Thought this might be an enlightening thread for some. I posted in another thread about snapping off a 1/2 oz. jig while using 30# braid. Seems some may consider this unlikely. The same line has straightened out jig hooks with a steady pull.
I have never broken a bass lure off but I did send a 3oz Kastmaster into low Earth orbit when the bail snapped shut mid-cast on a surf casting reel. I think I had 80lb braid tied on ?
As has been reported here many times, people have had braid dig in to the spool, probably while trying to unsnag a lure or from a backlash, and on the next cast, the lure will abruptly stop in mid-air and snap the line. To keep it from happening, posters will use 30 pound and higher braid which, being thicker, will be less likely to dig in.
Myself, I only use 20 pound braid on my baitcasters and have not had the misfortune to lose a lure due to the line snapping off mid cast.
On 8/7/2018 at 12:20 AM, fishwizzard said:I have never broken a bass lure off but I did send a 3oz Kastmaster into low Earth orbit when the bail snapped shut mid-cast on a surf casting reel. I think I had 80lb braid tied on ?
Experiences like that give you an idea of how much the drag of the line moving through the air affects casting distance. After losing a lot of energy in stretching the line until it fails, the lure keeps on going and flies much further than a normal cast.
Braid will fail just like any other type of line when the fibers are damaged or pinched down like Scott F mentioned. I've had monos and braids alike fail mid cast, on hook sets, pulling snags with a steady pull. It's all part of fishing. The vast majority of line failures can be avoided by keeping line fresh, retying as needed, not using the reel to pull snags, and making sure backlashes are properly picked out, especially with braid.
I once accidentally engaged the reel in the middle of a Whopper Plopper bomb cast. Sounded like my reel was going to explode, and my trusty ol' plopper went sailing over the horizon. I'm not sure that it has landed yet to be honest.
50 lbs braid was no match for my crow-hop powered, beast of a cast that came to an abrupt and disappointing end. Nothing worse than watch a favorite lure sail into the distance, wondering if it will ever return to Earth.
Never....until this past weekend. 20# PP snapped right at the spool
Braid is known to have little shock resistance which is why it snaps. Combine that with some sort of knick or tight spot and little to no stretch and something has to give when that much force is applied and stopped abruptly. I haven't had it happen on spinning gear but i have once on bait casting when i was trying to really bomb out a crank bait and i bumped the handle and it stopped the spool dead. I just watched as my crank bait sailed off into the distance lol
Yes, but mostly surf fishing. When casting large or heavy lures, braid can lock up when it backlashes. I've seen some broken rods as well.
Yep, thew off a frog with 30lb braid a couple weeks ago on a backlash. The braid was probably on its last legs after 2 summers of heavy use though.
I have on a spinning reel with 15lb braid. The braid hit rocks and had no chance.
A few times that I can remember off. First my buddy's savage gear 8" trout, I don't remember it broke off at the knot or line snap at tip top guide. Second time, it was my first time casting WP130. I think I underestimated its weight and swing pretty hard.
I've done it bomb casting a deep diving crank a couple of times. I was using 20# slick Power pro.
FM
Some say braid is not very resistant to rock abrasion. I haven't noticed since I usually fish smaller weedy waters. I did snap off a leader once, but I feel certain that was my fault for tying it poorly.
I used to have this problem alot before I switched to the uni knot. I would cast off deep cranks and recover them without any line on the spit ring. This lead me to believe the knots I was using were slipping rather than the line snapping. I think I was using a cinch or improved cinch at the time. Since switching to the uni I have had only one cast off with braid when a frog wrapped around a metal cable on a foot bridge on the back swing.
Braid is strong on a straight pull but has poor shock absorption due to the lack of stretch. If you get hung up or pull hard on a fish, pull the braid loose before casting yo be sure it didn't dig in.
A few times actually. Always on 30lb though.
Only ever happened once on a baitcaster, with a leader, and to a $25 Megabass no less. It was somewhat of an experiment and has never happened again...mainly because I removed all braid from my baitcasters and simply went back to my trusty fluorocarbon ????
I have definitely had this happen with 1/2oz spinnerbaits, heavy catfish rigs, and some heavier topwater stuff. I've never had it happen with anything light.
It certainly happens when something goes wrong like the line digging in and getting caught as someone above mentioned.
I've casted a lipless off on 30lb braid before. I caught 3-4 bass on it at 1st at least. Braid wrapped tip and I didnt notice. I weent for a long cast....Lure flied into abyss.
Don't think I've ever casted a lure off using any line, but I've had plenty of intentional break offs due to snags
Did it 2 weeks ago when my DIY spool broke on a very hard cast. And it was a handmade custom designed lure
Yes!!
I've never had an actual break off, yesterday it was particularly hot to the point of borderline heat stroke conditions. I got a snagged, broke off so I took a water break. Retied and rigged up a fresh Senko after a minute. Next cast forgot to check the line, the line snapped back and sent the bottom 3/4 that brand new senko into the unknown. After a quick phone call from the wife I rigged up another senko, forgot about the last cast and did the exact same thing. That was enough for me. Strange thing is as I type this I'm not sure if I ever pulled out that dig in.
Yes
Sent a 3/4 football jig and trailer to the deep on 20#. Blew up the line on the reel also.
Yep.....twice. Weirdly, both times were with brand new chatterbaits. They both landed on the moon.
I've done it once or twice. Both were due to excessive usage near the lure and line digging into the spool to stop the big cast.
I've both casted off and broken off with braid on more than one occasion, most likely due to me being lazy and thinking it wouldn't happen because it was braid and not retying when I should have.
On 8/8/2018 at 7:49 PM, Bluebasser86 said:I've both casted off and broken off with braid on more than one occasion, most likely due to me being lazy and thinking it wouldn't happen because it was braid and not retying when I should have.
Yup. Did that earlier this year.
I've done it a few times. Seems like I'm always on shore when it happens.
More times than I could count. Mostly however when I alter my casting mechanics fishing from shore due to my surroundings.