shakyhead rod and really liked it and have had zero issues with it. Thursday night, weeknight tournament again, pitch into the weeds with a pegged 3/8oz lead bullet weight and T rigged B Bug. Weeds moved immediately but nothing happened, shake, shake thump. Again, set the hook and my line immediately broke! WTH??? Especially frustrating as the fishing was very difficult and needed to put every bite into the boat. Any ideas what is going on? I know that some tungsten can be rough and fray line but it happened with tungsten and lead. I thought maybe line slippage so I retied and left a little extra tag line but never got another bite on that rod so didn't get to test that theory. Guides are good on the rod and reel and no zebra mussels in either lake it happened in.

[FSUMF333]

I had the same problem with power pro regular & the slick 8. I think it just has really bad abrasion resistance or I bought a few bad batches, maybe you got some of the same run I did, not really sure what was going on, but ever since I switched to suffix I've not had that problem since.

[Smokinal]

Are there Pike in the waters?

[Catch and Grease]

Are there Pike in the waters?

Or chain pickerel?? I've had times where I'm punching grass, feel the thump, and set the hook but never even feel the weight of the fish before my lines cut...

[gulfcaptain]

Have the same issues with all braid brands especially when punching or pegging the weight.  The slick has a habit of breaking more then the original when it gets frayed.  I've gone to 832 for my flip/punch rods.  Tried using a glass bead once, didn't work very well but to seperate me from my punch jig. I have started using a bobber stopper at the hook in front of the weight to prevent any contact to the knot that could weaken it so far with good results..  And with the super slick, color 18"s with a marker to see how much wear the weight is having on the line.

[ChrisD46]

More frequent inspection of the business end of your set up - this will rule out a frayed line , suspect knot , etc. then you will know if something with sharp teeth is to blame ... #50 Power Pro should be ideal for the technique you are using ...

[Bluebasser86]

Are there Pike in the waters?

 

 

Or chain pickerel?? I've had times where I'm punching grass, feel the thump, and set the hook but never even feel the weight of the fish before my lines cut...

No pike, pickeral, bowfin, or snakeheads here. Only toothy fish in the lake are saugeye, which I've never heard of biting a line or hiding in water willows.

 

More frequent inspection of the business end of your set up - this will rule out a frayed line , suspect knot , etc. then you will know if something with sharp teeth is to blame ... #50 Power Pro should be ideal for the technique you are using ...

Like I said, line was brand new, probably less than 20 flips, and they were purely flips. No rocks, almost completely mud bottoms, no laydowns or anything hard for the line to fray against at all. I know it seems like it should work perfect, that's what has me so baffled. I'm using a Palomar knot fwiw, never had a problem with using it for braid before.

[Bluebasser86]

I had the same problem with power pro regular & the slick 8. I think it just has really bad abrasion resistance or I bought a few bad batches, maybe you got some of the same run I did, not really sure what was going on, but ever since I switched to suffix I've not had that problem since.

 

 

Have the same issues with all braid brands especially when punching or pegging the weight.  The slick has a habit of breaking more then the original when it gets frayed.  I've gone to 832 for my flip/punch rods.  Tried using a glass bead once, didn't work very well but to seperate me from my punch jig. I have started using a bobber stopper at the hook in front of the weight to prevent any contact to the knot that could weaken it so far with good results..  And with the super slick, color 18"s with a marker to see how much wear the weight is having on the line.

Know that you guys mention it, I have Sufix Performance braid on my swim jig rod that also does some light weed pitching duty and never had an issue with it. I hate to waste expensive braid but I lose a few more tungsten weights and I'll be there anyways, might have to get some Sufix and see if that does it.

[Basswhippa]

I've used 50 pound pp for many years and so has my son who had extreme violent hook set s and heavy action rod and neither of us had had this happen a single time. Palomar with overhand on the tag end. That is all.

[gulfcaptain]

Slip a bobber stopper between your hook and weight and see if that helps your problem.

[Bluebasser86]

Slip a bobber stopper between your hook and weight and see if that helps your problem.

You think a plastic bead would do the same? I understand the issue with a glass bead potentially cutting the line. I have a bunch of plastic beads I use between my bobber stop and sinker at times.

[iabass8]

It sounds like your tungsten weights either don't have an insert and have some sort of a jagged edge somewhere in them. Some "cheap" tungsten has hidden edges in the weight that aren't smooth that you will never see. 

 

I would expect this to happen /w larger lead. It isn't smooth at all after a few minutes of hitting something.

[Jolly Green]

 I know that some tungsten can be rough and fray line but it happened with tungsten and lead. 

 

Lead can be plenty rough too! Believe I've seen a video of Aaron Martens adding heat shrink tubing inserts to his tungsten weights to smooth things out.  

[Bluebasser86]

It sounds like your tungsten weights either don't have an insert and have some sort of a jagged edge somewhere in them. Some "cheap" tungsten has hidden edges in the weight that aren't smooth that you will never see. 

 

I would expect this to happen /w larger lead. It isn't smooth at all after a few minutes of hitting something.

 

 

Lead can be plenty rough too! Believe I've seen a video of Aaron Martens adding heat shrink tubing inserts to his tungsten weights to smooth things out.  

The tungsten I'm using has inserts, and there was nothing hard for my baits to hit in the lakes and areas I was fishing.

[iabass8]

The only other thing I can think of since you've checked your guides is your knot "popping" I don't use the single palomar knot on anything. It's a super strong knot but it can pop. I personally use the snell when punching and I've never once had a knot pop or unexplained break off. Frogs get a double palomar. 

[gulfcaptain]

I use the bobber stops simply because they are smaller and if something happens or the knot still breaks I might be able to save my punch jig.  Plastic may work though.  But the fine braid on the Slick 8 seems to wear easy.  I've had the knots slip out of the hook eye as well  on some hooks that aren't welded closed.

[TBO]

i have had the same issue with power pro and it was new line no fish caught on it. i know it frayes quick when catching fish, i check now after every cast or when i have to yank harder than normal to get through weeds.    but i honestly think that if their is slack in the line when you set the hook it snaps, so maybe slack line then a hook set is too much pressure and creates breaks. 

[ABW]

I've snapped braid when I wasn't paying attention and all of a sudden I feel something on the line so I set the hook pretty hard. Is this due to the nonstretch quality of braid?

[Tim Kelly]

If it's been working OK for you previously then something has changed. Different brand of hooks? Maybe the knot is getting cut by the way the eye is designed on your hooks? If nothing has changed then I would really really carefully check your rod guides. Sometimes a crack can be very difficult to spot.

[aavery2]

Sounds like the same thing that has infested a lot of the KS lakes.  If you are positive it is not your gear, then it has to be something in the water.

[buzzed bait]

been using 50# PP on 2 set ups for a while now with no issues.  using the palomar knot.  can't be of much help, but don't think it would be the line, just based on my experience with it.

[Tim Kelly]

Did you ever figure out what the problem was?

[Bluebasser86]

Did you ever figure out what the problem was?

I think it was the line I was using. I switched to 832 and caught well over 50 fish with it last weekend and never had an issue, even in heavy timber and brush. That Super Slick must have just been slipping on the hookset and popping the knot. 

[Tim Kelly]

I think it was the line I was using. I switched to 832 and caught well over 50 fish with it last weekend and never had an issue, even in heavy timber and brush. That Super Slick must have just been slipping on the hookset and popping the knot. 

 

This guy found 50lbb Super slick to be very weak to abrasion, even by braid standards.

[Bluebasser86]

That's what I was using. Odd though, I've been using 10lb/2lb diameter on my shakyhead rod with zero issues. Maybe the lighter rod and the fact I use a leader with that one is cushioning the line enough to prevent those issues.