To snell or not to snell

lately ive been using a snell knot on my C-hooks esp the ones with the angled eye.

ive often been told but some credible peeps that it helps rotate and dig the C-hooks point home.

However, i’ve had a few knots break on big fish and im wondering if the knot is gettin broken due to the nothced edge part on the backside of the eye of the hook?

just wondering on your opionions or what Pro’s/Con’s, we mite wanna consider one knot vs another.

Thanks in advance gang

Mono or Braid? What test?

Mono #50 big game

I like mono, but with heavy mono, I have abandoned the snell because it’s so springy, I don’t have faith in it.

You would be able to tell by the end of the line if the knot broke. You’ll want to tie all of your knots tightly. what are you using 50 lb mono for? That seems too stout for channels and not stout enough for flatties. If you are fishing sturgeon I have no experience fishing for them.

For sturgeon, I love mono. I gave up on 30 # mono a few years ago though for the reason Ryan mentioned.

Now it’s 80 pound braid or 20 pound mono.

IF we are just talking sturgeon here, I can’t see an advantage to snelling. The fish sucks in the bait, it starts pulling out and catches the edge of the sucker mouth. Fish on!

If the sturgeon doesn’t have the bait in it’s mouth, no matter what knot, line is going to catch the fish.

Channels could be another story because the mouth is in front and not on the bottom.

My two cents.

Ive never got broke off because of a snell knot on a circle hook. What type of snell are you tieing? All my hooks with a bend eye get snelled, straight eyes get a palomar. 30-50# bbg for leader line.

i use #50 mono for channels “sharp fins that can cut braid” and sturgeons “sharp scales that can cut braid”. i usually run only 30-50 braid as my mainline.
kinda weird that i snell all my C-hooks and ive caught sum brutes this yr. but my lil cuz have had this happen to him a few times in the last few outing and again lastnite on a big fish as well.

imma chalk it up to the BIGFISH curse. seems taht ever yr sum UNLUCKY person will have the curse and lose alot of bigfish. the curse seems to rotate from person to person evrey yr. last yr i had it until late season.

I have no experience with with larger mono and snell knots, but I use snells all the time with 8lb flurocarbon while bottom rigging. And yes, snells have a weaker breaking strength. I like that when bottom rigging because when my hook gets snagged, I will break at the hook and not lose the whole rig. But I’ve never lost a fish while fighting it to a broken snell knot. As long as you don’t let the fish make a sudden pull with a tight drag, you shouldn’t have issues. However, where I do break fish off is when I am trying to hoist a fish up from the water and they shake. Seems like snells break easiest when that sudden jerk is forced on them with no release of drag. I’ve had lots of breaks that way. And we proved this in the lab one night…well, if you’d call a few guys drinking beer while playing with line, hooks, a scale and heavy weights a “lab”. Without a doubt, snells were the weakest in our informal tests, and would break with even the slightest jerk (with initial pressure at least half of the breaking strength of the line – so around 4lbs in our case) while knots like the improved clinch, palomar and other did not break.

So…I’d dump the snells. Palomar works well for me for forceful and big fish. I use them on all my line to hook connections when trolling for salmon (using 20lb fluoro) and have never had an issue – and those fish hit hard! There are other knots out there…many I’d use before a snell.

However, if the break offs are occuring to one person primarily, it might have more to do with how the knot is tied (make sure to really wet it down before cinching) or how aggressively he fights the fish in (drag too tight). Or bad line?

Just my opinions and observations. Hope to help out somehow.

I snell my hooks for flathead fishing and breaks offs are few and far between. If you do occur I wouldn’t blame the hook or the not as much as I would blame myself for not checking the leader and main line.

A nick in the line can occur from just about anything I don’t think the hook would be the issue unless it was laying in a way that it was positioned over that notched edge. In the same respect any other knot could rotate and get stuck in that position as well. Also, try flouro carbon for a leader, more abrasion resistant.

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i use #50 mono for channels “sharp fins that can cut braid” and sturgeons “sharp scales that can cut braid”. i usually run only 30-50 braid as my mainline.

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That has to be one of the strangest, if not silliest, things I’ve ever read in reference to fishing line. Cutting braid is NOT easy, and when you’ve got a decent sturgeon flopping around in the boat literally wrapped in 20# Crystal and nary a nick or a scratch… you realize just how tough the super lines really are.

I’ve got 80# Cortland Master Braid, 80# PowerPro, 30# PowerPro Super Eight, 20# Crystal and 4# Crystal on my various reels… when you catch Northern Pike on 4# line that they can’t bite through because its braid, our realize that catfish barbs and sturgeon scutes really pose no threat.

My last cats and sturgeons actually came on 20# Berkeley Crystal and it managed to survive wrapping a catfish fin, wrapping 2 sturgeons and getting wrapped around both the stern and bow anchors.

Mono, on the other hand, is brutally sensitive to kinks, nicks, scratches and breakage when any of the above happen to it… Maybe that’s the cause of your “curse”. lol

I’ve used snells almost exclusively for the last 3 years and the only problems I’ve had is when I’m too lazy to put a new snell on after the leader gets a bit worn. This is on any where from 12-65 lb braid with hooks from #6-9/0, circle and octopus. I really like how the hook sets with a snell knot.

My post is in regards to SNELL KNOTS

“To Snell or not to snell”

ive used snell knot for a very long time, but ive seen 3 break under very heavy pressure lately. we’re talking out of the hundreds of sturggies ive caught over the yrs.

This kinda isn’t my first RODEO.

now when it comes to MONO vs BRAID as leader material

using MONO as a leader is VERY common in the FISHING WORLD

ive had the opportunity to fish from fresh to salt water. ive caught bluegills to bull sharks and have rarely seen braid used solely as a leader.

think about it this way spools intended for use as leader material are mono or fluro. ive nvr seen one made out of braid.

braid isnt the easy thing to cut, but its doesn’t hold up to abrasion or initial shock as good as MONO. no way hands dwn.

Not to be annoying, but I’ve used the same 80 pound test braid for my leaders as the main line for years.

Normally the section that wears first in the few feet above the swivel that the sinker slides on. It starts fraying and can be seen quite easily.

Sinker slides and changing the type of sinker I use would likely take care of that too.

I’m not expecting anyone to change what works for them.

Right/Wrong? Just is.

i agree bud, i used the same 80braid as my mainline for my leader in some case, such as when im flattin.

i was in Portland bout a month ago, and i talked to a guide the uses 150-200PP as a leader for them big ole Whites out there. While other guides i know out there uses 100-150 mono..

just wanted to point out that using MONO as a leader is not a RIDONKCULOUS mind set thats all



sidenote,

planning on a trip to the Columbia next yr to chase them Whites,,,, yah ME

planning on a trip to the Columbia next yr to chase them Whites,

I want a live feed!

im trying to plan it rite so i can do a combo trip. Whites and salmon run.

it was a double edge sword having a hotel rite on the columbia and not being able to fish.

Working gets in the way of fishing smh

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My post is in regards to SNELL KNOTS
“To Snell or not to snell”

ive used snell knot for a very long time, but ive seen 3 break under very heavy pressure lately. we’re talking out of the hundreds of sturggies ive caught over the yrs.
This kinda isn’t my first RODEO.

now when it comes to MONO vs BRAID as leader material

using MONO as a leader is VERY common in the FISHING WORLD
ive had the opportunity to fish from fresh to salt water. ive caught bluegills to bull sharks and have rarely seen braid used solely as a leader.

think about it this way spools intended for use as leader material are mono or fluro. ive nvr seen one made out of braid.

braid isnt the easy thing to cut, but its doesn’t hold up to abrasion or initial shock as good as MONO. no way hands dwn.

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My apologies…

I totally misread your original post. I went back to re-read it and, while I’m still dubious that 50# mono is more resistant to catfish fins and sturgie scutes than 80# braid… at least it makes more sense than it did when I posted my snarky response.

Again, my bad… it’s always a bit embarrassing when you snark at someone over something and then realize you totally biffed understanding their stance in the first place. So, I’m eating a bit of crow. It’s been a while, I was due.

I hope you can accept my apology.

Maybe I should stay out of this because I don’t fish for sturgeon.

I snell my hooks because a snell is always stronger than any knot. This is not my opinion–it is a fact. I have proved this many times by snelling a hook on the disbelievers line and having him tie his favarite knot on the other. Hook a bucket on either end and pour water till one end breaks.

To their surprise the line always breaks at the knot.

Why would anyone want anything but the strongest connection?

Rob, that is a great way to test it.

but with me attempting that it probably be a little messy as well. lol

or whomever knot loses has to clean up