I keep having trouble w/ braided line snapping- primarily on hook- sets.

When I started getting serious about bass fishing about 18 months ago, everyone who knew absolutely nothing suggested Power Pro. Especially salt water guys. So I spooled on some 20 lb test and my hooks sets started snapping. Good back lashes- it snapped. And I mean w/ no weight, just a hook and a Horny Toad. Nothing like looking down to see a birds nest and then looking up to see your junk doing a ‘pre-burn” for re-entry. 30 lb test, same deal- especially on casts where the fish hits the bait immediately. Buuuh-Bump, reel in the slack, hip move, hook-set, BING! line snaps.

So I switch to Stealth, as I’ve heard it’s better and there are fewer wind knots. Wind knots are a big deal to me since I do about 80% of my fishing at night. Same deal. Snaps and breaks. My neighbor has worked at Dicks and BPS for the last 10 years, so I ask him- WTF is up with this braid? It just breaks on me all the time. He’s dumbfounded and talks about cutting hands on braid, and pulling boats on braid. I agree- and this will lead to my theory. We experiment w/ knots and rule that out as a possible culprit

I started entering tournaments so I’m looking to eliminate this issue. I go for the Fireline, even though the reviews say it buries itself into the spool. I spool both set-ups with 30lb test. I modify my knot- the “old fisherman’s knot”, but now I fold over about a foot section and string both pieces of line through the eyelet before starting my knot. If you tie this knot correctly, you will be trimming 3 tags (1 loop and 1 lone ranger). The self bedding issue is negligible, and after several casts, this stuff becomes more pliable. 30 lb test works good, but I would like more workability w/ lower test.

OK- so here I am. I have a tourney next week and I’m trying to practice. I measure the difference in castability between 20 vs 30 and it’s significant. Also, I note that I cannot get a jig or tube to descend as needed on the 30. So I spool my Chronarch D w/ 20 lb test. I’m fishing a fluke minnow through a ball of shad yesterday- tick-tick… I go to set the hook and PING! Line snaps. My intended victim jumps, and this bass can’t be a pound!

Today- it rains like hell here. So I throw my daughter in the back seat and we hit some local retention ponds. I love to flip a tube or trick worm into those culverts after a good rain! Never fails, I get a bite, but this bite isn’t the tick-tick… It’s that infamous bhaaa..BUMP. (for the guys who know, you know what I’m talking about) I give her a second, reel in the slack, make my hip turn and……..BING! Line snaps. I could throw up. My daughter asks what GD means.

So here is my theory: Braid cannot handle instant tension. Because it has virtually no stretch it will snap when immediate, violent pressure is applied (like a hook set or a real bad backlash). It’s like the old horsepower vs torque argument. Braid can handle 1000 feet of torque, (school bus) but couldn’t handle something that is high reving horsepower (think Ninja motorcycle). That’s why you can pull a boat with it at a steady tension, but it snaps like dental floss on a quick stopping backlash.

So I’d love to hear your all’s thoughts on this. I’m pissed, and frustrated. I refuse to go to braid w/ mono leader since I’m re-tying so often. I can’t afford 10 set ups. Do I go to mono? Flouro? Do I stick w/ 30-50 lb Firewire and just make it work? I fish a ton of pads and grass. I target big fish. Both rods are St Croix w/ pristine Fuji guides. Both reels are Shimano Chronarchs w/ drag set up properly.

Is it possible to be setting the hook too aggressively? I watch the pros and they practically fall out of the boat sometimes! I try to set the hook with more of a body turn vs an arm "whip". Agin, trying to apply torque, and not so much "horsepower"

Looking forward to the feedback!

Floyd

floyd