My Spectra gives up on me too many times

I use 30 lb. Spider wire.  But, it is pretty new.  Maybe 6 trips on the line.  I just tie a uni to my jig.  No mono.  Just re-tie after a big fish or big snag.  Cut off about 10 to 15 ft.  each time I re-tie.

Ken kickfish

I have lost MANY 4-ounce jig heads lately - too often, due to spectra broken! Look for advice to fix the problem.

In last 4 fishing trips, I lost at least one jig heads each trip. Fish was on and I was battling the fish, all the sudden, my spectra (line) was broken. I lost fish,  lure and jig head altogether. The same pattern repeats in each trip. Before the trip, I even did re-tied the line lately, but no use.

What did I do wrong? ChuckE pointed out that I need to have 1ft mono in front, connecting to JIG head. I will surely try that. But, does everyone else experience the same or similar problem as described above? What are your solutions to the problem.

Eric

Hey Eric,

I could not help but laugh when reading your post. I lose a lot of jig heads each trip and can understand the frustration of losing even one of them!

Oh, yeah, if the fish pulls hard and steady for 6 seconds, then you gain ground on him for 6 seconds, then the fish pulls again for 6 seconds - you're fighting the swells not a fish.  I know a couple guys who have thought they were on the fish of a lifetime and it turned out to be a snag. 

I use 30 lb. Spider wire.  But, it is pretty new.  Maybe 6 trips on the line.  I just tie a uni to my jig.  No mono.  Just re-tie after a big fish or big snag.  Cut off about 10 to 15 ft.  each time I re-tie.

Ken kickfish

Sounds like a waste of time. Having to cut and re-tie all over again. By the time you re-tie, you'll most likely be drifting out of the fishing hole (unless your anchored of course)

Wow guys......sounds like an awful lot of work.  I suppose one day I'll spool one of my regular outfits with spectra......that is when I have time to read the spectra manual, tie the pain in the neck splicing knots, buy rods with special guides and action, remove and wash line to prevent spool corrosion, invest in crochet needles to undo tangles and be ready to deal with the unbreakable line that snaps at any sign of a nick..........until then I'll stick with mono 

It's not that bad.  I'd still use a leader with 15 or 20lb mono too.

Wow guys......sounds like an awful lot of work.  I suppose one day I'll spool one of my regular outfits with spectra......that is when I have time to read the spectra manual, tie the pain in the neck splicing knots, buy rods with special guides and action, remove and wash line to prevent spool corrosion, invest in crochet needles to undo tangles and be ready to deal with the unbreakable line that snaps at any sign of a nick..........until then I'll stick with mono 

That's what I used to think as well... but:

1.  With a 15 foot 40# mono or fluoro leader, it's unlikely that you'll ever have to retie a new leader during a day of rockfishing.  You can break off snags at the leader with a 40# mono leader with 30# powerpro main line.
2.  An albright knot takes about a minute to tie if you do need to replace your leader (once you learn how... very easy).
3.  Special guides are not needed.  Any modern day ceramic guides will handle spectra line just fine... even the cheap ones.
4.  Rod action is kind of important... a more moderate action does perform better with braid.
5.  I've never had a tangle that required a crochet needle to remove... especially while rockfishing where there is really no casting involved.  Now surfcasting is another story.
6.  I've yet to remove and wash my line... no spool corrosion because my spools are either graphite or aluminum.
7.  The 40# mono leader solves that last problem for rockfishing.

The benefits of using spectra for rockfishing are:
- big upside in sensitivity (you feel every little thing down there),
- less snags (because you feel everything and you more easily stay vertical),
- lighter lures (because of the small line diameter).  

Well worth the conversion in my opinion (and I resisted the conversion for quite a few years).

EK

Meh......I've walked the dark side more than once......its not for me.  I cast plenty when bottomfishing, have no problem getting lures down on 10-15 lb mono and am not convinced I'd loose less lures or that the sensitivity factor is all that important in 100' of water.  Plus I like the give that you get with mono.  IMO slow action rods and leaders don't give enough cushion when fighting fish.  Alot of fish especially lings are lost because the back and forth strugle  causes the hooks to tear bigger holes in the flesh then they pop off.  IMO the "no stretch" contributes greater than mono. Factor that with the smaller size stock hooks offered on most jigs these days and your number of releases goes up. I will continue to resist

Art....you remind of Anakin Skywalker....a powerful jedi but still confused about certain things...but that's OK, I respect your decision to stay "mono man" But sooner or later, you will realize the power of "power pro"  and you will no longer resist the force 

$10 bucks says you will switch by the end of the year 

Art....you remind of Anakin Skywalker....a powerful jedi but still confused about certain things...but that's OK, I respect your decision to stay "mono man" But sooner or later, you will realize the power of "power pro"  and you will no longer resist the force 

$10 bucks says you will switch by the end of the year 

3 months........sounds like an easy 10 bucks   

Wow guys......sounds like an awful lot of work.  I suppose one day I'll spool one of my regular outfits with spectra......that is when I have time to read the spectra manual, tie the pain in the neck splicing knots, buy rods with special guides and action, remove and wash line to prevent spool corrosion, invest in crochet needles to undo tangles and be ready to deal with the unbreakable line that snaps at any sign of a nick..........until then I'll stick with mono 

That's what I used to think as well... but:

1.  With a 15 foot 40# mono or fluoro leader, it's unlikely that you'll ever have to retie a new leader during a day of rockfishing.  You can break off snags at the leader with a 40# mono leader with 30# powerpro main line.
2.  An albright knot takes about a minute to tie if you do need to replace your leader (once you learn how... very easy).
3.  Special guides are not needed.  Any modern day ceramic guides will handle spectra line just fine... even the cheap ones.
4.  Rod action is kind of important... a more moderate action does perform better with braid.
5.  I've never had a tangle that required a crochet needle to remove... especially while rockfishing where there is really no casting involved.  Now surfcasting is another story.
6.  I've yet to remove and wash my line... no spool corrosion because my spools are either graphite or aluminum.
7.  The 40# mono leader solves that last problem for rockfishing.

The benefits of using spectra for rockfishing are:
- big upside in sensitivity (you feel every little thing down there),
- less snags (because you feel everything and you more easily stay vertical),
- lighter lures (because of the small line diameter). 

Well worth the conversion in my opinion (and I resisted the conversion for quite a few years).

EK

I have been using the 30lb Power pro with a swivel attaching a 25lb mono leader.  It works well but on my last trip a fish broke off my leader, and I was getting sick of dealing with the short leader and the swivel.  I just learned how to tie the albright knot and did as Eric instructed.  The knot is really small when tight and it seems very strong.  I can't wait to try it out this weekend, no more re-tieing leaders all day long.  Thanks the the info EK.

It is easy to cut and re-tie.  Takes less than 10 sec. and if you do get a big ling could be the difference between landing her of not.  Also, if you are bouncing the bottom like you should you will see that even with the knot on the top part of the jig(most jigs are  made that way).  It will still get weaken by just bouncing it all day. Only thing bewteen you and the fish is your line, knots and terminal tackle.

Ken kickfish

I use 30 lb. Spider wire.  But, it is pretty new.  Maybe 6 trips on the line.  I just tie a uni to my jig.  No mono.  Just re-tie after a big fish or big snag.  Cut off about 10 to 15 ft.  each time I re-tie.

Ken kickfish

Sounds like a waste of time. Having to cut and re-tie all over again. By the time you re-tie, you'll most likely be drifting out of the fishing hole (unless your anchored of course)

Meh......I've walked the dark side more than once......its not for me.  I cast plenty when bottomfishing, have no problem getting lures down on 10-15 lb mono and am not convinced I'd loose less lures or that the sensitivity factor is all that important in 100' of water.  Plus I like the give that you get with mono.  IMO slow action rods and leaders don't give enough cushion when fighting fish.  Alot of fish especially lings are lost because the back and forth strugle  causes the hooks to tear bigger holes in the flesh then they pop off.  IMO the "no stretch" contributes greater than mono. Factor that with the smaller size stock hooks offered on most jigs these days and your number of releases goes up. I will continue to resist

That is why God invented "drag".

MolBasser

Is there any reason why Spectra to mono cannot be tied together using a surgeons loop?

My guess is that spectra is too slippery for a surgeons knot.

The uni to uni is easy to tie with a modicum of practice.

MolBasser