Three Fish on the Line, Three Broken Lines, HELP!

T
Tai
I started fishing last year '10, and caught my first steelie in august. Ever since then, I have hooked into them, but havent been able to land one. My leader line just keeps breaking at the knot connect to the swivel.

I am using an improved cinch knot, and I always have been. BUt, now I believe I may have been doing it wrong all this time although I have been getting the steps down. Is there a better knot for connections to a swivel? Is there anything you can do to make it stronger?

My knot process...

Feed line through loop, wrap tag end around line 6-8 times, feed through eye of loop, and then through second eye just created, wet loops, pull tag end and line simultaneously to tighten knot, clip tag end.

I also want to know, when finishing the knot, are there any obvious signs of a flawed knot just looking at it.

*Edit* I forgot to mention, could it also be breaking because of my handling techniques? Im not sure if I am holding the right sometimes. When I see other people it looks like their wrestling with their rod as it bends into a perfect "U".

THANK YOU!
 
Last edited:
M
metalfisher76
Could be a plethora of reasons. What size(s)/type(s) of line are you tying together? I don`t use flouro, but I think guys that do, don`t use that knot. How tight is your drag. And yes, fighting technique can most certainly play a roll. And yes, you should be able to tell if your knot is right. There is a good vid of it on youtube.
Playing the fish with the right drag, line and good knots are going to be crucial. I use the same knot and love it/don`t have any problems. I use maxima UG in 8-12 for leaders. They should be able to take line but work for it of course. Don`t do any jerking after the initial hook set. Steady pressure with rod bent from about a 30/45 degree angle and yer tip "U`d" down toward surface of the water. What I mean is don`t keep the rod straight up and down. It could be the rod snapping if you start using heavier lines, or your knots get better:) Don`t ask me how I know!:lol: Hope that helps man, good luck!!
 
N
ninja2010
tai, if you're tying your improved clinch like this then you're okay.

Improved Clinch Knot | How to tie the Improved Clinch Knot | Fishing Knots

one obvious sign to look for is how the wraps are stacked. if they're not neat and clean, re-tie.

are you using fluoro? if so, when you tighten, go slow.

maybe it's the line itself... bad batch, old, over-exposed to sunlight, etc.

also, maybe it's your drag on the reel. is it too tight? it should be set loose enough for the fish to peel line when it surges, but tight enough you can hold the fish and bring it in.

handling technique... well, if you're horsing the fish in with brute force, then chances are you'll lose it. if you use the rod to fight and tire the fish, you'll stand a better chance.

if you're yanking your rod so the angle between your rod handle and the line to the fish is less than 90 degrees, or "bent into a perfect U", you're only using the softer, more flexible (weaker) section of the rod to fight the fish. if you keep the rod handle to line angle more than 90 degrees, then you're fighting with the full length of your rod. (hope this makes sense.)
 
M
Mad dog
Tai said:
I started fishing last year '10, and caught my first steelie in august. Ever since then, I have hooked into them, but havent been able to land one. My leader line just keeps breaking at the knot connect to the swivel.

I am using an improved cinch knot, and I always have been. BUt, now I believe I may have been doing it wrong all this time although I have been getting the steps down. Is there a better knot for connections to a swivel? Is there anything you can do to make it stronger?

My knot process...

Feed line through loop, wrap tag end around line 6-8 times, feed through eye of loop, and then through second eye just created, wet loops, pull tag end and line simultaneously to tighten knot, clip tag end.

I also want to know, when finishing the knot, are there any obvious signs of a flawed knot just looking at it.

*Edit* I forgot to mention, could it also be breaking because of my handling techniques? Im not sure if I am holding the right sometimes. When I see other people it looks like their wrestling with their rod as it bends into a perfect "U".

THANK YOU!

Sounds like you have a good grasp on tying an improved cinch....can you tell if the leader is breaking or is the knot unraveling? If the line is breaking clean I would try a different spool of leader or a different brand of leader. If you are using Flouro you really have to make sure the cinch knot pulls tight and doesn't slip, flouro tends to pull tight but continue to slip and pull free of the swivel.

Fighting technique is everything when steelhead fishing, a lot of the time I can manipulate a big fish into doing what I want by rod position and varying amounts of pressure on the fish depending upon what the fish is doing. I run a light drag and light leaders for steelhead and rarely break one off, also with a lighter drag I rarely pull a hook out of the fishes mouth while fighting them.
 
J
jathrtn
Well i usually use 10 lb leader for steel. The reason i use 10 lb is because if if hook a bigger one (10 plus lb steel) i know the leader will hold up. i also use a 10' 6'' lamiglass for the fight which in theory would give me quite a bit more leverege when fighting a bigger fish. I have been using a plain old clinch knot for years and i have never broken a knot, and i use cheap a-- mono for my leaders. I have broken leaders but not at the knot. Another knot u can try is a uni knot. uni knot is a very strong knot. i use a uni/uni when tying two peices of line together. some ppl will say a blood knot, but i swear by the uni/uni, guaranteed u will not loose a fish due to a broken knot with this uni knot.
 
troutdude
troutdude
Here is a variation of the Improved Clinch Knot that you have been using. Maybe this Double Clinch Knot will do the trick. However, as the guys above have said...proper drag, rod technique and so on are the reasons that they get their fish to the bank or boat. If you're using a spinning reel, I'd suggest a Rear Drag model. Then, you can easily control drag tension during combat mode.
 
T
Tai
Thanks everyone for the replys, its starting to make more sense now. I do use Fluoro, and I believe it is unraveling, because I have had times where I retie my knot because it doesn't look tight. I will have to practice my fishing techniques more, I really enjoy this sport and all the friendly seasoned fishermen willing to share information.

Thanks again everyone.
 
T
Tai
Thanks everyone for the replys, its starting to make more sense now. I do use Fluoro, and I believe it is unraveling, because I have had times where I retie my knot because it doesn't look tight. I will have to practice my fishing techniques more, I really enjoy this sport and all the friendly seasoned fishermen willing to share information.

Thanks again everyone.

Oops for the double post.

I forgot to mention that I do use 10lbs Fluoro for my leader, and I suppose I should change it out. Any recommendations? And why no Fluoro?
 
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G
GDBrown
Broken or unravelled?

Broken or unravelled?

Many people are having problems with fluorocarbon lines because they pull them tight too quickly and without enough lubrication. I have met fishermen who will put a little lip balm or Vaseline type lubricant on the line as they pull the knot tight and the closer you get to tight the slower you need to go. Also make sure that you are not trimming the tag end OFF too close to the knot. I made that mistake for years even before fluorocarbon lines came out. I also prefer the double clinch knot or "Trilene knot" as it is also known.

As for when to use fluoro.... only needed when you are fishing for something that is very leader shy! That means only when the water is super clear and your after steelhead. I suggest you stick with mono filament leaders unless you really start missing fish because they are shying away because of your line.
 
A
Airs98
Three fish, three broken lines sounds very familiar... :) I was in the same exact situation when I started in 2007. Fluoro is some finicky line that's for sure, especially Maxima. I mostly use the Palomar knot now as much as possible and rarely have any problems with it. It's not a universal knot though, so will not always replace the clinch.
 
M
Mad dog
Tai said:
Thanks everyone for the replys, its starting to make more sense now. I do use Fluoro, and I believe it is unraveling, because I have had times where I retie my knot because it doesn't look tight. I will have to practice my fishing techniques more, I really enjoy this sport and all the friendly seasoned fishermen willing to share information.

Thanks again everyone.

Oops for the double post.

I forgot to mention that I do use 10lbs Fluoro for my leader, and I suppose I should change it out. Any recommendations? And why no Fluoro?

I have had spools of Flouro that I swear were no good from right out of the box!!! I use 10 lb. flouro for a good % of my low water steelheading, for higher off colored water I like Trilene big game, it really works good for me, I almost never break a fish off with it!

Tai, try tying your cinch knot like this; Make a loop about 8" long or so then feed the loop through the eye of the swivel, then tie your cinch knot like normal but only using 4-5 wraps in your cinch knot. This knot almost never slips and is supposed to retain 95% of your line strength.
 

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