Help - with hook length snapping.

magicone · Jun 9, 2016

Had a good days fishing with mostly Carp of 12 - 16lb and some success with my homemade 50/50 mix with some added ingredients, also without eggs added and coated with Sea Salt.

My problem is why is my hook length snapping when the fish roll in the landing net although the mainline is slack, have no problems playing the fish to the landing net.

My mainline is 'Anglers Mail freebie' 8lb and the hook length of 6" of Guru N-gauge 6lb. Is it where the Guru is not as forgiving as others and what would be a better line to use as a hook length.

Or is it a fact of life and having to put up with it.

Thanks

sagalout · Jun 9, 2016

For 8lb mainline (daiwa sensor) I use n-gage 9lb, I think a 6lb hi tech hook link is to light for thet mainline and that size fish. A short 9lb hi tech hook link will break long before an 8lb mainline.

peter crabtree · Jun 9, 2016

If you can catch a sizeable fish and land it on your chosen set up you must be getting something right.

It doesn't take long to change a broken hooklength...

robtherake · Jun 9, 2016

There's hardly any stretch in a 6" hooklink, but I'm surprised they're breaking in the net. Lightest I go in that style is 6lb N-Gage and don't have any issues apart from the odd break generated by a ham-fisted knee-jerk strike where none's needed, or the hair breaking off now and again.

mg:

TBH, I've never noticed a drop off in numbers of bites with a 9lb N-gauge hooklink and it gives you that bit of insurance (less hair break-offs in the net, too.)

lee_j · Jun 9, 2016

is it going at the knot or in the middle ? Some hook lengths are better with a palmar knot some are better with a grinner , it usually says the recommended knot on the spool , Like rob said there's not much stretch in a 6" hook length so maybe without the stretch of your mainline helping + your rod it's just too brittle , I'd change it myself before it lets you down while playing a fish.

magicone · Jun 9, 2016

lee_j said:
is it going at the knot or in the middle ?

Thanks guys, its in the middle.

The line snaps when the fish decides to flip in the net.

john step · Jun 10, 2016

They probably spin round or flip over and get the line wrapped around breaking what is a line with very little give in it.

The problem could also occur whilst playing when the carp turns and twists and gets the line tangled around its body, snapping such a weak link and leaving a hook in.

I might be old fashioned but a 6lb link seems very under gunned for fish of this size?

Tee-Cee · Jun 10, 2016

..........but for the life of me, I still cannot see how a fish breaks 6lb line unless the line is under considerable tension in the first place, and how can that be when it is already in the net, and the line already slackened off ??

I'm well aware heavy fish making sudden moves can damage line which then needs to be replaced, BUT TO ACTUALLY SNAP IT just sounds odd - to me, anyway...

NOT suggesting you are wrong in saying the fish is causing the damage but if a fish of the size you mention is in the net and covered to keep it calm, I find it very hard to see how it happens - on a regular basis, anyway !

Definitely a heavier line would not make the slightest difference to your catches ( IMHO ) BUT personally I would be looking for a different brand of line !!

Only my opinion, though ............................

thecrow · Jun 10, 2016

Is there any aggressively abrasive weed in the lake? light line is very easily weakened and you may have been lucky that its breaking in the net and not during playing a fish.

If it was me I would increase both the length and strength of my hooklength or consider changing to a more abrasive resistant hooklength as I feel that the breakage that's occurring in the net starts way before the fish is landed.

magicone · Jun 10, 2016

thanks guys

If it were a abrasive problem, would I have lost the fish while playing it to land it in the net where they fight.

Very often they unhook themselves while in the net before I need to remove the hook, so I think as suggested the problem is where they flip and toss snapping the hooklength. May the Guru is too high-tech for this type of fish and to choose another.

rayner · Jun 10, 2016

Magicone, You have already said you can get fish to the net so 6lb line is not the problem.
I think your main problem is that your 6" hook link. Your chosen line has no stretch so a longer 12" or even more would perform better.
I believe there's more pressure on the line when fish are under the rod tip, a longer hook link would give a little more insurance than a short one.
I would also back off your clutch when you have fish under the rod tip. I've said on another thread this is how I fish.
You could go for a stronger hook link but I am old school and still think the lighter you fish the more bites you get.
Through the summer I prefer to fish a 0.14 hook link and take more time playing fish.
The pond I mostly find myself if hoping for Carp holds fish to around twenty pounds, I generally catch smaller samples but have had low to middle doubles and manage quite well with lighter lines.
Of course if you fish with a stiff rod you'll need heavier lines, soft rods are the way to go in my opinion.

rubio · Jun 10, 2016

Hair rig?
I think the match boys suffer from this, and they don't like re-tying rigs. One of 'em will know summat.
Type of landing net mesh can be an issue.

magicone · Jun 10, 2016

Sorry guys, I forgot to add in the beginning.

Where the line snaps with the fish in the landing net.

The rod is in its rest with slack line and the net on the bank, I'm about to remove the fish to a mat and then the fish will flip snapping the line. Sometimes the hook has unhooked itself and othertimes I can lift the fish to the mat and unhook.

As already mentioned the Guru hook length may be the wrong choice, as I've used a 12/15" length when using a pole with a 8lb mainline having the same issue.

thanks

tigger · Jun 10, 2016

If you have a swivel or similar attatching the hooklength it may be getting caught in the net and a sharp movement from the fish will cause a short length of 6lb mono to crack off.

greenie62 · Jun 10, 2016

I'd suspect the hook - is it one with a microscopic gap at the eye closure to the shank? Sometimes - particularly with the Knotless-knot method of hair-rigging - you can end up with the line stretching into this gap which nips the line as tension is released. Not much effort is required to cause it to part at this point! The fish flipping would do it - or as tigger suggested a knot or swivel catching in the mesh.

Do you tie your own or buy-in pre-tied?

Have a look on the Charlyfarly2 YouTube channel - one of his gentle videos is on tying your own hair-rig leaders and he illustrates how to tie them avoiding this nipping problem - worth a look!

magicone · Jun 10, 2016

Thanks,

I use a small Korda Kwick link between mainline and hooklengh with a rubber tail to prevent either catching the link. Also already mentioned the hooklength snaps roughly in the middle and a half once lead is on a running link and is always outside the net when on the bank.

All my hooklengths with or without a hair (have a short or no tail at the eye), a blob of super glue is put on the knotless knot at the eye the hook to help prevent any line being trapped. The line has never failed here or at the kwicklink.

I have started making new lengths with a different line of 6lb. So will see what happens on my next trip.

thanks

tigger · Jun 11, 2016

If your hooklength attatchment gets caught in the mesh of the net then the short hooklink will snap anywhere along it's length if it has a sharp tugg, it doesn't have snap at a knot, infact if your knots are tied properly it very rarely is at a knot.@

rayner · Jun 11, 2016

If the line is snapping in the net the only thing it could be is the line is snagging. I'm sure that has been said.
Change the net ! that's been said as well.

Help - with hook length snapping.

magicone

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sagalout

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peter crabtree

AKA Simon, 1953 - 2022 (RIP)

robtherake

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lee_j

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magicone

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john step

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Tee-Cee

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thecrow

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magicone

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rayner

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rubio

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magicone

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tigger

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greenie62

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magicone

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tigger

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rayner

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