Line snapping

I lost 2 big fish over the week all to snapping line. First time I was under the bay bridge using a live anchovie, had a big halibut on reeled the halibut almost to the top probably only 10 ft from the surface and then the halibut ran and snapped my leader. The second time was in Bolinas and it snapped my leader pretty quickly trolling with a squid hoochie. I was using an Avet 5.8.1 reel with a ugly stick medium. The line is 40# pro line braid. Three way swivel with a octopus/treble hook 10 oz weight. I believe it snapped because I bought the already made leaders for halibut and my main braided line is Somewhat twisted on my reel. I am going to teach myself live halibut rig watching YouTube that’s stronger than the premade rigs, also put some new line on there. Also when I am drifting/ trolling should the reel be in free spool or should the drag be a liTitle tight. I caught 2 shaker halibut near treasure island and 3 king fish at bolinas. When I was landing at Bolinas lost my stringer with 2 king fish attached to it when I hit a big wave and almost flipped my kayak. Any help would be appreciated.

Hey loebs,

Sorry to hear about the fish you lost. Definitely invest on leashes or get a some of those snaps and crimp them onto paracord so you can attach rods, stringers, etc. https://www.westmarine.com/buy/scotty--trolling-snaps--434285 (prob other place than west marine but u get the idea)

So it's not clear where they snapped but usually the pre-tied rigs work just fine. It's good to have a more elastic leader (such as mono) if you are using braid.

Is your snap and swivel on par with the line you are using? That is often an area overlooked and first to fail.

Also a lot going on here but halibut do have sharp teeth! Wire crimped onto mono is an option but not that common inshore.

     Hi, I hear those 2 fish might haunt you for some time.  I understand.
     Line is very difficult to snap.  I’m sure you know this but make sure your knots are most excellent.  I’m curious about that braid twisted in your reel.  Drag tension on a Hali is intuitive.  I can pull it but not super easy.  At strike I strip off some pulls and wait for the load. On my avet I am two notches up from free spool.  Just enough to hang himself.
     Reel him up slow as your advancing the drag(lever drag set at 10lbs max) depending on the strength of the fish.  I use 30 braid with a 30lb leader.  Halibut are flat and slow until they come to the boat then they take the heck off as you know.  You’re gonna lose some fish or skunk quite a few days along with some epic scores.
      Not sure I answered your questions. My rig is a 2-4 oz lead on a slider or Carolina style(egg sinker) with a ball bearing swivel.  I attach a 3-4 foot leader with a single hook for live bait and a stinger setup, no treble, with dead bait.  Drop to the bottom and reel it up just enough to skim the bottom.  I think you're a pedal guy so I'm not sure these techniques work for your style.  Sounds like you're trolling.  You'll figure it out.
     You’re gonna have more halibut in your freezer than you know what to do with some day.  Better get those recipes lined up.

There is a great article that I’ve read many times written by Bushy in the bottom left corner under articles.

It happens. A lot of the times for me it is a shark that wrecks your set up. I run 60lb braid to a 30lb leader. 3-way swivel, one to a 10oz weight, one to my two hooks with live bait, and one up to the main line. I use a tuna knot on everything attached to the swivel. A dropper loop to my first hook, and a palomar knot to the second hook. Hooks spaced about 4-5" apart. Size 2/0 hooks. This all depends on size of bait too. But I have def had a lot of issues early in my season where I lost fish due to not having my setup dialed in. I have noticed with halibut, the initial bite is very important. It is very suttle difficult to notice but you need to get that hook set. After that, slowly reel it up and they are usually dead weight. Once they get near the boat, basically anything can happen. They freak the fuck out A LOT. The next most important thing is that gaff shot. Make it count. Get it on the game clip immediately and BOOM you are eating good for awhile. I set my drag just enough so that fish can run if and when it does. (usually when they see the boat). In my opinion, the drag needs to be tight enough to get a good hook set once the fish initially bites. After that, I will sometimes loosen it as I bring it up to the surface knowing it will likely dive on me. But with 30 or 40lb setups your line shouldn't be snapping unless it is shark. I have even caught a 50lb seven gill on 30lb test. With the right drag settings and some luck, you can land some monster fish on 30lb or even 20lb test. There are few guys I know that run 20lb leaders for halibut. I cant do it. Too many times Ive hooked into monster fish and I think no way 20lb would cut it. Anyways, that's my two cents.

It May be your combination of: rod, drag setting, and no stretch in your line.

Add some mono between the braid and leader.  Mono stretches, braid does not stretch.

Your rod maybe too fast action for your current setup.

Do you know your drag setting, in pounds, at strike?

first question is, what broke? Main line or leader?  Covered above is drag strength.  I play halibut games with a fairly light drag.  As for losing kingfish on your way in, that is just god doing for you what you can't do for yourself....

Bouché

where did it break?  at a knot, on the main run of line, whats your drag setting in pounds, have you examined the line for nicks or abrasions, how did you rig the weight on your line, etc.?

Hey loebs,

Sorry to hear about the fish you lost. Definitely invest on leashes or get a some of those snaps and crimp them onto paracord so you can attach rods, stringers, etc. https://www.westmarine.com/buy/scotty--trolling-snaps--434285 (prob other place than west marine but u get the idea)

So it's not clear where they snapped but usually the pre-tied rigs work just fine. It's good to have a more elastic leader (such as mono) if you are using braid.

Is your snap and swivel on par with the line you are using? That is often an area overlooked and first to fail.

Also a lot going on here but halibut do have sharp teeth! Wire crimped onto mono is an option but not that common inshore.

I had a leash on the stringer just wasn’t tied to my yak, it was sitting in my crate. Like I said I was using a three way swivel that’s a premade halibut rig. I tied the braid on to the three way swivel with a clinch knot. For the halibut it broke on the hook and for the bolinas fish it broke the whole thing off where the 3 way swivel is tied to the braid.

     Hi, I hear those 2 fish might haunt you for some time.  I understand.
     Line is very difficult to snap.  I’m sure you know this but make sure your knots are most excellent.  I’m curious about that braid twisted in your reel.  Drag tension on a Hali is intuitive.  I can pull it but not super easy.  At strike I strip off some pulls and wait for the load. On my avet I am two notches up from free spool.  Just enough to hang himself.
     Reel him up slow as your advancing the drag(lever drag set at 10lbs max) depending on the strength of the fish.  I use 30 braid with a 30lb leader.  Halibut are flat and slow until they come to the boat then they take the heck off as you know.  You’re gonna lose some fish or skunk quite a few days along with some epic scores.
      Not sure I answered your questions. My rig is a 2-4 oz lead on a slider or Carolina style(egg sinker) with a ball bearing swivel.  I attach a 3-4 foot leader with a single hook for live bait and a stinger setup, no treble, with dead bait.  Drop to the bottom and reel it up just enough to skim the bottom.  I think you're a pedal guy so I'm not sure these techniques work for your style.  Sounds like you're trolling.  You'll figure it out.
     You’re gonna have more halibut in your freezer than you know what to do with some day.  Better get those recipes lined up.

There is a great article that I’ve read many times written by Bushy in the bottom left corner under articles.


Hi thank you for this I will read this article. The halibut broke at the hook and the bolinas fish broke at the three way swivel. I think I need to work on my knots only one I am using currently is clinch knot.

It happens. A lot of the times for me it is a shark that wrecks your set up. I run 60lb braid to a 30lb leader. 3-way swivel, one to a 10oz weight, one to my two hooks with live bait, and one up to the main line. I use a tuna knot on everything attached to the swivel. A dropper loop to my first hook, and a palomar knot to the second hook. Hooks spaced about 4-5" apart. Size 2/0 hooks. This all depends on size of bait too. But I have def had a lot of issues early in my season where I lost fish due to not having my setup dialed in. I have noticed with halibut, the initial bite is very important. It is very suttle difficult to notice but you need to get that hook set. After that, slowly reel it up and they are usually dead weight. Once they get near the boat, basically anything can happen. They freak the fuck out A LOT. The next most important thing is that gaff shot. Make it count. Get it on the game clip immediately and BOOM you are eating good for awhile. I set my drag just enough so that fish can run if and when it does. (usually when they see the boat). In my opinion, the drag needs to be tight enough to get a good hook set once the fish initially bites. After that, I will sometimes loosen it as I bring it up to the surface knowing it will likely dive on me. But with 30 or 40lb setups your line shouldn't be snapping unless it is shark. I have even caught a 50lb seven gill on 30lb test. With the right drag settings and some luck, you can land some monster fish on 30lb or even 20lb test. There are few guys I know that run 20lb leaders for halibut. I cant do it. Too many times Ive hooked into monster fish and I think no way 20lb would cut it. Anyways, that's my two cents.

Thanks for the advice I will look into those knots and take your advice on the drag. The bolinas fish was most likely a shark i don’t think I had a chance.

first question is, what broke? Main line or leader?  Covered above is drag strength.  I play halibut games with a fairly light drag.  As for losing kingfish on your way in, that is just god doing for you what you can't do for yourself....

Bouché

Lol at the kingfish never tried them before. Like I said in my previous replies it broke at the hook for the halibut using 30# leader on the halibut and for the bolinas one it broke where the braid met the 3 way swivel.

It May be your combination of: rod, drag setting, and no stretch in your line.

Add some mono between the braid and leader.  Mono stretches, braid does not stretch.

Your rod maybe too fast action for your current setup.

Do you know your drag setting, in pounds, at strike?

Mono separating the braid sounds like a good idea. I am not sure of my drag setting at strike.

So it's not clear where they snapped but usually the pre-tied rigs work just fine.

I f-ing hate pre tied rigs. 

I have had so many snap off over nothing, I'm convinced they are weaker at the knots than they should be.  Learning to tie your own is a good idea. I think it's relaxing tying up some leaders.  Don't re-use any with a nick on them, and don't let them sit until next year.  Find out what knots work for different situations, I use Trilene knots and snells for pretty much everything.  Other folks may prefer different knots for different situations.

I use 50# braid -> swivel ->  60# mono leaders for a Ling setup and fishing with bigger baits.  Can still be broken off, but only if I want to.
Braid/swivel/25# leader for rockfish rigs and anchovy leaders. 

For your stringer, your can tie a short length of rope with a brass snap and hook it onto the deck lines.  (Or maybe tie on an egg float?)  For lings, I use a kui stringer through the eyes, and clipped onto deck lines with a tuna clip on the tag end. .

Drag setting.  My recommendation is 6-8# of drag for 30# test.

A gallon jug of water weighs ~8 #.  Reel on rod, warm up your drags by tieing off and walking away 10-25’, 5-10 times, this will exercise the drags, lube.  Reel up, tie off to the jug, lift.  Some lever drags have to be in off, before the drag setting can be adjusted.

Do not high stick.

After you set your drags, try the lift test with mono vs braid.  Spool on 25’ of 30# mono, tie off to the jug. 

For tying your own rig here is a really easy way to do it.



Cut a length of leader. Snell your bottom hook. Then slide hook two onto the leader until you get the separation of hooks you want. Then snell the second hook. 

I’m not a fan of treble hooks so I use two single hooks.