2-3oz line-through swimbaits, 22lb tatsu, having breakoff problems. 

Double San Diego Jam knot, four or 4.5 wrap (five won't cinch cleanly at this line size)

freshly-spooled line

no split ring (split ring was making it worse not better so I cut them off)

bobber stop above the knot to reduce impact (helped some) 

 

Happening on both 7" daingerous line through and 6th sense hangover, fast sink in both cases. Hasn't happened yet on the big defiant, but I don't fish it much, the tail is too stiff to slow roll and I need to boil it.

Never happened on a cast, occassionally on a hook set but that might be gar. Happened stuck in a shorline reed with a pull that was in no way enough to break the line under normal circumstances. Happened on a couple of attempted boat flips (to my hand, not the deck) on 4ish lb fish. 

 

I know there's a lot of impact on the knot especially on long casts vs lob casts... I'm usually covering water vs target casting with them. 

 

I retie what feels like reasonably often, but not after sub-5lb fish. Obsessive line checker though - they often get the hook deep enough that they abraid the line.

 

Options:

1) retie even more, seems ridiculous but if that's what it takes

2) try a rubber bead instead of a bobber stop

3) different knot, maybe SDJ doesn't like the top-down impact? 

 

Other ideas? 

 

I'd be stumped as well.  The SDJ, single version, has literally never failed me.  I'm hard pressed to think how it could be your problem.  I know you said multiple baits, but is there a way that the tatsu isn't playing nice with the line thru inserts?  Maybe an edge or burr is on the harder plastic?  Maybe even a rod guide has been damaged that isn't readily visible.  

 

scott

Is the tube running through the bait sharp or have a sharp spot?  I'm not familiar with them but that might be an issue.  I've seen it with other brands.

Retie with fluoro like you are a paranoid schizo.  With mono you have to get past all the stretch to get to the point where line pressure can deform the line (plastic deformation) at the knot.  This helps to protect the line since the elasticity acts as a barrier to plastic deformation and it's why when purposefully breaking off it takes ages of pulling and taking up line with mono to get to the point where it finally stops stretching and breaks off.

 

With fluoro the lower elasticity and low threshold for plastic deformation mean that on every cast, every hook set and every boat flip you are taking the stretch out of the line and getting into plastic deformation of the line and damaging it at the knot.  This WILL lead to a line failure at the knot with what seems like a bizarrely low amount a pressure after fishing the line long enough without a retie.  Some Jump up to larger diameter lines or try fancy knots but the best solution I have found is to just cut and retie frequently.  Fish or not a timer goes off in my head "it's time to retie".  Just part of fluoro.  I actually switched to the uni knot since it is so easy to tie with no loop I have to pass a bait through.

11 hours ago, txchaser said:

2-3oz line-through swimbaits, 22lb tatsu, having breakoff problems. 

Double San Diego Jam knot, four or 4.5 wrap (five won't cinch cleanly at this line size)

freshly-spooled line

no split ring (split ring was making it worse not better so I cut them off)

bobber stop above the knot to reduce impact (helped some) 

 

Happening on both 7" daingerous line through and 6th sense hangover, fast sink in both cases. Hasn't happened yet on the big defiant, but I don't fish it much, the tail is too stiff to slow roll and I need to boil it.

Never happened on a cast, occassionally on a hook set but that might be gar. Happened stuck in a shorline reed with a pull that was in no way enough to break the line under normal circumstances. Happened on a couple of attempted boat flips (to my hand, not the deck) on 4ish lb fish. 

 

I know there's a lot of impact on the knot especially on long casts vs lob casts... I'm usually covering water vs target casting with them. 

 

I retie what feels like reasonably often, but not after sub-5lb fish. Obsessive line checker though - they often get the hook deep enough that they abraid the line.

 

Options:

1) retie even more, seems ridiculous but if that's what it takes

2) try a rubber bead instead of a bobber stop

3) different knot, maybe SDJ doesn't like the top-down impact? 

 

Other ideas? 

 

Yes sir dump the Tatsu & replace with Trilene Big Game. 

Well, Tatsu really isn't designed for this application.  It's more for crankbaits, Texas rigs, and finesse tactics.  I'd switch to InvizX, which is an all-purpose line with great abrasion resistance.

 

And you don't need to treat it with kit gloves. 

13 hours ago, txchaser said:

.

 

Options:

1) retie even more, seems ridiculous but if that's what it takes

2) try a rubber bead instead of a bobber stop

3) different knot, maybe SDJ doesn't like the top-down impact? 

 

 

 

I don't have much in the way to offer except I have used and can recommend the Decoy L11 Silicone Gripper. It's a knot protector.

 

And I can also recommend the Zappu Chain Cushion for the same purpose.

 

Have used both with great results.

The point I would make from personal experience which I have had a lot of at the age of 77 is that co-polymer & fluoro leaders do not have adequate shock impact strength causing breakage unlike straight mono leaders. And the shorter the leader the more the problem is magnified. I am not bad mouthing fluoro main line or co-polymer main lines just the use of said lines for leaders. If you just have to use fluoro for leaders then buy straight fluoro leader material like the salt water fisherman have used successfully for years.

On 6/25/2025 at 7:12 AM, softwateronly said:

isn't playing nice with the line thru inserts?

 

On 6/25/2025 at 7:57 AM, webertime said:

Is the tube running through the bait sharp or have a sharp spot?  I'm not familiar with them but that might be an issue.  I've seen it with other brands.

unfortunately this is across multiple brands and individual baits. 

 

On 6/25/2025 at 7:12 AM, softwateronly said:

 Maybe even a rod guide has been damaged that isn't readily visible.  

 

It's worth checking as I can't recall if this is across two rods or just the one. It's always down by the bait though. 

 

On 6/25/2025 at 8:05 AM, Bigbox99 said:

Retie with fluoro like you are a paranoid schizo. 

Yeah I'm going to try that this weekend and see, since it's the one thing I can change immediately. 

 

On 6/25/2025 at 9:46 AM, Dwight Hottle said:

Yes sir dump the Tatsu & replace with Trilene Big Game. 

 

On 6/25/2025 at 10:03 AM, Glenn said:

Well, Tatsu really isn't designed for this application.  It's more for crankbaits, Texas rigs, and finesse tactics.  I'd switch to InvizX, which is an all-purpose line with great abrasion resistance.

 

And you don't need to treat it with kit gloves. 

On moving to mono or invisx, it's really not a bad idea at all, because this is unsustainable

 

. I'm reminded that butch brown uses invisx for his monsters. 

 

 

On 6/25/2025 at 12:01 PM, RRocket said:

can recommend the Decoy L11 Silicone Gripper. It's a knot protector.

 

And I can also recommend the Zappu Chain Cushion

Yeah getting more meat in between the sleeve and the knot vs just a stopper has to help. I might try some of the jethro bumpers I have for punching. Little big, but would at least let me test. 

 

Thanks everyone for all the thoughtful feedback. 

 

On 6/25/2025 at 11:03 AM, Glenn said:

Well, Tatsu really isn't designed for this application.  It's more for crankbaits, Texas rigs, and finesse tactics.  I'd switch to InvizX, which is an all-purpose line with great abrasion resistance.

 

And you don't need to treat it with kid gloves. 

Really? I use tatsu for everything including 25lb for flipping jigs/Trigs. Should I be using something else?

Some good testing on the water today, including some big fish stress on the system. 

I replaced the bobber stop with a rubber ball (Jethro's I think) designed for protecting knots on c-rigs and punching. It might have helped. 

But I think I found the real issue. I was checking the line near the hook, and checking it ahead of the bait. But I wasn't checking the whole line, and I was missing the 1.5-2 inches in the tube. It was getting ragged out pretty fast, even just from casting. I checked it a lot and that was the only spot getting abraided.

 

Anyway I think I'm good to go now, I just have to make sure I slide the bait up enough to check the part of the line in the tube. 

 

Thanks again for all the help with my line-through rookie mistake.

 

Followup from another day on this line/bait:

Bottom line: Zero breakoffs.

 

IMO both the Hangover Fast Sink and the Daingerous 7" Fast Sink line-through are a little rough somewhere in the tube, and relentlessly checking that part of the line made it really obvious when it was time to re-tie. If I had to guess the front of the tube needs to be chamfered or rounded more than it is.