I’ve always run 100lb fluorocarbon on all my rigs, even on my downrigger. However last week I had several cut offs (first time ever guess I’ve been lucky so far). So I decided to run some wire on my downrigger. I made 5-6 wire rigs Sunday and fished them on Monday. First strike, main line breaks. So deploy another one. Same thing, and another, same thing, etc. etc. Lost all my wire rigs, $100 in lures, and missed on the fish.
My rig configuration was as follows.
18" of single strand wire - to 20 feet of 100lb fluorocarbon - to 30lb main line
I think the mistake was using the fluorocarbon as the “shock leader”, but since I had in lying around I decided to use it instead of mono. A buddy of mine told me to use about 40 feet of 80lb mono, but I used fluorocarbon instead. Big mistake since fluorocarbon doesn’t stretch.
I still don’t understand how just 18" of wire could cause the main line to break. Anyone care to explain?
Here’s the rig with the fluorocarbon that failed every time.
Crappy knots? I doubt that the “shock leader” effect had anything to do with it if your mainline broke. If your mainline is mono, then you already have stretch built in. I think a “shock leader” becomes way more important when you have braid or wire as your main line. Another issue is, when you add in a small skirt like that, it will slide up to the mainline when you have a fish on running away from the boat. Want to know what happens to that skirt when it’s trailing 30’ behind a hooked wahoo? It becomes another lure. Unfortunately that lure will be sitting on the swivel that separates the main line from the leader. Mainline typically loses that battle when the teeth hit…
I’m convinced it was something to do with the fluro not being able to absorb the shock thus it all being transfered up to the main line. Will replace with 80lb mono
why not connect the wire directly to the main line or a wind on leader instead of doing the wire, to fluro or mono, to main line? We have caught plenty of wahoo with that setup.
Not saying that does not work just never done that so trying to figure out the benefit. giving it some stretch?
My buddy does it that way but he’s using 50lb so most the time it can handle the shock but sometimes he has break offs at the mainline.
I’m only using 30lb so it needs a “shock leader”. Fluro obviously was not the right choice.
quote:Originally posted by shevlin
why not connect the wire directly to the main line or a wind on leader instead of doing the wire, to fluro or mono, to main line? We have caught plenty of wahoo with that setup.
Not saying that does not work just never done that so trying to figure out the benefit. giving it some stretch?
We run 80lb fluoro on our direct rigs and have never had a problem with them breaking. How much drag to you have in strike? Try rigging it up again and give it a hand test. If you can break it by hand then you might have a drag issue or a line problem.
Does the duster skirt above the swivel slide all the way up to the leader/main line connection?
It’s just a little king duster to hide that connection.
It can slide up the fluro but can’t get past the crimped connection at the fluro and mainline.
The breaks were happening almost instant.
Something about adding just a little wire in there causing to much “shock” for my 30lb mono to handle. I still don’t understand that.
quote:Originally posted by Lowcountryboy
We run 80lb fluoro on our direct rigs and have never had a problem with them breaking. How much drag to you have in strike? Try rigging it up again and give it a hand test. If you can break it by hand then you might have a drag issue or a line problem.
Does the duster skirt above the swivel slide all the way up to the leader/main line connection?
My buddy does it that way but he’s using 50lb so most the time it can handle the shock but sometimes he has break offs at the mainline.
I’m only using 30lb so it needs a “shock leader”. Fluro obviously was not the right choice.
quote:Originally posted by shevlin
why not connect the wire directly to the main line or a wind on leader instead of doing the wire, to fluro or mono, to main line? We have caught plenty of wahoo with that setup.
Not saying that does not work just never done that so trying to figure out the benefit. giving it some stretch?
Yep, using 50lb main line on the 50W’s and use those when specifically targeting wahoo.
