anyone breaking braid on hookset

[DavidSA]

I have trouble with line break or cut when setting the hook at times. Using 30# PP braid on and near lake Okeechobee. It is unclear to me if it is line breaking in the hook or a gar having my bait in its mouth. All I know is that I get a pickup and a hookset which breaks off.

To make it a little more mysterious it happened 2 days and each time it happened twice within 100 yards of the first break. makes me wonder if I am in a big group of gar or something with teeth. The first day it happened it was on a NRX893 which has quite a bit of power for a 3power rod but the tip on that thing bends enough it is hard to imagine me breaking off.

I tried Palamar knots and a Berkley knot I use with FC line. This has happened in prior years.

Adding to the mystery I don't recall that line failing me a single time this summer even when pulling shakey heads over chunk rock at the local pond.

[Jeffbro999]

Pickerel can cut braid pretty easily, that could be what you are setting the hook into. Certain times of the year they get pretty thick up shallow on Seminole. Lose quite a few chatterbaits to them. I use 20lb fluoro leader to keep from getting cut off.

[DavidSA]

I have to believe this is part of the problem. On Wednesday of last week we got onto a school of them busting shad for like 2 hours and I think I might have one breakoff but I caught like +35 fish and several were monsters.

[TommyG]

I switched my hooks to Vmc and Trokar Big Nasty. They both have a closed hook eye. My breakage on hooksets are way way down.

[africanbass]

Back your drag off a tad,it will work wonders

[GOOD YEAR 71]

Back your drag off a tad,it will work wonders

Sweep set will suffice with braid. Agreed, lighten the drag.

[DavidSA]

appreciate the ideas. I don't no if I can stop setting hooks but a lighter drag will help. Also, the idea of a fully enclosed hook is great. My current hook lets the line get caught in between the shank and the place where the eye touches the shank. I have thought at times that the small Palomar knot sticking could be a problem.

[LowRange]

I suspect your knot may be slipping and becoming undone. I have found the uni knot to be highly resistant to slipping so I would recommend giving that a try. Not a fan of the palamor with braid. That's a non braid knot in my book.

[FrankW]

I had a problem with the Palomar knot slipping with some 10lb braid. You can stop that by going through the overhand knot twice before finishing the knot. Its just like tying the double surgeon loop.

Frank

[Snyder Rods]

The problem with braid is, it has very poor knot strength, and no shock strength. The straight strength is phenomenal, and makes up for this to a great extent. Perhaps not enough though in some circumstances.

Try a clinch knot with 9 turns. Sometimes the knot won't seat right the first time and you'll have to cut it and try again. I would suggest trying a line with a round profile. Don't wet the knot.

[DavidSA]

I'm using VMC hooks, lighter drag, sweeping hookset and 8 twists on my knot No unfortunate breakoffs today so far this week. Really like the vmc hooks with closed eyes.

[Hobie-Wan Kenobi]

I'm using VMC hooks, lighter drag, sweeping hookset and 8 twists on my knot No unfortunate breakoffs today so far this week. Really like the vmc hooks with closed eyes.

I had a problem with those hooks. The baitkeeper kept breaking on me. I now only use those for lighter Texas Rigging and use Trokars for the heavy stuff.

[Johnny A]

Pickerel can cut braid pretty easily, that could be what you are setting the hook into. Certain times of the year they get pretty thick up shallow on Seminole. Lose quite a few chatterbaits to them. I use 20lb fluoro leader to keep from getting cut off.

Only with pickerel.

[Lafayette]

Double palomar knot is much more safer to avoid the braid to slip, never had any problem with it even on full force hook ups while frog fishing.

Concerning pickerels, we don t have this specie in France but we have a lot of pikes, which is a very similar specie but much more bigger.

Pikes, especially the little ones have extremely sharp teeth and cut nylon or braid easily. We use wire, titanium or very big fluorocarbon (110 lbs) leaders to prevent it.

[DavidSA]

I'm using VMC hooks, lighter drag, sweeping hookset and 8 twists on my knot No unfortunate breakoffs today so far this week. Really like the vmc hooks with closed eyes.

I had a problem with those hooks. The baitkeeper kept breaking on me. I now only use those for lighter Texas Rigging and use Trokars for the heavy stuff.

Have fished the same 2 hooks all week long with no issues. I did notice that VMC makes a heavy duty and regular duty hooks. I got both and the HD looks much stouter and that is what I have fished. 4 days of fishing and yet to have a breakoff. I'm knocking on wood