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Safe Ways To Break Off Snags When Using Braid

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TopStriperAngler

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What precautions should you take when you are fishing spinning reel and need to break off a snag? And what are the dangers involved? 

 

I was wondering if the main shaft is vulnerable to being bent when breaking off a snag...and the line roller arm and rotor and stuff like that. 

 

I was always told to just point the rod at the snag and grab the spool to break off snag. 

 

But should the main shaft be a the lowest point in its travel, too, when you do this technique? 

 

Or should never use technique? 

 

Reason I'm asking is I been using the grab spool technique and now I have a tight reel with brand new gears and bearings and just serviced and yet still tight. So thinking maybe I bent the shaft somehow. Would that cause heaviness? I was thinking it might be rubbing against the seal on the top of rotor. 

 

Hope to learn from whatever mistake I made. 

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If you have a towel, wrap it around your hand and wrap braid around towel.

Or use some old plug, spoon, even a bucktail would do the trick.

 

 Bad day fishing is still much better than good day work.

 

"Any man who thinks he can be happy and prosperous by letting the government take care of him had better take a much closer look at the American Indian.
                                                                                     - Henry Ford-

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3 hours ago, TopStriperAngler said:

Thx. So you guys are no longer doing the hold the spool and point rod at snag thing? Is that actually not a good thing due to possible damage to reel?

 

If you do it this way with braid,  the line will dig in so deep you're not going to be able to make a next cast. :howdy:

AKN-2 USS Sagittarius

BE ENCOURAGING, NOT DISCOURAGING

<*((())))>< <*((())))><

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7 hours ago, TopStriperAngler said:

Thx. So you guys are no longer doing the hold the spool and point rod at snag thing? Is that actually not a good thing due to possible damage to reel?

 

Depends on the snag.  

 

I'll hold the spool and walk up or down to see if it comes out. If it doesn't and I gotta snap it, I'll wrap the braid around something (like mentioned above) and go that route.  

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8 hours ago, TopStriperAngler said:

Thx. So you guys are no longer doing the hold the spool and point rod at snag thing? Is that actually not a good thing due to possible damage to reel?

 

No, never, anything but a pull and hold the spool. Dowel, or a tool.

Capt, Frank Mundus. The man, the myth, the legand.
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1st, always design 1 or more breaking points. Usually, this will be your leader, knots, or secondary leader. To break off, I use a wet rag and wrap it and pull (with force of boat or kayak if possible). I try not to use my reel/spool as this can potentially dig in and cause other issues. Size of braid also matters. The 200 lb 16 strand I use for tuna is a team effort and the process would be equal to breaking off an anchor. 

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The most important aspect In my opinion and not previously mentioned, I always "broke off" underwater. Last thing I'd want is my plug flying back at me. Slow very gradually applied and increased direct line of sight pressure almost always got my lures back into my bag if they were hung on bubbleweed

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I wrapped 10 or 20 braid around my reel handle (two paddle type) which bent the handle and eventually fried the bearing. Also broke the line off at the wooden dowel by apparently not making enough wraps. What did work was making several wraps around a can of sun block spray. I now fish 10lb braid with 20 or thirty lb leader material. Boat fishing.

Edited by squidder 329
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Most of my snags are with jigs and if they won't come loose, rather than destroy my equipment, I just cut the line as far out as possible.....most recent one was on the side of a jetty so I waited for the next low tide, went back and retrieved my line and my jig ......no wildlife were injured.

Edited by Mr. Bigdeal

"Law enforcement’ is not something sovereign citizens seize from police officers. It is a societal function that citizens delegate to civil police.

In so doing, we do not abdicate our own sovereignty, nor our duties as citizens. Ultimate responsibility is still ours. When those we hire as our “Protectors” are either unwilling or unable to perform that function at the critical moment, there is no law, nor standard, that says we cannot perform it for ourselves"........ John Farnam.

 

"Gird Your Loins"

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