08-01-2020, 06:22 PM
(08-01-2020, 05:22 PM)Tin-Can Wrote: Pat, You have done way more fishing than me, almost anywhere on the planet. That's a fact I'm happy to agree with. But I have heard this comment from you, aimed in my direction, and in others, enough times that on this occasion I must take exception and make a reply to it.Sorry if you perceived my "jabs" as a personal attack. Not meant to be. And I was not insinuating that you were guilty of all the things I listed. Just re-enumerating a lot of the reasons why fish can be lost.
"No doubt about it. Those serrated edges on the pectoral fins ain't line friendly...or fisherman tissue friendly neither. I read TinCan's post...and just shook my head...again. Fish don't break lines...fishermen do. With poor quality line, undersized line, poor knots, improper fighting techniques, etc."
As I stated in my report of that specific incident, I WATCHED that Cat roll over and weather by shear dumb luck, or learned response, I saw the line go around her body at least twice, and on her very next lunge her fin compressed back into her body, and the line snapped. That was an obvious Catfish caused line break. It was well above where the swivel clip was tied on. That clip had just been retied that morning to line I had checked for abrasions, finding none. There were no other knots in that line, and I SAW the broken (cut) line still attached to the clip, attached to the lure, securely stuck in the fishes lip just as it disappeared back into the water.
The line I was using (12 lb. mono) is what I have spooled on the poles that I dedicate to trolling at Willard Bay for many years. I re-spool ALL of my reels every year with new line. My 2 WB trolling poles have #12 Clear Blue Florescent (to allow me to see them better), my 5 River and Utah Lake Cat poles have #50 braid, and I have 4 or 5 general use poles for local community ponds that are spooled with #6 also [b]Clear Blue Florescent. [/b]
I don't believe my WB poles with #12 are "undersized line" or poor quality line. The size and type and brand of line you use is that of your personal choice, as is mine. But just because YOU choose something different than what I choose, does not make yours the perfectly correct choice, or make mine all wrong. And what could you possibly know about my fish fighting techniques ? You have never fished with me.
I was fishing Willard Bay in an effort to boat a couple Wiper or Walleye. The #12 long line trolls better from my boat than others I have tried. So it is my choice weather you or anyone thinks it is right or wrong.
I will say one semi-positive outcome of that incident.......when I lost that first Cat, and KNEW I HAD SEEN THE REASON, I tied on a new swivel clip, then clipped on a 2 foot #50 braided leader, then a new lure. Did that to both lines. No more problems.
Yeah, I have fished a bunch...over a lot of years, for a bunch of fish and in a bunch of places. I don't claim to know it all and still learn new things on every trip. But one thing I DID learn a long time ago is that not all lines are created equal...and pound test ratings mean nothing if the lines get nicked, cut or are poorly tied. Over time we all develop our own personal preferences for rods, reels, lines, hooks, lures, baits, etc. But when it comes to lines it can help a lot if we choose the ones that will perform the best under anticipated conditions...like size of fish, type of fish, potential snags and line abrasion, etc. And if there are multiple species and/or multiple hazard conditions to us or our tackle it pays to upgrade to handle the harshest possible challenges to our tackle.
I crow a lot about the Excalibur line. I discovered it while living in Arizona. I had been using Berkley Trimax for several years and really liked how it performed. Thin diameter, ultra clear and casted like a dream. And it handled the bass, crappies, yellow bass, bluegill and even channel cats just fine. But some of the waters I fished had flathead cats in them. They have nasty serrated teeth, compared to channel cats. And when a flathead slurped in a lure meant for other species the battle didn't last long. I would reel in to find the end of my line heavily abraded and the lure gone.
One of the guys in a local bass club...who had grown tired of donating spendy bass lures to flatheads...told me about the Excalibur. I got a spool of 6# and 8#...and never lost another fish to line problems since. I even landed several flatheads up to about 30# on the 6#...even with the little crappie jigs clear down in their mouths, with the line rubbing over their teeth during a long battle. Since then I have subdued a pretty fair number of big fish with big teeth...fresh water and salt...without EVER losing one to line failure. And when I snag up while fishing from my tube it requires a whole lotta effort to break off...even in lighter sizes.
If you will PM me your mailing address, I will send you a few yards of this stuff to try for yourself. And I am really sorry if you took my comments as a personal attack. I'll leave that up to your wife.