Bass And Line Strength

[LWD]

Hi, can a 2-4 lb bass break a 10lb test line?

Thanks,

LWD

[Packard]

Not unless it has nicks or frays in it.

[dmac14]

Not unless it has nicks or frays in it.

or a bad knot...

[Packard]

or a bad knot...

That would be a line slip not a break off.

[LWD]

My line didn't have any nicks or frays and it didn't break at the knot.

[tomustang]

Did you see the bass? If you didn't it could've been a toothy predator instead

[Packard]

You're sure that it didn't rub off on a rock or something? I don't know where you live but it could have been a small pike.

[LWD]

The line broke right above my reel actually. Also not a pike since where I fish they only stock bream, catfish, and bass. Wasn't a rock.

[Packard]

Well there really isn't a conclusion based on your answers.

[LWD]

My guess is it was just a big bass.

[zachb34]

Could have been a big log those things can fight.

[LWD]

I had logs on before. But it's that gut feeling when you got a fish on man that's different than a log.

[Bluebasser86]

When did it break? On the hookset, while you were reeling, or did the fish bulldog off. A fish, especially towards the top end of the size spectrum you gave, can certainly bulldog off and pop 10lb mono or fluoro if your drag is clamped. It would be kind of like tying a 2lb dumbell to 10lb test and dropping it. Sure you can pick a 2lb weight up with that 10lb test but the force it would put on that line if it suddenly speeds up and hits the end of the line is a lot more than 2lbs. The fact that it broke just above your reel sounds a lot like you had a nick or some abrasion on your line though.

[LWD]

The line was keeping itself together strongly. I could tell because I had snags where I'd pull the line and test it's strength. Well this held on until about that much force. I had it reeled close to the boat. Felt it move from left to right. It had almost surfaced then I didn't see a tail but I seen something leave waves. From what I recall the force was tugging underneath my boat and that's when the line broke. I believe my drag was clamped and like you said may have bulldogged it. What does a 4lb bass feel like? I'm used to boating a 14' inch and this thing fought with about 3-4 times as much force as that. 4 lbs been the biggest reported bass in this particular lake.

[Bluebasser86]

Each fish fights differently. I've caught 4 pounders that didn't fight any harder than a 15 inch fish and I've had 4 pounds I thought were going to be 7 or 8 before I saw them. Usually they just feel a lot harder and stronger than a small fish. When you set the hook they normally don't immediately start coming towards the boat and you can't just crank them in like a smaller fish.

It's possible that if you had a small nick in your line it may have held up to the steady pressure of you pulling on a snag but a quick, sharp pull from the fish may have caused it to break.

[Packard]

Yeah but a 4 lb fish isn't deadweight. When the fish is in the water it weighs less than on land. This is proved by Archimede's principle because the water pushes the fish upwards known as water displacement. So there is little to no chance that a 4 lb bass could have snapped your line if there was nothing wrong with it, especially at the reel. Once again you most likely had a nick in the line so I would check to see if the ceramics are in your rod's eyes and in your level wind.

[LWD]

Thanks. It was a bunch of quick sharp pulls actually. I never thought a fish would ever be that much of a battle. Whew, it's what makes it fun. Nick on my line or not I switched to a 30lb braid. I always thought a 10lb test would be enough for anything I was going to face. Have a good night.

[Bluebasser86]

Yeah but a 4 lb fish isn't deadweight. When the fish is in the water it weighs less than on land. This is proved by Archimede's principle because the water pushes the fish upwards known as water displacement. So there is little to no chance that a 4 lb bass could have snapped your line if there was nothing wrong with it, especially at the reel. Once again you most likely had a nick in the line so I would check to see if the ceramics are in your rod's eyes and in your level wind.

It's not the weight of the fish that is the problem, it's the force and shock of a fish that size hitting the end of the line. If it was a weight thing then in theory any fish below 10lbs shouldn't be able to break that line right? I agree that chances are there was something wrong with the line, mainly because of where it broke, but I've seen enough fish break line that tested heavier than they weighed enough times to know that a fish that size can break even fresh, new line, even if nothing is wrong with it.

[Packard]

It's not the weight of the fish that is the problem, it's the force and shock of a fish that size hitting the end of the line. If it was a weight thing then in theory any fish below 10lbs shouldn't be able to break that line right? I agree that chances are there was something wrong with the line, mainly because of where it broke, but I've seen enough fish break line that tested heavier than they weighed enough times to know that a fish that size can break even fresh, new line, even if nothing is wrong with it.

It's very hard for a fish to do that when you have pressure on them. If you let the line go slack and they run and you try to re apply pressure it will result in a rubber band effect with mono and flurocarbon which might snap the line.

[dodgeguy]

a four pund bass can easily rip off 10 pounds of drag if it wants to. yes it can snap 10 pound line.

[endless]

Thanks. It was a bunch of quick sharp pulls actually. I never thought a fish would ever be that much of a battle. Whew, it's what makes it fun. Nick on my line or not I switched to a 30lb braid. I always thought a 10lb test would be enough for anything I was going to face. Have a good night.

What brand of line was you using? I still wouldn't gave up on 10# test. I use it in Suffix flouro with no problem and Trilene flouro no problem. I actually brought in three 4# fish this year with the Trilene. 2 bass at 4.9 and 4.8 and 1 bowfin at 4.6. I am a little weary of my 10# BPS CarbonGold right now but that probably cause I don't like the line. I prefer BPS Flouro as of right now.

I do agree with Dodgeguy and Bluebasser86 made allot of sense also.

Edited August 12, 2011 by endless

[Goose52]

10lb line...37.1 pound fish. Open water, no rocks or slop. Keep a tight line, have the drag set properly, have enough line on the spool, and in open water you can catch about anything in fresh water with 10lb (except perhaps for the toothy critters mentioned earlier).

[Grey Wolf]

That doesn't sound like a bass , possible a big cat/carp.

[Stasher1]

That doesn't sound like a bass , possible a big cat/carp.

I was thinking turtle, but could've been a big cat/carp.

[LuckyHandsINC.]

I was thinking turtle, but could've been a big cat/carp.

I don't think it was a turtle. I caught a few very big snapping turtles and the dont fight at all they kind of just float in like dead weight. Unless its a different type turtle but around here the only large turtles are snappers.