Nick, do you use a leader? If not, that's your problem - that and the fact that you are probably jerking the rod tip through.
Studies have shown that the most strain your line will ever take, is on the cast. At that critical moment, just before release, the force being placed on your line is enormous and strains the line to it’s limit, especially when “giving it hornsâ€. The line digs into the line on the spool and also stretches to critical proportions as it leaves the spool during the cast. You have often heard a loud crack as an angler casts and the line snaps. The line nearly always breaks close to the spool as the monofilament cannot stretch any further than what its unique properties allow. How often have you heard someone shout “bye-bye sinker?†That’s because the line cannot take the shock, stretch and strain of casting. This strain put on the line when casting certainly deforms the line to some extent – and this deformation often leads to failure when further pressure is placed on that line eg: a nice hook-up.
Casting distance
So some bright spark thought about using a “leaderâ€. A leader attached to the main line and wound at least twice around the spool of the reel, is designed to take the full force of the cast. This means that the mainline will be completely unaffected and undamaged by the force of every cast. Obviously, this short length of leader will have a greater diameter and breaking strain than the mainline and will therefore be able to handle the shock of the cast with minimal or no damage.
Use of a leader now allows anglers to cast much harder, and with more confidence than they used to, with the result that average casting distances have increased greatly – now allowing baits to be placed in much deeper water, much further out. The advent of leaders along with the modern day non-return slides are allowing really big baits to be placed within reach of really big fish, with the result that the inedible angling records have had to be re-written!
My 2c.
Studies have shown that the most strain your line will ever take, is on the cast. At that critical moment, just before release, the force being placed on your line is enormous and strains the line to it’s limit, especially when “giving it hornsâ€. The line digs into the line on the spool and also stretches to critical proportions as it leaves the spool during the cast. You have often heard a loud crack as an angler casts and the line snaps. The line nearly always breaks close to the spool as the monofilament cannot stretch any further than what its unique properties allow. How often have you heard someone shout “bye-bye sinker?†That’s because the line cannot take the shock, stretch and strain of casting. This strain put on the line when casting certainly deforms the line to some extent – and this deformation often leads to failure when further pressure is placed on that line eg: a nice hook-up.
Casting distance
So some bright spark thought about using a “leaderâ€. A leader attached to the main line and wound at least twice around the spool of the reel, is designed to take the full force of the cast. This means that the mainline will be completely unaffected and undamaged by the force of every cast. Obviously, this short length of leader will have a greater diameter and breaking strain than the mainline and will therefore be able to handle the shock of the cast with minimal or no damage.
Use of a leader now allows anglers to cast much harder, and with more confidence than they used to, with the result that average casting distances have increased greatly – now allowing baits to be placed in much deeper water, much further out. The advent of leaders along with the modern day non-return slides are allowing really big baits to be placed within reach of really big fish, with the result that the inedible angling records have had to be re-written!
My 2c.
