NorthWest Kayak Anglers
Kayak Fishing => For Safety's Sake => Topic started by: OutbackRoy on April 21, 2009, 09:29:39 PM
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The dangers of getting hung up... With some of the heavy line i see used from kayaks, the danger of a huli when trying to break off is very real..I have had some scary moments when a swell or surge is ruining..
My thoughts are it is safer to get a good angle on the line before trying to break it rather than directly over it. Down wind or current helps line to stay tight. Less chance of pulling kayak over..
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what i've done is tighten the drag, put rod in rod holder angled directly in line with bow and paddle to pull it free or break the line. The key, I think, is to keep in line with it rather than reefing on a snag from the side which would lead to a roll...
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Here's what I do when I snag up. First thing I do is get jiggy with the rod. Often times I'll shake the jig loose. If that doesn't work, I'll put the rod in my lap under the off leg and over near leg and paddle upcurrent (upwind) of the snag. That does the trick most of the time. The reason I have it in my lap is I can react to a sudden swell that might otherwise throw me off balance if the rod is in the holder. If I still can't get the snag free, I'll try a few different angles. Still stuck? I paddle over the snag, point the rod down in the water directly towards the snag, reel tight on the line, thumb the spool and let the swell pull it loose or break off. If I get caught on a big swell, release thumb and the drag does it's thing. No swell? Thumb spool and pull straight up. By now, I either have my jig back, or have broken off. If you haven't achieved this yet, consider using lighter line. 20# spectra for me. Mono has too much stretch making it harder to break off, especially in deeper water with lots of line out. I've used 30# spectra in the past and it can be down right unbreakable. Too dangerous for me.
-Allen
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Wouldn't it be simpler and safer just to use mono leader that is at least five pounds lighter in test weight than the braid?
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Wouldn't it be simpler and safer just to use mono leader that is at least five pounds lighter in test weight than the braid?
Heavier leader is nice for abrasion resistance on teeth and rocks. Besides, the point is to not try to lose the jig. I'm trying to get it back!!! I usually use 20-25 pound leader anyway, and even with that, most of the time the leader is what breaks for me.
-Allen
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If we have to use lighter leader to break off, then what's the point of having heavier braid line? ??? For deep water jigging, the heavier braid is a liability with it's additional drag.
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Good points, guys. Sounds like 20-pound Spectra and 25-pound mono leader would be a good rock/ling/cabezon setup.
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Good points,, leader knot is usually weakest link
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Good points,, leader knot is usually weakest link
Actually I don't usually find that to be the case. Often times it is not the knot that breaks, rather it is the leader nearer the jig. Most likely the jig is getting wedged at the leader and sawing off.
-Allen
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It's easy to break it off with the hobie, i just hold it straight back and peddle until it frees or breaks. That's after at least 5 minutes of jigging it every which way to try to retreive my gear, losing gear gets spendy. 20 pound test, especially sprectra or power pro should be enough to get most fish to the boat.
I started out with 30 pound mono and it was downright scary to get hung up.
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How do y'all secure the line at the rod end for breaking? Just letting the reel take the tension risks damaging the reel and risks burying the line in the spooled line. I've seen line breakers on shore casting rods. They look like miniature dock cleats wrapped on the rod opposite the guides. I use my largest guide instead. Just pull some line off the spool and wrap it around the rod once or twice and loop it over the guide, then align the rod with the line and walk backwards.
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I use my custom Coosbayyakker Fish Stroker (or a simple dowel) to help me break off line. Wrap the braided line around the dowel several times in order to get a good grip on it, point my rod in the direction of the snag and pull.
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I have a small length of pvc that's wrapped with electrical tape, I wrap the line around a couple times, it digs into the tape for a good grip.
(http://www.northwestkayakanglers.com/gallery/191_30_04_09_7_26_30.jpeg)
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I use my fishing pliers and wrap the line to break loose.
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How do y'all secure the line at the rod end for breaking? Just letting the reel take the tension risks damaging the reel and risks burying the line in the spooled line.
I take 3 or 4 loops of slack line and wrap it between the reel foot and the reel, then pull with the rod pointing towards the snag.
Do you ever bend the eye on your rod?
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I usually wrap it around my arm a few times and walk backward.
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I take 3 or 4 loops of slack line and wrap it between the reel foot and the reel, then pull with the rod pointing towards the snag.
Do you ever bend the eye on your rod?
The actual force on the eye is minimal. Most of the force is absorbed by the line wraps. However, using pliers or the reel foot is probably a better idea.
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I usually wrap it around my arm a few times and walk backward.
Hope you're carrying a first aid kit!
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How do y'all secure the line at the rod end for breaking? Just letting the reel take the tension risks damaging the reel and risks burying the line in the spooled line. I've seen line breakers on shore casting rods. They look like miniature dock cleats wrapped on the rod opposite the guides. I use my largest guide instead. Just pull some line off the spool and wrap it around the rod once or twice and loop it over the guide, then align the rod with the line and walk backwards.
I like to think I have a pretty good feel for how much pressure my reels can take. I've not had a problem thumbing it ... neither damaging a reel or burying the line. Knock on wood. I like the flexibility of being able to release my thumb if a big swell comes through. On the few occasions that I thought I was pushing it (mostly when I tried 30# spectra), I would point the rod down into the water, wind down, then take a wrap around the foot of the reel before pulling back.
-Allen