Jerkbait break off on strike/hookset problem

[Viper0463]

17 minutes ago, .ghoti. said:

Before you just leave, answer a question for us. Is there a small curl at the end of your line after a break off? That would indicate the knot broke. No curl indicates the line broke somewhere besides the knot. That would help in figuring out the problem.

 

If it happens again, rinse off the line well, and run it between your lips and over your tongue. You can feel abrasion this way that you cant see. 

 

Alao, what brand fluoro are you using. Some are more susceptible to knot damage, some are more prone to abrasion problems, and some are just not good line.

 

If youre reeling the knot in past the tip guide, I recommend checking your guides, including the tip guide with a q-tip, looking for a cracked ring. Fibers from a dry q-tip will catch on a crack that you might not be able to see.

 

Let us know. Maybe we can help. 

 

By the way, I refuse to use braid myself, and have little use for fluoro, but I dont see anything wrong with your setup.

 

I didn't notice any little curl but i'll keep a look for that if it happens again. I'll try that trick for checking for nicks in the line. I have already checked my guides as that was my second thought as to the problem and the guides are fine. I use seaguar red label fc line. 

[.ghoti.]

I have heard people bad mouth Red Label, but I have never had a problem with it. I use fluor for for trout fishing, and nothing else.

 

If you're having an abrasion problem, I would be inclined to try Abrazx. I find it too stiff to be good for casting, but it makes a good leader.

If you try Abrazx, go down one size.

[Deleted account]

A palomar wont leave a curl when it fails the way a clinch, uni or other knots that wrap around the main line.

[Deeare]

You just got a lot of great advice from some very good fisherman.   No need to close the thread.   im sure others learned something 

[WRB]

2 hours ago, Viper0463 said:

 

I understand what you were saying I was just letting you know what was breaking. Most of the time when someone asks about line breakage at the local BPS the morons there always tell them it's their leader knot. sorry for the confusion.

 

I don't understand why you say there is no need for fc? It has low stretch and low visibility and sinks, all of those would seem to be good qualities for a jerk bait line. Maybe it's just my thought process though.

 

 I do have a problem of every so often the front hook grabs the line, maybe that could be part of the cause. I know for a fact that the last lure I lost, the cast just before I lost it the hook had grabbed the line. I didn't even think about that. It didn't seem to have any nicks or bad spots but maybe it did. 

That is a problem with FC line because it sinks in front of the lure and the front treble hook snags the line and the bard will nick it. Suggest you use mono in lieu FC for a leader with jerk baits.

Tom

[RoLo]

26 minutes ago, WRB said:

That is a problem with FC line because it sinks in front of the lure and the front treble hook snags the line and the bard will nick it. Suggest you use mono in lieu FC for a leader with jerk baits.

Tom

 

Excellent point, Tom.

 

Roger

 

[CroakHunter]

Lots of good info. Regarding the fc fouling in the front hook, I have started to use mono or copoly for my leaders for this reason. I also like the manageability of copolymer more than fc. My jerkbait setup has 15lb braid to a 10lb p-line cxx leader or 10lb bps mono crappie max leader, whichever is closer to me when I'm tying my leader. Also I use a Palomar or San Diego jam knot. 

[K_Mac]

I hate braid, but like fluorocarbon a lot. I use Red Label more than any of the others. It is not very abrasion resistant though. If your hooks are coming into contact with it, that could be a problem. I use copolymer for jerkbaits.

 

I did get a roll of 8# that cost me some hardware and a couple of good fish. Over the years I have had rolls of mono and copolymer do the same. If you're doing everything right and still breaking off for no good reason, I would try a new spool.

 

Relax about the banning. Disagreement happens often here. A spirited exchange of ideas is what keeps things interesting. RoLo was just expressing his views. It's all good.

[frogflogger]

Not sure this is applicable in your case but I go to softer action rods with braid when used with treble hooks and I've not found a better knot for fc than a slowly tightened well wetted trilene knot.

[Tim Kelly]

14 hours ago, Viper0463 said:

 I do have a problem of every so often the front hook grabs the line, maybe that could be part of the cause. I know for a fact that the last lure I lost, the cast just before I lost it the hook had grabbed the line. I didn't even think about that. It didn't seem to have any nicks or bad spots but maybe it did. 

I think that might be the key to your issue. Fluorocarbon really doesn't like getting kinked, whether it's on the spool when you have a birdnest, or in this instance where the front hook has caught the braid. As you continue to twitch the lure the line, wrapped over the front hook, is having a kink twitched into it and creating a weak point. 

 

If I were you I would either go a fair bit thicker on your FC leader or go with a mono leader, which is stronger and more resistant to this kind of thing. Failing that you should re-tie after you have had a front hook catch up as that line is now weakened.

[Team9nine]

Sorry guys, but I'm not buying this hook line damage bit. I throw straight fluoro (8, 10 and 12) for all my jerkbaits as well as all my crankbait trolling. If this was a real issue, I should have lost a ton of fish and gear over the years to break offs. Simply hasn't happened. I'm still going with a bad spool of line or improper setup on the OP's situation.

 

-T9

[J Francho]

I'm not buying into the frailty of fluoro.  In most cases, it's the toughest stuff around.

[Viper0463]

ok everyone a little update to what I've tried and how it has gone. The 12# red label works fine i fished it all last week and didn't lose a lure to a breakoff. I tried some 8# and had one lure go flying off into the distance when I had a backlash so thats my fault as it broke at the leader knot and that was the first time that has happened in years. The 10# that I was using i tied on a small spinnerbait and hooked several good sized largemouth and didn't have a breakoff. I am really starting to think that the line getting hung on the front treble was causing my problem.  I'm going to try some cxx this week and see how that does and if it changes anything with the amount of strikes I get. I also tried going straight to braid and didn't get a single hit for over a hour and then tied on a leader and started to get strikes so the straight to braid is not a option for me on the lake I fish.

[jtesch]

I've had problems with a big hook set    With any slack in the line. Fluoro does not react well to the sudden shock of a big slack line hook set. I've snapped fresh 18# leaders in half because I was to aggressive and didn't reel up slack. Just a thought

[Viper0463]

17 hours ago, jtesch said:

I've had problems with a big hook set    With any slack in the line. Fluoro does not react well to the sudden shock of a big slack line hook set. I've snapped fresh 18# leaders in half because I was to aggressive and didn't reel up slack. Just a thought

 

I'll be honest I don't do the hard hook sets anymore, but most if not all of the break offs I've had the hit from the fish was crazy hard and that could have a bit to do with it as well. I'm not having as much of a problem as i was now that I've changed a few things. I'll let everyone know more as the week goes on.