Went out last night.

 

Tied on a brand new Vision 110. Yes, those stupid little $25 lures.

 

Caught a couple small bass, nothing big.

 

Threw it out, jerk jerk, jerk, fish hits, line breaks around the rod.

 

The rod is perfect for jerkbaits, the line is Tatsu (10 lb) that's never been backlashed. The line was put on last fall and I used it a good amount then and this year. This combo ONLY throws jerkbaits.

 

It wasn't the knot that broke, it wasn't even close to the lure. It broke 40 feet from there, at least, at the rod. Not sure if it was at the tip, I want to say it was somewhere in the guides.

 

Does line, especially fluorocarbon break down from the constant jerking?

 

When I tie a new jerkbait on, I normally just remove around a foot or less line. But that's line at the end, once again this was far from the end.

 

I'm now wondering if my drag wasn't loose enough. I'm wondering if I gave another jerk, AFTER the fish was on and it snapped the line. There's a little give with the drag but not a ton. Rod is the Megabass OneTen Special so it's a great rod with good action.

 

I messed up somewhere unless it was just a fluke. No pun intended.   

 

Thoughts?

 

THANKS!

 

PS Telling your wife you just lost a brand new $25 lure wasn't the play either.

I'm interested to know myself as I'm not familiar with fluoros longevity.

Im guessing your line had a nick in it. May be worth it to check your rod guides with a q-tip. If it catches the cotton anywhere, then it’s probably catching your line and damaging it. But line can get nicked on other things.
 

If that happens to me one time, I chalk it up to a random nick in the line. If the same thing happens routinely, then I have some investigating to do and I start with the rod guides. 
 

It’s Tatsu which is premium line and if you only put it on last fall, I wouldn’t say longevity is the issue unless it was left outside all winter or something. 

I would check the guides for any cracks or nicks, I had one on the tip that I had to use a magnifying glass to see. Also check the edge on the spool for any nicks.

BTW, the significant other does not need to know every little thing  

Regardless of line, you need to periodically check its condition, but 40’ from the end is an odd place to break. 
 

Perhaps a kink formed. I would check the guides. Run a cotton swab through each of them. I had a recent experience with my line fraying and I was getting upset that this line was a bad batch. Turns out my rod tip lost the insert. 

Edited June 18, 2025Jun 18 by islandbass
Grammar

Just now, herder said:

Also check the edge on the spool for any nicks.

This is good advice and something I overlooked for a while. Took me too long to figure out why one particular combo kept breaking off. Finally figured out it was a burr on the side of the spool. 

You went wrong by not trying to snag all that line attached to the lure before it sank 

14 minutes ago, Jar11591 said:

It’s Tatsu which is premium line and if you only put it on last fall, I wouldn’t say longevity is the issue unless it was left outside all winter or something. 

 

I treat my tackle like it's made of gold.

 

All my rods come inside the house after I'm done fishing.

 

I don't like heat or cold mess with them. 

Logic dictates you had a bad nick or some damage to the line at the break. 

10 minutes ago, TnRiver46 said:

You went wrong by not trying to snag all that line attached to the lure before it sank 

 

Oh I would have jumped in if I saw the line.   

 

I was frantically looking like a girl that just dropped her favorite Barbie Doll in the lake.

 

I grabbed a jig and tried to snag the line but to no avail.

did you backlash that rod recently?  A backlash and subsequent picking out can put a kink down into the reel portion of the line.  Braid doesn't care.  Mono mostly doesn't care.  Fluoro is a right toddler about it and will throw a fit about a little nick.  

10 minutes ago, casts_by_fly said:

did you backlash that rod recently?  A backlash and subsequent picking out can put a kink down into the reel portion of the line.  Braid doesn't care.  Mono mostly doesn't care.  Fluoro is a right toddler about it and will throw a fit about a little nick.  

 

Nope.

 

How does fluoro handle weeds?

 

The lake I've been using it the most has sporadic weeds.

1 hour ago, Jar11591 said:

Im guessing your line had a nick in it. May be worth it to check your rod guides with a q-tip. If it catches the cotton anywhere, then it’s probably catching your line and damaging it. But line can get nicked on other things.
 

If that happens to me one time, I chalk it up to a random nick in the line. If the same thing happens routinely, then I have some investigating to do and I start with the rod guides. 
 

It’s Tatsu which is premium line and if you only put it on last fall, I wouldn’t say longevity is the issue unless it was left outside all winter or something. 

Pretty much my thoughts ^^
 

I use a lot of Tatsu - I’d be shocked if it was the line given your circumstances. I have some setups running 2-4 year old Tatsu without issue. Rod guides, spool, or a random nick, in that order in my mind.

15 minutes ago, HawkeyeSmallie said:

 

Nope.

 

How does fluoro handle weeds?

 

The lake I've been using it the most has sporadic weeds.

 

No problems with weeds.  Fluoro is pretty abrasion resistant even to wood and rock so weeds are no problem, even pad stems.  Fluoro doesn't like to be crimped back on itself or bent/pinched hard.

 

if I were in your shoes, I'd take it out in the yard and make a good long cast, then strip even more off the reel.  then wind it all back through your fingers to make sure there are no nicks anywhere else.  

I have to agree with the above - sounds like you got a nick/kink in the line.

 

Whether it was from a guide, the spool edge, backlash, or even the gill plate of a fish - nicks in FC line are a killer

 

This from someone who's going on his second year with InvizX on his jerk-rig.

I'll have to check the guides and line.

 

Both rod and line were brand new in the fall.

 

Just doesn't make sense but most things in life don't.

Losing a vision is pretty rough.  I've only lost one and it felt like a stroke was coming on.

 

My condolences. 😢

6 minutes ago, gim said:

Losing a vision is pretty rough.  I've only lost one and it felt like a stroke was coming on.

 

My condolences. 😢

 

I won a bet on the NBA game last night. Took the sting out of it a bit.

 

I may not have survived the night if it would have lost.

 

Wife: "You lost a $25 lure AND placed a bet?"

 

Shocked she hasn't divorced me yet.   

4 minutes ago, HawkeyeSmallie said:

Wife: "You lost a $25 lure AND placed a bet?"

 

More than likely the lures treble hook out barb cut the line when the lure was stored on the rod. Lure wraps help prevent hook barbs cutting line stored on rods.

Tom

16 minutes ago, WRB-2.0 said:

More than likely the lures treble hook out barb cut the line when the lure was stored on the rod. Lure wraps help prevent hook barbs cutting line stored on rods.

Tom

 

I keep my lure "stored" on top of the reel.

 

I wondered about it myself but where it broke was a good 20 yards of line.

 

Picture I found online to show:

 

Don't feel too bad. I lost a $30 Mattlures crappie swimbait in a similar way. Now it's straight braid for me. I know it's not the right line, but if it's more than $15, I can't really afford to lose it.

38 minutes ago, the reel ess said:

Don't feel too bad. I lost a $30 Mattlures crappie swimbait in a similar way. Now it's straight braid for me. I know it's not the right line, but if it's more than $15, I can't really afford to lose it.

 

I need to buy some kind of a lure retriever for snags.

 

It wouldn't have helped in this situation but maybe the other 110 I lost this year.   

3 hours ago, HawkeyeSmallie said:

I treat my tackle like it's made of gold.

I thought Vision 110's were made of gold. 

6 minutes ago, king fisher said:

I thought Vision 110's were made of gold. 

 

Explains why I cried myself to sleep last night.

 

In the fetal position.

 

It's not a good look I tell ya.