50 and 65lb Power Pro break off problems

[MikeD]

I'm always on the hunt for what I could be doing better, and the other topic got me thinking about the breakoff problem that people were posting about.

For those that are breaking off the heavier 50/65lb PP - why do you think that breakoffs have/are happening?

- what knot are you using?

- is the break off at the knot, or in the line?

- what are you doing differently to try to resolve the breakoff problem?

my knot of choice on braid - I use a trilene knot on braided line, it cinches great and I get no knot slip.

my breakoffs- I *always* want to know why I broke off and missed a fish. The few times that I have broken off braid has been on line that has been weakened due to the snap pressure on the line from a spool that has had an overrun earlier in the day. on breakoffs at the hook, I see knots have been frayed and part of the knot is still attached to the line

what I do different - I retie the knot if the hook as been in rocks/rip rap for awhile or shows any sort of fray. Also, after I fix the overrun I'll mark the line that had the snap pressure with a black magic marker and then watch it for fraying when I reel in for the remainder of the day. the marker makes it easy to see and monitor the possible problem area on each cast. If the line is starting to look questionable I'll strip line off the spool back to the marked spot and retie. I lose some expensive line but I won't lose a fish due to line failure

I've never seen any problem with braid cutting itself like flouro does if you overlap the line in the knot.

[Ricky-S]

In my case break off has occured for a couple of reasons:

1. The type cover that I am fishing
2. The line sliding out of the eye of the hook
3. The type of fishing that I am doing
4. The size fish that I am hooking

The braid doesn't hold up well to rock/wood combination. Sometimes it is just luck of the draw.

[Dewayne]

Braid failures are usually a result of too heavy of a rod, too much drag, coupled with a snap hook set. There are many ways to resolve the breakage issue. The issue you have to understand with braid it that since it has no stretch there is no shock absorber for a strong slack-line snap hook set. Since the line cannot stretch to absorb the shock it will break if the shock weight is greater than the line strength. To resolve this issue you have to compensate with a rod that has enough tip flex to act as the shock absorber and lighten the drag a little. Generally going down one rod weight from that you would use with mono will work. Another fix is to just use a softer hook set or load the rod before setting the hook. I like the softer rod as it makes fighting big fish easier. The flex allows you to keep more consistent pressure on the fish.

Other things I have found are:
Tungsten weights are really hard. Any rough edge on the tungsten will cut braid like a knife.
Braid will slip through the gap in hook eyes. Tie the hook on once, pull the knot into the gap then cut the line above the knot leaving the intack knot in the eye gap. Now tie on a second time. The first knot left in the gap will keep your real knot from slipping into the gap.

Hope this helps.

[Tobe]

*NM*

[lippy]

I had a problem last year and i was informed that they had a bad run in line.

[Paul W]

I use 30lb PowerPro exclusively for Snook around docks and mangroves. In the last 3 years of using it, I've had it break a few times for no apparent reason, with atleast 2 of those times occuring when I was retrieving a lure without even a fish on!!! That was very strange to say the least!!! The line would break nice and clean during these freak occassions, without any fray or anything like that. I guess there are bad spots in the line??

[Bill K]

I have tried all types of things, with various brands of braid, and still get breaking line, usually at the knot/hook. Just can not seem to make that stuff work like I feel it should so that is why I use nothing but flourocarbon or flouro/coated line and just do not have the problems that braid gave me. Just another angle or opinion. Bill K

[Larry Hemphill]

I haven't had any experience with Power Pro, but a few year ago I had a client break off a "10 lb type" bass on a frog at Clear Lake using his 50 lb PP line. Then he broke off another - not so big though. I really felt sorry for him (and for the guide too)!!

[mark poulson]

Everything he listed in his post is true, from my experience.
I use 50lb Super Braid, and I don't break off. I use rods with enough give in the tip to make casting easier, so I think that's the biggest part. I've had the knot slip right out of the hook eye, when I was using 30lb, but not since I've gone up to 50lb. I do check the knot position often, if I'm tied directly to a hook, instead of a snap.
For rocky areas, I use a Seaguar flouro leader, and no problems.

[aNNieNsaLTIE]

i have two bad experiences with braid and both times i was not using a true florocarbon leader material.

i tried using 20lb cxx because i forgot my leader material. that broke after 10 cast. i think the braid cut through or something. lost a LC 128.

........and..............when i use to tie directly my fist outing with the stuff. i saw my line swim off, made a hard set and i got nothing but slack and i lost my lure and balance.

if i am on the river i use 15-25lb florocarbon leader. i have tried seguar and p-line. the p-line comes in larger 250yd. spools for like 12-20 bucks. i use about 6-8ft of leader. with this rating of line i am useing 30 to 65 lb braid.

if kermit is on i use 65lb braid with a 25ld FC leader or a 30lb test mono. 30 does not get cut through like 20........yet...........i will retie and often as every other fish if i need to.

the leader has been part of my successful days. i know this..

saLTIE-

[JimmyReese]

Honestly in 8 years or so of using the Power-pro braid, which is usually for frogs buzzbaits and swimbaits, I broke off one time! and that was a a long time ago! (Knock on wood!)
I have only used 50 and 65 though......I respool 2 or 3 times a year, so I use it quit a bit....I use a straight polamar I have never used a leader and never will, I usually pull tight from the loose end but I have never had a problem!

2 cents,

Jimmy

[Mike]

Jimmy, you use braid on all swimbaits?? Even on lakes in clear water lakes??

[JimmyReese]

Hey Mike, as far as swimbaits I have not thrown to many swimbaits on the clearer reservoirs and when I have, I have used mostly flaurocarbon P-line....Clearlake and Delta I will use both Braid and flauro, Depending on the size of fish I want to catch!
Funny but true!

[gman20475]

I use the stren braid and i love it. Never had problems with it. I used to use the power pro, but it feels more stiff; harder to cast then the stren. I Mainly use 50 and 65 braid on the delta. 65 for flippin heavy cover and froggin, 50 for swimbaits and have used 30 for rippin hard baits in the weeds/ grass as well as throwing flukes through the weeds on low tide. I did have some problems with knots slipping but learned a cool trick to stop that.. hope this helps you.. What I do is get a mono or floro line of your choice, tie a regular palomar knot on the hook eye and get it as tight as you can. Slip it down to the cut in the eye of the hook. Cut both tag ends off as close as you can to the knot. Then tie your regular palomar knot with your braided line on the hook as you would normally for riggin your hook. You are now set. Basically you have 2 palomars on your hook, but the mono/floro palomar is mainly used as a stopper to ensure your braid does not slip off on hookset or during fighting a toad.
Reaction Inovations has a new hook to prevent braid from slipping. its the BMF hook, i think its the BAD MUTHA F..hook.
Oh yeah i reccomend tying your palomar stopper using 15-20 lbs test line. Try it out, it has helped me out, well since i started doing this i have not had any slip.
Gabe