FC leader breaks off at hookset 2025

deep reply :

Recently got myself a Quantum Superlite PT off the Cabelas sale to fish Senkos. (Never fished soft plastics before).

6 lb test Spiderwire Ultracast 100% FC leader on 30 lb test Daiwa Samurai braid.

The leader sometimes breaks off from the mainline during hooksets. Today is the 4th time it happened. I'd say it happens after every 7th or 8th fish, on an average.

Initially tried Alberto knot, then uni to uni. The knot on the braid remains perfect after the breakoff, only the FC separates itself. I test the braid to FC connection once in a while, and it seems pretty good,.. but evidently its not.

Now I know my hooksets aren't violent. Once in a while I land fish that isn't hooked past the barb, and I don't think I'm breaking off only on the big bass (possible but not likely, knowing where I fish and how I fish).

The obvious solution is to re-tie. But how often? Folks who use leaders, how often do you retie?

I also use FC leader on mono mainline for deep crankbaits (abrasion resistance). Haven't had this issue there. But then, I haven't caught that many bass on cranks lately.

Thanks.

Hammer 4 reply :

I've had a couple different FC's break. I went back to Yozuri. I didn't see a better catch ratio with any of the FC's I used compared to yozuri's ultrasoft.

NateFollmer reply :

You arent breaking with the mono because its stretching and taking some of the stress off the leader. Braid doesnt stretch so all that impact is going into the leader. Use a heavier FC, 30 and 6 seem way off. I use 10lb FC with 30lb braid and 12 to 20 lb FC with any braid over 40lb.

SoFlaBassAddict reply :

I had the same problems you did when I switched to braid. Chances are it's your knot. Or a combination of knot and bad leader material. Make sure you really wet the line and leader when you start to cinch down the knot. Fluoro hates heat and it will weaken very easily if the knot is tied improperly. I initially used the uni-uni, but would still break off at the knot once in a while. Switching to the alberto made a huge difference. I'm a fairly strong hooksetter and have yet to break off at the knot since I switched over to that knot. You may also want to try a different brand of line all together for your leader. Sometimes you can end up with a bad spool of line. If thats the case, you'll never have a knot hold up for a while. Personally, I would look at a larger FC. Something in the 10-14 pound range would probably mate up better with the braid.

Hammer 4 reply :

I've had 12lb fluro break, when it was tied to 55lb braid.

And the knot never broke.

Yet if I use the yozuri in 12lb, I can pull small trees out of the water..go figure.

deep reply :

Quote
You arent breaking with the mono because its stretching and taking some of the stress off the leader. Braid doesnt stretch so all that impact is going into the leader. Use a heavier FC, 30 and 6 seem way off. I use 10lb FC with 30lb braid and 12 to 20 lb FC with any braid over 40lb.

That makes sense. Though I thought that I am supposed to match the diameter of the mainline and the leader. (30 lb Samurai test is 6 lb mono diameter)

Hammer 4, IIRC, a 6lb yozuri line has a breaking strength of something like 12 lbs, which fits in with NateFollmer's comment. #2 No, in my case the FC breaks at the knot everytime, the knot on the braid itself remains perfect. Somehow the FC "separates" itself from the knot.

SoFlaBassAddict, I religiously wet a mono or FC before tying a knot. I don't think that's the problem. The FC spool is just fine, too. It's the mainline on another of my rods for a long time. Never had a problem.

Seems like yozuri hybrid would solve some of my problems.

So do you guys who use a leader ever retie?

SoFlaBassAddict reply :

I rarely have to retie mine. 30-40 pound power pro. 12lb AbrazX or 14lb XPS fluoro.

Edited to add: Unless it's obviously chaffed. In that case I'll retie.

roadwarrior reply :

Several suggestions:

For soft plastic fished weightless:

#6 Yo-Zuri Hybrid or Hybrid Ultra Soft on spinning tackle.

For weighted soft plastics:

Either Yo-Zuri Hybrid #12 or braid with a fluorocarbon leader

Braid to fluorocarbon ties: Alberto's Knot

http://www.stripersonline.com/Pages/Articles/article_arby_albertos_knot.shtml

8-)

Hammer 4 reply :

Just to add my experience. When using a leader on braid, in my case 55# Samuri, which has the diameter of 10-12 lb mono. When I use 12 lb yozuri, the breakage problem is nonexistent. Again, I find that using either FC or Yozuri coploy, makes no difference in my catching fish, so I have given up on fluro's, even the Seaguar brand.

deep reply :

Thanks everyone. I'll get some #6 Yo-Zuri Hybrid then.

NateFollmer reply :

Vicious makes some good line too. I haven't used the FC yet but I just switched to their braid and it's a very good product. I've heard their old FC is very stiff but their new FC is great (haven't tried it though, waiting until my trilene runs out).

HopelesslyAddicted reply :

Quote
Thanks everyone. I'll get some #6 Yo-Zuri Hybrid then.

For me: 18lb Daiwa Samurai + 6# Yozuri Ultrasoft + Albright Knot = Flawless performance and I never need to retie

repper reply :

if you are not fishing in gin clear water then perhaps fluro is not needed. but if it is, then i would recommended practicing your uni to uni until you can tie it perfectly. i use 30 lb suffix braid to various lb test fluro and never break at the knot but i used to have that problem too. and it was my knot. make sure you are tying the uni to uni correctly, and perfectly and it works great. i just spent a week at clearlake ca, using a dropshot rig with 10 lb fluro, catching many 3-6 lb bass and had no knot failures. but the knot has to be tied perfectly. i had a guide show me how he tied his years ago, and until i practiced tying the knot mine would sometimes break when fighting a big fish. but not anymore. and in very clear water i do think the fluro makes a difference, with all due respect to what others have said

BassThumb reply :

Sometimes lighter leaders under #10 seem to inexplicably break, ever fresh ones. I rarely use leaders under 12#. My Senko spinning rod is a 7' MH with 20# braid mainline, and a 6' leader of 15# InvisX FC. This is a skipping rod, so I like the heavier leader for it's abrasion resistance and toughness. I haven't had a break off yet.

SoFlaBassAddict reply :

Out of sheer curiosity, is there any reason why you feel that you must use six pound leader?

deep reply :

Thanks everyone once again. I will try the 6lb test yo-zuri hybrid, and be more careful with my knots; and see how it works out.

SoFlaBassAddict, no reason at all, except that I am trying to match the diameter of the mainline with that of the leader. Anyway, the 6# yo-zuri has nearly twice the breaking strength; so I should be good.

repper, no I never get the chance to fish gin-clear water. But somehow I am more confident fishing with a leader that "may" break, than with no leader at all.

NateFollmer, I don't think I want to try the Vicious FC. I never tried it, but I haven't heard good things about it.

On a sidenote, my FC for mainline is the spiderwire ultracast. I tried several moderately priced brands including the Invizx (nothing high-end like the tatsu or sunline) for my spinning reels and found that the ultracast + KVD's L & L works pretty well for me.

I.rar reply :

ive only had one time where my leader broke during a hookset. i blamed it on a bad knot. now , if i even think about my knot not being cinched down correctly, i will retie untill im happy with it. havnt had a problem since.

i use 20/6 powerpro with a 6lb pline cxx leader on spinning. 50/12 power pro with a 10lb pline cxx leader on casting. albright knot to join the two.

i dont ever see myself using floro when this copoly works fantastic for me. my lakes are pretty darn clear but are full of rocks and other crap that likes to eat baits and lines. plus it is alot cheaper than the other stuff.

rubba bubba reply :

The Uni to Uni is sensitive to having the same line diameter, but the Alberto isn't. I have broken the Uni to Uni, but never the Alberto; with the Alberto, the knot at the hook breaks first. There's no need to switch to Yo Zuri; switch to the Alberto knot, but I would retie at the hook after a few fish as the hook knot will weaken from hooksets, teeth and/or nicks above it.

I would use a heavier diameter fluoro as your leader, though, if the only reason is matching line diameter. I would use 6lbs, only if the water was crystal clear and the bite was tough. Any good fluoro you have will work.

deep reply :

Okay folks, this is what happened today. I tried the alberto knot (same samurai and ultracast). Broke the line at the hook 4 times (got snagged thrice, and once on a fish, during the fight; he snagged me a couple of times and the line must have weakened somewhere). Landed three fish after that. And all this without retying the alberto ever.

Looks like the alberto is good stuff.

Thanks everyone. You guys rock.

SoFlaBassAddict reply :

Glad you found something that works. I've got complete confidence in that knot. It is much better than the uni-uni for braid to fluoro.

Arnoldo reply :

adjust your drag reel to 6lb*0.8= 4.8 lb...

Dockhead reply :

I had the break off problem for awhile using fluoro and coploymer leaders.

I opted to downsize my braid.

10 lb is plenty strong, and really the main reason I have it on spinning gear is for the zero stretch, which you get whether the line is 50lb or 10lb test.

8 or 10 pound leader and 10 lb. braid and no more breaks.

LazyBASS1301600404 reply :

how long of a leader does one put on this type of setup? Also this setup is for heavy vegitation/tulles/stumps?

Fishes in trees reply :

I ain't a big fan of using fluorocarbon line as leader material. I prefer to use fluorocarbon leader material, like guys use for saltwater live bait fishing and sometimes for fly fishing leaders. It is alot stiffer than fluorocarbon line, and much more abrasion resistant. I tie fluorocarbon leaders (15 or 20 lb) to 14 lb fireline and I've never had a leader break at the joining knot. I will occasionally break the line at the hook knot, but that is probably because I went too long between re-tying.

Red reply :

I didn't read this whole thread, so maybe this has been mentioned. I was recently on a trip fishing smallies up north. I was breaking the fluoro off on hookset as well. The guide told me to ease off the hook set and more or less just give a steady "pull" rather than a quick snap. It solved the problem. I was using 50# PP with a 12# Seaguar invisix (sp?) leader. He used a uni to uni to connect them.

Hammer 4 reply :

Always use a uni to uni, never had the knot fail. Also since I went back to Yozuri, no breakage.. 8-)

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FC leader breaks off at hookset 2025

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