Dealing with snags

This was my first year kayak fishing and I've just about got things organized and ready for a shot at spring Chinook.  I caught a couple of silvers and a stray steelhead last Fall and I'm hooked.  One thing I have not found a solution to is snags.  I use 20# braid and a 12# leader while casting plugs and I ended up just cutting the line a few times because I couldn't get leverage to break the leader.  I had to look like a buffoon trying to paddle above the snag and wrap the line around my fish whacker to avoid cutting my hand off, then yanking the line to no avail.  Is there a clever solution I don't know about?

As soon as you realize that you're snagged, quit pulling on the line, as that may set the hook even harder.  Release your line, turn 180 degrees, go back past the snag, and try pulling the hook loose from that direction.  It'll often pop loose easily.

Hard pulling should be the very last resort. First, paddle up past your snag reel down until you just feel slight tension, then try gently twitching the rod tip. If twitching/shaking/jiggling doesn't work, try pulling tension against the snag so that it puts a nice bow in your rod. Then grab the line between your reel and first guide, pull it out like a bow string, then let it fly with a "twang". Do this a few times in quick succession. This sends a sort of shock wave down your line that will often shake your hook free.

All else fails, let the line loose, paddle up current with some good speed/momentum point your rod tip striaght at the snag, and thumb the spool. This method works to break off heavier lines up to about 25-30 lb test, in my experience.

Good luck!

In my experience, if (a) paddling around/up-current and wiggling it out isn't effective, (b) your snag is going to stay snagged, and (c) you want to avoid rod breakage is this: Position yourself directly on top of the snag, point your rod tip directly at the snag, so that your rod is perfectly perpendicular to the water, thumb spool and pool rod straight up.

I tie my line to the cleat behind my seat and paddle away. I'd rather just break off then spends minutes trying to unsnag . this way will guarantee to work. Anything over 30 lbs can be a bear though.

Thanks guys!  I like the idea of pointing the rod directly at the snag and pulling, but I especially like the plan to tie it off and paddle.  Hadn't really thought of that, but then again I hadn't put a cleat on yet.  May save me cutting off my hand with the braided line.

Never wrap braided line around bare skin! Especially under 50#...
I don't like pointing the rod and thumbing the spool because if you slip this could put huge stress on your reel and rod. Wrap the line around a club or pliers. You should feel comfortable breaking what ever line you are fishing with. If not you are fishing with too heavy of line.

A question:  might if be better to cut a snagged line, rather than break it?  Might breaking the line put stress on the entire line and weaken in places other than where it finally breaks?  I suspect that snagged lines often break at a knot, but perhaps it would be better to lose some additional line rather than taking the risk of weakening the line by pulling on it until it breaks?  Just wondering.

The majority of my fishing is for bottom fish in 50-120 FOW. I'm not going to be OK with leaving that much line off every snag I have. When I break off snags they usually break at the knot of just the knot due to wear in the line from the bottom.

For heavier lb test line, once I determine that it's not salvageable, I paddle toward the snag but don't take up the extra line.  Once I have enough slack, I wrap the line around the reel seat, point the tip at the snag and paddle away backward as fast as possible.  As soon as tension forms, I grap the rod (without loading a bend into it!) and let my momentum break me off.

- Up to 25lb test this is quick and easy.
- Over 25lb test it's a chore but pretty repeatable up to 40.
- Above 40lb test you need some real determination.
- Above 65lb test, you're pretty much anchored.

-Mark-

A question:  might if be better to cut a snagged line, rather than break it?  Might breaking the line put stress on the entire line and weaken in places other than where it finally breaks?  I suspect that snagged lines often break at a knot, but perhaps it would be better to lose some additional line rather than taking the risk of weakening the line by pulling on it until it breaks?  Just wondering.

Good point! In tests on braided line TackleTour made this statement;

What we did discover is if we ran an extra long sample of line, and repeatedly retied the longest remaining section after a break, it would take less and less force to break the line. This tells us that braided line does not break at just one spot in these situations, but strands break in several places through the length of the line subject to the force. So with each hard hookset or pull, you're weakening the overall length of the line. But what about those times you break off on your first swing of the day with a batch of freshly spooled line? Our answer to that.. remember our knot strength numbers?

I try to use leaders which have a lower breaking strength than my main line, so if I get snagged, the leader will break before I stress out the main line too much.

All depends on your type of fishing. My standard terminal tackle for bottom fish is 50# braid to 18-24" of heavy mono 80-200#. I use this extra heavy leader for abrasion resistance and ease of landing.
If I can't get unsnagged I know I'm breaking everything off. I also never have had 50# braid break while fighting a fish, with some braid several years old.

I also have never had braided line break on me.  After a few years, or a few snags, I spin it off with a drill, then spin it onto another spool.  That way I can add a little backing and put it back on the reel, essentially using the least worn part of the line.

A question:  might if be better to cut a snagged line, rather than break it?  Might breaking the line put stress on the entire line and weaken in places other than where it finally breaks?  I suspect that snagged lines often break at a knot, but perhaps it would be better to lose some additional line rather than taking the risk of weakening the line by pulling on it until it breaks?  Just wondering.

I don't think there's really a "right" answer to this one. When I snag, goal #1 is to leave the least possible amount of trash behind (especially fishing line). Does it weaken my line when I pull on it? Maybe... Can't remember the last time I had a line or knot failure with a fish on. Loose drags