Line Stretched ---> Reduced Line Strength?

[JustinJ]

5 minutes ago, WRB said:

Fishing from shore wears line more then fishing from a boat because you can't unsnag line by changing direct of the pulling force or get directly over the snag.

Catching bass that weigh less then 1/2 the pound test if the line shouldn't create enough force to strecth the line. If the bass are close to or exceed the pound test of the line then the condition of the line and the knot strength becomes critical.

If you normally use 15 lb test mono or FC over stressing the line by catching bass isn't very common. Over stressing the line by dragging across abrasive surface is common, but pulling on the line to break it when snagged may be the most common abuse to your line. 

Fluorocarbon line strecth at the same pulling force as premium mono, the difference is FC line yields permanently and has lower abrasion resistance and knot strength compare to equal diameter mono.

Stressed line should be changed.

Tom

So how is one supposed to break off from shore? If fishing mono and you pull to break off the line should be changed?

[WRB]

21 minutes ago, JustinJ said:

So how is one supposed to break off from shore? If fishing mono and you pull to break off the line should be changed?

Change it when you get home. Mono tends to stay off the bottom more the FC line and snags less often. Fishing from shore I always use Berkley Big Game, it very abrasion resistant, good knot strength and important to me inexpensive so it's no issue changing it often.

The more expensive mono like Sunline Defier Armillo I use only boat fishing. 

Tom

[JustinJ]

2 hours ago, WRB said:

Change it when you get home. Mono tends to stay off the bottom more the FC line and snags less often. Fishing from shore I always use Berkley Big Game, it very abrasion resistant, good knot strength and important to me inexpensive so it's no issue changing it often.

The more expensive mono like Sunline Defier Armillo I use only boat fishing. 

Tom

So what you’re saying is every time I snag the bottom with mono I should change my line?

[JustALineWetter]

32 minutes ago, JustinJ said:

So what you’re saying is every time I snag the bottom with mono I should change my line?

At least trim it back to before where the snag occurred. That's why I spool up 100+ yards on my mono reels, so I can trim as needed for a while before needing to completely re-spool.

[Team9nine]

There are a few studies, and like everything else, there are also some conflicting results. The short answer is 'yes,' stretching your line to the point of breaking off has most likely weakened the remaining line. To what degree, the answer becomes, 'it depends.'

 

With monofilaments (nylon), I've seen two different results. I wrote the article that fissureman referenced on the first page of this thread, and in that example, stretching nylon to 75% of its breaking strain actually increased strength. This is believed to have something to do with lining up the molecular chains, actually making them stronger. However, I recently came across a study on nylon lines that showed anything up to about 1/3 breaking strain has no effect, while anything at 2/3 and above, up until the line actually breaking, does damage/weaken the remaining line, so there is a point where things head south, and that is likely in the 60-80% range.

 

A similar study I saw in regards to braid showed a more clear result of weakening after breaking. In the case of braid, the line actually recoils upon breaking, often unraveling or at least loosening the weave for the first 3'-4' of remaining line. So with braid on a breakoff, the best bet is to clip off about 4 feet of line and then retie.

 

A final study that had a mix of nylons, copolys and fluorocarbon showed that all line types weakened when pulled until breaking. In this case, they snipped off the last 4 inches, retied and then retested. But, there was a lot of variability. The worst result, which happened to be a fluorocarbon, showed about a 40% loss in strength. The best results showed almost no difference, with only a slight loss in the one to three percent range. On average across the 17 lines tested, the loss in strength was 20%. What they did not report or test was what happened if a larger segment of the end line was cut off and retested. That would have been interesting.

 

When line breaks, it does so at the weakest spot, and typically through a process called "necking." Theoretically, the most damage would be caused in the immediate area either side of the break since that's where the permanent deformation (definitely) occurred. As such, I would say a good rule of thumb would be, like braid, cut off and remove the last 3'-6' of line after breaking off, then retie and fish. You still might be slightly weaker in strength, but you've probably minimized the worst of the damage. Of course, there are too many variables to know conclusively the condition of the remaining line, so in that regard, replacing a good casts length of line if affordable and practical would be the ultimate safeguard, as has already been suggested.