# SHARKIN: Line keeps snapping



## Herculined (Apr 27, 2008)

I'm having a huge problem. I have missed in excess of ten sharks because of this. My line keeps snapping when the shark first hits it. I've been sharking for three years and this has never been a problem until now. My set up is a Penn 6/0 with 500 yards of 50lb braid, and a 200 yard top shot of 50lb mono.I have swapped out the mono several times and was still having the problem, so I stepped up to 80lb mono last night and still had the same problem. My line is shredded when I bring it in, it is wierd and really aggravating. in the past two trips alone I have missed six sharks because of the line snapping. Two last night, and four the time before that. I have caught plenty of sharks even 6-7 footers, using the 50lb test, so I don't know what the problem is all of the sudden.


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## Chris V (Oct 18, 2007)

Is it the braid or mono that keeps breaking?


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## Herculined (Apr 27, 2008)

mono, when we hit braid we quit paddling the bait out, so there is usally very little braid in the water.


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## Getsome (Sep 28, 2007)

Are you using steel leaders? A sharks tail thrash will eat up mono.


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## Chris V (Oct 18, 2007)

I always have a long shock leader of 200lb mono to guard against a sharks skin and tail.


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## fishin' fool (Apr 25, 2008)

Have you checked your drag lately?


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## Deep South (Oct 8, 2007)

Mono is not going to hold up to large sharks with their tails. From a boat, where you are typically applying more upward pressure, the mono may hold up for a lot longer, but on the beach, the shark is swimming directly away from you, the line is gonna be on the tail the whole time. Wont take long for it to wear through. Use a longer steel leader and I bet you will get those sharks.


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## Deep South (Oct 8, 2007)

Keep this in mind also. A 6' shark can swallow2-3' ofthe steel leader, so you would want at least 8 or 9' of leader just to consistently catch 6 footers from the beach. If you use anything shorter, the mono may still get tail whipped and cut you off above the swivel.


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## sniper (Oct 3, 2007)

My guess is that your leader is too short. I think that is the general concensus too. Try longer leader and see what happens. I have heard 2x the length of the fish you want to catch.

Also you said 'shock leader' maybe some cable is in order.


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## Herculined (Apr 27, 2008)

I probably should have mentioned my leader. I use a3ft piece of 400lb steel cable connected, by a swivel,to a 15ft piece of 400lb mono. I thought tail thrashing at first too, but my line will be frayed half way down. I kinda think it might be the line is rubbing against the sand, but it's just wierd because it has never been a problem before. I thought about the drag but I always push the clicker button up, to turn it on and then leave it on free spool.


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## fishmasterseven (Oct 6, 2007)

kind of hard to say. i use 50# Andes mono on my 6/0 and 9/0 with a 10-12ft steel leader and have never had any problems, especially like that. hope you get it figured out and bring something in.....good luck!


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## sailor (Oct 29, 2007)

I've been tail slapped on a 14 leader before so it is definitely possible. When fishing in the bays for bulls, I use no less then an 8' steel leader, with 50 lb test and ~ a 15' bimini twist.


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## -=Desperado=- (Jun 19, 2009)

You might have some bad line man.stop spooling with the same line.We got a bad batch of suffix one time that would just break where it felt like it.


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## User6882 (Feb 4, 2009)

x2 im with will on this one


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## Capt. Alex Pinney (Jan 23, 2008)

you need to check your guides on your rod. no matter how many times you replace your line if there is a chip in a guide or roller than it will continue to happen. just an idea


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## -=Desperado=- (Jun 19, 2009)

> *Capt. Alex Pinney (9/6/2009)*you need to check your guides on your rod. no matter how many times you replace your line if there is a chip in a guide or roller than it will continue to happen. just an idea


I also agree with that statement.I have had it happen to me.I thought one time i had a bad bathc of braid but it was a very small chip in the ceramic on the guide.Was cutting the line clean in half.


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## User6882 (Feb 4, 2009)

well arent u supossed 2 NOT use ceramic guides n fish braid?


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## Herculined (Apr 27, 2008)

I've put new mono on 4 different times this year. I used new roll everytime.I put the 80lb on friday night and fished sat night and had three lines that broke.2 from hits, one while reeling it in. I'll check the guides, I haven't done that. After that, the only thing I can think of is changing spots. Once I started thinking about it, the only thing that has changed this year is the fishing location. It does seem to stay pretty shallow there for a while. I'm kinda thinkin if it is staying kinda shallow then maybe the line is staying right on the sand, then the current and stuff is causing the line to rub. I've been parking at the first parking lot in the park between navarre and pcola. 

Thanks for the help.


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## -=Desperado=- (Jun 19, 2009)

> *Herculined (9/6/2009)*I've put new mono on 4 different times this year. I used new roll everytime.I put the 80lb on friday night and fished sat night and had three lines that broke.2 from hits, one while reeling it in. I'll check the guides, I haven't done that. After that, the only thing I can think of is changing spots. Once I started thinking about it, the only thing that has changed this year is the fishing location. It does seem to stay pretty shallow there for a while. I'm kinda thinkin if it is staying kinda shallow then maybe the line is staying right on the sand, then the current and stuff is causing the line to rub. I've been parking at the first parking lot in the park between navarre and pcola.
> 
> 
> 
> Thanks for the help.




could be some rubble out there cutting you off also.Any snags?


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## Herculined (Apr 27, 2008)

No snags. I don't know, I'm goin to try our old spot next time and see if I have the same problem. I ran three poles last weekend and one of my friends ran his out. All four lines got shredded. Last night I ran 4 out and one of my friends ran his out. Three of mine got shredded. The only difference in the ones that didnt get shredded and the ones that did, is the distance we put them out at. The two that didn't shred were about 100-150 the 3 that were shredded were out between 200-250.


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## Zoomie Juice (Aug 12, 2009)

I know exactly what you mean. Happens to me quite often. Get what seems to be a run then reel in and line is broke half way up. I've asked the question so many times and I keep getting answers like tail whip, use longer leader, replace line, etc. If these people would read the question, line breaks halfway up. For me that is about 200yds up from the hook. Thats one FREAKIN big shark to tail whip the line 200 yards up! I better upgrade my reel if im hookin on to 600 foot sharks! Anyways, enough of my impatient ranting, I do know what you mean. I am still trying to figure it out myself. I have narrowed it down to either rubbing on the sandbar(which I am skeptical about) because it has happened and numerous beaches. Or, I think line is being cut by something in the water catching the line. I am not sure what (blues, smaller sharks, etc.). My reason for this is a couple times I would get a short run and nothing. I would reel in completely slack line for about 5 yards then feel my weight again. This happened about every 5 min then the last time nothing, cut off. You be the judge but dont feel alone. Happens to me too, extremely annoying and gets to be expensive.


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## Jaw Jacker (Jul 29, 2009)

I use a 20' leader off the beach & 15' off the boat made out of 250# seven strand. Also tie a half hitch knot with the leader around the tale of the bait. That keeps the bait from sliding out the line to the mono.


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## J.Sharit (Oct 3, 2007)

Are there a lot of Blue fish in the area? we used to get cut off quite a bit at night by Blues in the late summer especially if there is a lot of phospherous material in the water. The shark picks up the bait the line jumps and sets the glowing stuff off and the blues hit at it. Just a thought.


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## Jaw Jacker (Jul 29, 2009)

Do you tape up the ends of your leaders. We had the same problem getting cut off, the line was wrapping around the end of the leaderand whenset the hook the sleeve on leader would cutthe line.Sowe started taping(black electric tape) the leadersfrom the clip on the swivel down past the sleeve & tag endof the leader.That cured our problem.


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## Turbow (Mar 7, 2008)

> *Jaw Jacker (9/10/2009)*Do you tape up the ends of your leaders. We had the same problem getting cut off, the line was wrapping around the end of the leaderand whenset the hook the sleeve on leader would cutthe line.Sowe started taping(black electric tape) the leadersfrom the clip on the swivel down past the sleeve & tag endof the leader.That cured our problem.




Again, the line is breaking 200 yards up from the leader.





I am wondering if the hit is a hit on the bait at all. Could it be the line getting chomped by a blue, lady, spanish, shark, etc?


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## Jaw Jacker (Jul 29, 2009)

> *Turbow (9/10/2009)*
> 
> 
> > *Jaw Jacker (9/10/2009)*Do you tape up the ends of your leaders. We had the same problem getting cut off, the line was wrapping around the end of the leaderand whenset the hook the sleeve on leader would cutthe line.Sowe started taping(black electric tape) the leadersfrom the clip on the swivel down past the sleeve & tag endof the leader.That cured our problem.
> ...


 Missed the 200 yard thing,:doh No ideas never had that problem much. Only got bit off that high by a turtleone time, eating jellyfish off the line.


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## Sea Monkey (Dec 26, 2008)

The OLE mystery .

After reading all the comments, I think the sand bar is cutting your line. Sounds like only the deeper baits is what you are having problems with. May try to get up on the sand dunes next time after a hookup, if the line is holding long enough. The line may be sitting on the sand bar while waiting on a fish to come off the porch and play. The waves may be thrashing your line on the sand bar while you wait. It can only take current and not necessarily heavy wave action to fray your line.


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## J.Sharit (Oct 3, 2007)

> *Turbow (9/10/2009)*
> 
> 
> > *Jaw Jacker (9/10/2009)*Do you tape up the ends of your leaders. We had the same problem getting cut off, the line was wrapping around the end of the leaderand whenset the hook the sleeve on leader would cutthe line.Sowe started taping(black electric tape) the leadersfrom the clip on the swivel down past the sleeve & tag endof the leader.That cured our problem.
> ...


I'm tellin ya boys it's blue fish or other toothy critters. If sand was a problem no one could surf fish with any sucess. I've seen the fish thing happen many times.....but what do I know only been shark fishin off the beach a couple 1000 times............


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## Yankeefisher56 (Dec 3, 2008)

Check those guides bro! and post some pics of your catch for your boy while away. I cant wait to get back and get back at it again and tell Mark to punch a shark for me! lol


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## Herculined (Apr 27, 2008)

Changed location, caught sharks, no break-offs, no roughed up/shredded line. It could be blues, but my lines would have to have some kind of bluefish beacon on them to be cut that many times by blues. I see how blues running into my line could jack my stuff up, but when four lines get put out and all four lines get shredded, blues running into every line seems improbable.


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## Herculined (Apr 27, 2008)

> *Zoomie Juice (9/9/2009)*I know exactly what you mean. Happens to me quite often. Get what seems to be a run then reel in and line is broke half way up. I've asked the question so many times and I keep getting answers like tail whip, use longer leader, replace line, etc. If these people would read the question, line breaks halfway up. For me that is about 200yds up from the hook. Thats one FREAKIN big shark to tail whip the line 200 yards up! I better upgrade my reel if im hookin on to 600 foot sharks! Anyways, enough of my impatient ranting, I do know what you mean. I am still trying to figure it out myself. I have narrowed it down to either rubbing on the sandbar(which I am skeptical about) because it has happened and numerous beaches. Or, I think line is being cut by something in the water catching the line. I am not sure what (blues, smaller sharks, etc.). My reason for this is a couple times I would get a short run and nothing. I would reel in completely slack line for about 5 yards then feel my weight again. This happened about every 5 min then the last time nothing, cut off. You be the judge but dont feel alone. Happens to me too, extremely annoying and gets to be expensive.


Yours does sound like blues or something. Mine was nothing for a couple of hours, big hit, line snaps immediately, before I could even get to the pole.


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