Break off - what did it?

Just after some thoughts on what may have caused this. Went for a bream flick this morning up around Woodbridge with the wife and kid. Caught a few, dropped a few - all small up to about 25cm.

Cast out, within a minute or two the familiar nibbles of a bream. There was a bit of a more serious tug - not big, but just enough to move the sinker (I was fishing with a tiny ball sinker). Went to reel in the few inches of slack line (as I had been doing all morning whenever the same thing happened) - but the slack didn't end. There was a clean break in my main line.

I'm using 6lb braid with a running ball sinker to swivel, then a flouro leader to a size 6 hook.

On inspection, the main line is still smooth with no signs of having come into contact with a rough surface. The only reasonable explanation I can come up with is that the knot from my main line to the swivel failed. I only use uni-knots - but this has never happened to me before and I know I tied it securely. I'd also landed a fish moments before on the same knot.

Any other thoughts what could be up around those stretches that could cause this to happen?

...and before someone else says it...there were no boats coming through :-p

Cheers

Buschy


Fisher Kid's picture

Posts: 358

Date Joined: 16/10/12

tailor maybe? can bite

Sun, 2014-02-02 14:45

tailor maybe? can bite through light line easy

____________________________________________________________________________

Fishing and catching are two different things. But i want to learn how to catch.

Posts: 821

Date Joined: 22/07/10

 If you had a sinker running

Sun, 2014-02-02 15:00

 If you had a sinker running on the braid,casting out and retrieving making the sinker run up and down might have worn the braid out.

dumper's picture

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Date Joined: 03/04/08

 Long neck turtle

Sun, 2014-02-02 15:04

 Long neck turtle

chrisd's picture

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Date Joined: 05/07/09

Bite offs

Sun, 2014-02-02 15:56

I've had things tug at the bait and result in bite offs many times. I thought leatherjackets, blueswimmer crabs, tailor, but still have no clear answers to that one mate.

 

thefishwrangler's picture

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Date Joined: 28/01/14

 i'm with fisher kid as when

Sun, 2014-02-02 16:09

 i'm with fisher kid as when i've been spinning you sometimes can't even feel them bite you off, could be leatherys as well 

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Date Joined: 03/06/09

NW Blowie

Sun, 2014-02-02 16:26

NW Blowie for sure

dumper's picture

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Date Joined: 03/04/08

 We talking Woodbridge as in

Sun, 2014-02-02 16:40

 We talking Woodbridge as in upper swan?

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Date Joined: 27/11/09

Interesting responses :-)Yup

Sun, 2014-02-02 19:32

Interesting responses :-)

Yup - Woodbridge as in upper swan.

Just a couple of things based on what people have suggested:

- Had possibly 2-3 casts on that rig as had previously been bricked by a blackie and lost the lot. Should not have been wear from the sinker running up and down line.

- On the whole bite off thing. If it was a bite off resulting from a fish/turtle/crab being on or around the bait - usually it would result in a broken leader. I've caught plenty of choppers, the odd blue and even a turtle (once) using exactly the same rig and have NEVER experienced a bite off before.

- Also reiterate, there was definitely a black bream nibbling in the seconds before the incident occurred. Was sucking on the prawn when it happened.

Not ruling out any of the suggested scenarios - but I am considering the possibility that something larger crossed the line to cause the break. Something big enough to break the line instantly without me feeling it....like a bull shark. The Collie River thread raised the possibility in my mind. I know they frequent Henderson Is and around Mt Henry bridge area - anyone ever heard of one/seen one this far up the swan?

Funny thing is, wife has been watching too many episodes of river monsters with babies being eaten by marauding catfish. On the way there she asked me if there was anything dangerous in the water and I told her not to be daft, as our toddler loves having a dip in the shallows.

Ah....that's the great thing about fishing. A myriad of possibilities and regardless of how long you have fished for, or how well you know an area - there always seems to be a way for the water to throw up a new mystery!

chrisd's picture

Posts: 151

Date Joined: 05/07/09

Bulls

Mon, 2014-02-03 08:31

Don't forget the sharks, they're there alright.