Hello everyone! I was wondering if the strength of the line is rated for gravity and strength of average fish at that weight under water, or is it rated for deadweight(out of water)? Lost a biiig snakehead today because I didn't have a net on board and I am/was too big of a pansy to reach in and grab him. I got it not even halfway out of the water and line snapped. The fish was worn out from the fight and had conceded so it wasn't thrashing or anything at the point I tried to remove it.

Lines are rated by actual break strength on a line pulling machine - but most lines test at a higher break strength than what's on the box.  Sometimes considerably higher.  If your line broke while lifting a fish into the boat, I suspect the line was damaged before you lifted it.

The other thing causes line breakage is a bad knot, especially with fluorocarbon. Knots by their nature will always break at less than the line itself. Carefully retieing regularly, and checking your line often is the answer. Good luck.

Yea, now that I think of it I had pulled in a dink and about a 2.5lbs(largies). Should have retied after the bigger one. I pulled it out of thick lilly pads and it could have easily damaged the line, at least enough to where it couldn't support one of the biggest snakehead I have seen personally, let alone had at the end of my line. I just sent my other reel back to be exchanged. It was loaded with 50lb braid and was my new go to rig. Figures. Always another day, thanks for the information and input fellas.

Not sure what this topic has to do with the title?

A solid object with no buoyancy and little displacement, like a brick, weigh about 1/2 in the water than out of water. Fish with swim bladders have neutral buoyancy and weigh very little in the water, weigh their total weight out of water.

When you see anglers lift a fast swimming fish into a boat, they use the fishes momentum to propel it into the boat, if the fish turns, then it looses momentum and becomes dead weight.

Tom

Those who lived thru the "Clinch Knot Depression" might still be a little gun-shy,

and may still blame every line-break on "knot failure". Remember those line-end 'Pigtails'? 

 

Today it's different.

Be it nylon, fluorocarbon or polyethylene, it's my opinion that the major cause of line failure is "frays" & "nicks",

It's a good habit to visually inspect your line after every few casts, while running your fingers along the line.

After a while it all becomes second-nature, and line failure will basically vanish.

 

Roger

Those who lived thru the "Clinch Knot Depression" might still be a little gun-shy,

and may still blame every line-break on "knot failure". Remember those line-end 'Pigtails'? 

 

Today it's different.

Be it nylon, fluorocarbon or polyethylene, it's my opinion that the major cause of line failure is "frays" & "nicks",

It's a good habit to visually inspect your line after every few casts, while running your fingers along the line.

After a while it all becomes second-nature, and line failure will basically vanish.

 

Roger

I remember those days when we just tied our lures, hooks, or baits and we didn't seem to care, line breaks were just part of it.  I also thought all the knots fly fisherman used were a waist of time.   Things have definitely changed and line, even the bad stuff, has come a long way.   Technology and some good shared info has improved fishing by leaps and bounds. 

Back in the day we fished with 17 lb Trilene XT or Stren and thought it was light line! Knots really didn't matter if tied properly, improved clinch knot was used about 90% of the time for most of the anglers.

Enter fluorocarbon line, everything changed. Line failure was blamed on knots and still is!

Tom