Shock Leader

[fibbo]

Hi guys,

Last week when I was fishing off the breakwalls and trying to cast a heavy sinker + float with 20lb mono + 40 lb fluro trace I managed to snap the line twice, losing the entire float/hook/sinker/starlight.

I've read about shock leaders and how this could be prevented. My question is, are shock leaders the same as the fluoro trace I was using or is it some other material?

Also I assume that you would have to have the shock leader pretty long in order for it to be wrapped around the spool when casting, but I can't imagine how the knot can go through the rod guides smoothly.

Any help appreciated!

Cheers,

fibbo.

[Jewhunter]

I'd be checking the quality of the mono you're using. How old is it?

A shock leader is usually used with braid as braid has no stretch. As a general rule it's about as long as the rod you're using.

20lb mono shouldn't break on the cast.

Cheers,

Grant.

[fibbo]

Most likely the abrasion on rocks could have rendered the 20lb mono useless. Good point

I'd be checking the quality of the mono you're using. How old is it?

A shock leader is usually used with braid as braid has no stretch. As a general rule it's about as long as the rod you're using.

20lb mono shouldn't break on the cast.

Cheers,

Grant.

[WANNAFISH]

I think from memory that mono tends to absorb water which makes them weak. As Jewhunter asked, How old is the mono?

[fibbo]

It's Penn 10x 20lb mono, probably 3 weeks old. Not the line's fault I think it's me hehe every now and then the line drifts into the rocks but doesnt actually snag I think that is the cause of the weakness.

I think from memory that mono tends to absorb water which makes them weak. As Jewhunter asked, How old is the mono?

[Steve07]

Shock leader's are just a fancy word for what is the trace you have attatched to the main line.Actually its

also the opposite of what you mentioned,make sure that if you intend to cast alot make the leader short,

i mean so its not going through the guides when you cast out.The reason you probably broke off the line

& all the gear attatched,is because the knot gets caught up in the guides when you throw out & snap's

off.It doesnt take much to break even 30 or 40lb line when you cast with alot of pressure,it happens to

all of us at times.

cheers

Steve

[Evets]

Hi guys,

Last week when I was fishing off the breakwalls and trying to cast a heavy sinker + float with 20lb mono + 40 lb fluro trace I managed to snap the line twice, losing the entire float/hook/sinker/starlight.

Cheers,

fibbo.

Hi fibbo,

Nexus is right. Easy to snap your self off. Especially if you have a heavy sinker and try to get a world record for the distance you cast each time .

Or maybe the problem lies in the rig ? Why do you have a heavy sinker and a float on the same rig ? Maybe using a smaller sinker and weighted float is your answer?

Steve

[zephi]

how heavy is the sinker first? and how is the rig setup? Is the sinker running on the same line as the float and hooks?

If it's snapping from the cast, then I doubt it has much to do with the snags. Maybe your way of casting isn't right, bad release timing. OR the sinker is just too heavy to begin with. The float might create some air resistance and the sinker will of course fly first, causing it to snap.

[Captain Spanner]

My guess at the short answer is you are trying to cast too quickly for the amount of weight on the end of the line. Try a smoother or slower cast. Or at least the start of the cast needs to be slower.

My attempt at the longer answer is that it is probably snapping as your rod is still loading up halfway through the cast because the force on line is too much at that point in time. Basically there are two main parts that make up the force being applied to the line during the cast. The mass (you'd think of this as the "weight" of the sinker & bait) and the acceleration of the rod which you are trying to transfer to the sinker.

If you are trying to punch holes in the horizon then you are probably putting alot of effort/force into the cast and the rod is accelerating too fast for the amount of resistance "weight" on the end of the line.

This scenario can be seen if you take a lighter weight and calmly cast it out. take note of the tension on your finger during the cast and how much the rod bends. Then cast the same weight with more force, you will do this by trying to make the rod go faster and i bet you can feel more tension on your finger and that the rod bends more during the cast. There is more strain on the line. Basically at some point the strain is too much and the line breaks. You have to either decrease the weight on the end of the line or the acceleration of the rod.

Hope this helps

[Jewhunter]

It sounds like you weren't using a direct join from your mono to flouro & I can't see how, if you are using 20lb mono straight through, that there would be any join before the swivel & flouro leader.

It's either the quality or age of the mono line or you've been dragging your rig over the rocks.

Cheers,

Grant.

[micksfishn]

strip it all off man get yourself a spool of 30lbs braid some 40 lbs leaber start practicing your braid knots and your set youll never use mono again

mick

[fibbo]

All very valid points!

The rig is a float on the 20lb mono main line.

Sinker not sure the size it's 2cm diameter, under the sinker is a bead, then swivel.

40lb suffix leader about 50cm.

Either ganghooks or a circle hook.

4500 shimano baitrunner, medium-heavy daiwa sensor 12" (i think this may be a bit too heavy).

I'm pretty sure my casting action is too fast as well causing a lot of strain on the main line. The problem with casting a float is that it gets to how should I say it, terminal velocity then just stops dead at a certain distance. That causes me to try to cast harder and harder each time and then I end up breaking the main line Also line getting belted onto the rocks by waves is like a bad habit

Maybe a cigar shaped float might help hehe