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[Salmon__Slayer]

I was fishing for chum this year at the stave and i was getting tons of hookups. I would manage to play the fish close and right when i would bring it near shore the line would snap. Is this cuz of my line i have 20 lb mono or is my knot not strong enough

[NexusGoo]

Could be your line dragging and rubbing on the bank, or the fact that your knots may have be burnt when you were pulling them tight. This year i've fished 12lb ultragreen leader at the Stave and have had no breakoffs with all the chums I've landed

[Salmon__Slayer]

Could be your line dragging and rubbing on the bank, or the fact that your knots may have be burnt when you were pulling them tight. This year i've fished 12lb ultragreen leader at the Stave and have had no breakoffs with all the chums I've landed

oh..... has this happened to you before

[leapin' tyee]

I was fishing for chum this year at the stave and i was getting tons of hookups. I would manage to play the fish close and right when i would bring it near shore the line would snap. Is this cuz of my line i have 20 lb mono or is my knot not strong enough
[/quote

May be your mono line is too old .

[ThatDeafGuy]

Could be a number of things:
-Line is worn out, degrading
*solution: run your hand along the line to feel the line to ensure there's no rubbing damage

-Old line, usually after fishing each year, you should replace the line.  That's what I was taught anyways and it hasn't failed me yet.  A new roll of 250 yards would be good for 2 years or two replacements.  Costs about 20 bucks, so can't go wrong here.

-Sometimes fish have a last wind dash when they see you or sense they're close to shore, then muster up as much energy as possible and dash off.  Especially when you're landing it in by hand, not a net.  Hence the benefit of having a net and someone else to help you net the fish.  This can be controversial, some people say that playing the fish until it turns up by the side is ok to reduce this last minute dash.  Personally I don't feel this is good for the fishery overall since you have to really make sure that the fish has their energy back to release the fish, something that needs to be treated with respect, especially if you cannot retain the fish and it's a protected species.

-or you're right, your knot is not working out as well.  Experiment, test it by hand.  It shouldn't break when you're pulling it in opposite directions.  Some people practice the habit of testing the knot every 5 casts or so.  Can't hurt to have this habit and reduce the $$ for your lost hooks, spinners, spoons, bait etc etc.

[Rieber]

I was fishing for chum this year at the stave and i was getting tons of hookups. I would manage to play the fish close and right when i would bring it near shore the line would snap. Is this cuz of my line i have 20 lb mono or is my knot not strong enough

Where is your line breaking? Is it actually breaking at the knot? Describe the knot and how you tie it.

Do you allow the fish to pull line out or is the tension so tight that the line doesn't come out?

[Flytech]

If it's your knot there will be a curl on the end of your line, if the line snaps it'll be straight. That's the quickest way to tell. I catch huge chum on the Stave in fast water with 14lb mono, so it shouldn't really be the line unless it's old.


Are you bottom bouncing? Those guys tend to lose lost of fish because their gear is hitting rocks all day.

[RalphH]

It's important to know what kind of knot, the rated breaking strength of the line and even the brand.

Few knots have a strength close to 100% of the line strength so if a fish is going to snap it will usually be at the knot.

A few tips. Use an appropriate strength of line for the circumstances. Others have recommended 12 to 14lb which sounds about right.

Get a high quality line or leader material. Maxima seems to be the popular in the region because it's proven itself over many years, it has a good balance of properties such breaking strain, resistance to abrasion and knot strength

if none of these make much difference check the guides on your rod for rough spots or wear. Check your reel at any places the line can touch reel parts look for groves or nicks. if any are there repair the reel or replace it.
At the send or start of the day discard the first few feet of your main line. Inspect is regularly during the day. Rub the line between finger tips and try to note roughness or nicks. If you do remove the line from that point down.

Learn how to tie one or two suitable knots quickly and almost without thinking. The double clinch is the most popular while the trilene knot or palomar knot are a bit more difficult to seat but a bit stronger.

Know the essential of good knot construction. Use the proper number of twists for the specific lb test of the line. Moisten  the knot with saliva or with something like lip balm or even water before drawing it tight. That's essential to get the knot to seat properly.

[Silver]

I have been amazed at the performance of this simple knot.

For the cinch knot, first double loop the line twice through the hardware (this is the most important point) then do the 7 wraps. When tightening, wet the knot and lightly pull the tag end away from the main line...stop when the knot is almost noosed, it will slightly resist at this point.
Then, bite the tag end and hold the hardware with one hand and the main line with the other hand and pull in all three directions simultaneously. Finish off by pulling down snug the noose with the device hand while tension is still applied between tag end and main line.

I have found that by tightening this way, you do not stress the line and cause a weak spot...you do not need to pull very hard at all.

Also, the modified or improved version of this knot is weaker and more difficult to tighten.

I have been able to reel large fish in current with only 10lb test with this knot...only breaking under tremendous stress.

[RalphH]

that's a trilene knot: http://www.berkley-fishing.com/How-to-Tie-the-Trilene-Knot/Berkley-ae-how-to-tie-the-trilene-knot,default,pg.html

generally you reduce the number of turns for thicker diameter lines.

[Silver]

I found this link which recommends 5-7 turns, but does not specify line diameter...is 7 too many for 10 lb test?

I also found out that this knot is has a 85% breaking strength, seems a bit low... I feel like doing a dead load test to see.

[RalphH]

You'll some variations in the # of turns and the relative strength of just about any knot depending on who is giving the instructions. I've relied on Practical Fishing Knots by Lefty Kreh and Mark Sosin though now it's a bit out of date ie there is no discussion of knots for fluorocarbon line. What Mark and Lefty said in 1991 was to use 5 turns but that the knot can be difficult to set tightly in lines over 12lbs. I know it's common to use 3 turns in lines of 20lbs and more.  I went on a charter once where that was what the Captain did. It's stronger than an improved clinch often testing around 97 to 99%. I would guess 85% is the lowest of a series of tests and that will vary with line material types and diameter. If you can tie this knot with 7 turns and seat it you are probably fine but I'd guess 5 is enough for it's maximum strength with a 10lb line. at least that's my experience.

[pbish]

Check this link Rod shows a knot that works well.

http://www.bentrods.ca/rod-report/2014/10/24/how-to-fish-jigs-for-chum-salmon

[Silver]

I do find that this knot can even be tricky to tie with the 10-12 lb that I use...hence the 3 way technique.

For 20lb and up I just use the regular fisherman clinch knot. It is simple and never fails. I can pull a ridiculous amount of weight with this knot without fail...like straightening out big Gamakatsu hooks from  snags during sockeye season.

Fancy knots are unnecessary and how they are tied is critical. If there is any friction and heat created when tightening...they will fail.

[RalphH]

Check this link Rod shows a knot that works well.

http://www.bentrods.ca/rod-report/2014/10/24/how-to-fish-jigs-for-chum-salmon

Cool. That's a double surgeon's loop though I have never seen it used to tie a lure or fly to leader. It's usually used to put a loop in the end of a line.