actual break strength of fishing line

I was putting new line on some poles and had some left on the spool

I had bought a reel with line on it a month ago and wondered what that thick mono with a lot of memory was so grab the scale and tie 2 loops one around the scale one around my foot and pull broke at 17-18 pounds in a few attempts.

the new line is 65# Berkeley Big game braid first test had a leader with a hook put the loop of the leader around a hammer handle and hook on the scale 27 pounds

then I get tot thinking well what if I get to a much higher poundage before the scale has tome to register

i have a 50 pound dumb bell tie a loop put it around the grip , second loop on scale pull 28 pounds pow the line breaks

I read the line needs to be wet , wet line and repeat , now all of this is brand new line off the spool just a minute earlier

the 40 pound mono is breaking at 19-20 and the 65 pound braid is 27-28

both breaking about half of listed

so how do they really figure break strength ?

Where is it breaking? In the middle or at the knot? Most breaks occur at the knot, hence they recommend certain knots for braid vs mono. I use nothing but braid and sometimes unfortunately I’ve never broke it.

Is it breaking at your knot or between them?

And you may want check that your rods are capable of that heavy of line.

Without actually seeing your test and the line at the break, its impossible to say. But there is a flaw somewhere in your test. There are many independent strength tests that are available online. Most general fishing lines test well above their rated strength.

How much line are you using? Fishing line needs to stretch. Short lines will break faster than long because you're not allowing for all the stretch.

Braid don't stretch.

It is all about knot strength. Most of the better knots test around 80%. Most non IGFA certified line is stronger than listed on the spool. Will kick your line class record into a higher line class where it may not be a record.

GCP I have tested a lot of line seems that line not tied but wrapped two to 4 times around a nail on both ends and put over the hook on the scale will almost always break within a pound or two of line rating. But if tied to the scale breaks much sooner also snell knots on two hooks and then hang one hook to the scale and one to hang weights will get better results as well.

It does. But not as much as mono. But breaking strength isn’t dependent on stretch, 2’ will break at the same force as 200’.

Trade secret: When you buy a reel already spooled with line, look on the spool for the capacity ratings. It will show how many yds of 3 different weight lines it will hold. The middle one is what it come with.

center line breaks on most of the half dozen or so tests so far

I had a snelled hook and a figure 8 not making a loop on my first test the line break was about 4 inches above the hook I have been doing figure 8 nots at both ends since I shot the first hook clear across the room took a while to find it.




I looked up some better knots and with the 50 pound weight now I am getting mid line breaks about 36-38 pounds I can work with that but it is no where near the 65# expected break point

it could be that it is the short line length of about 4 feet

I wonder if that rating is based on a Static test or with the cushioning effect of the pole?

If you want to test the line and not the knot, do away with the knot and use wraps on a polished mandrel like trapsetter recomended. The figure 8 loop is quick but not very strong. Rapala knot (loop) is a little stronger but not much. Palomar, improved clinch, worlds fair, blood, Berkeley trilieen, surgeon, and nail (snell). are the only knots I use for fishing line. And then it depends on the application and type of line.

Interesting. Good tip. Thanks for posting.

I thought the way they tested for strength was to take a line and add a weight. Then drop the weight a foot and if the line held that was the strength of the line. EX. A 5 lb. weight dropped a foot was 5 lb. Test, a 10 lb. weight was 10 lb. test, etc

This 24" rainbow was landed with 6# test line along with many many 17-21" trout. It's all about the drag control. Let the fish do the work and tire himself out.

Nice fish Gary

Where is the line made, I bet China or Japan. I did a lot of casting in my day. If I had new line on the reel it was hard to set the hook because there so much stretch. Once I had load the line, I would tie one end to something and let out 100 ft. of line and pull on it to take a lot of the stretch out of the line. It worked for me. JMO

New line to you doesn't mean new line period.


You don't know how long it's sat around in non climate controlled storage facilities.


You don't know how many times it's been repackaged.

I decided to retest

it only matters what it holds to a hook or swivel with a terminal tackle knot like the palomar which is what I tie most often

I even went out to the Berkeley website to make sure I was remembering to tie it the right way

2 swivels with a palomar knot to each one and some heavy bank line loops one to the 50 pound weight and one to the scale

Scale, loop , swivel , line , swivel , loop ,weight

36 pounds and it broke at the knot

it did point out that I need heavier swivels as I was stretching the eyes on both swivels on the line side the thicker nylon loop was not stretching the eye

I did find it interesting Berkeley Big game braid is no longer listed on the web site

my son got home and decided I must be doing it wrong , he ties what he proclaimed to be the best knot 42 pounds some variation of a uni knot 64%

I tested some 30 pound Spider wire and it got to 24 pounds before breaking at my Palomar knot 80%

I will get some better swivels and give it another try but I can live with 36 pounds like someone said my rod probably isn't that stong

I absolutely agree , fight the fish wear it out , enjoy the fight I have landed some decent fish on 6# test I make sure it pulls off the drag well before it breaks

I just thought is odd this particular line was breaking around 50-60%of advertised and that it is no longer listed on the Berkeley's website.

Try a double improved clinch knot and see where it breaks. Same as an improved clinch knot only double the line when you tie it. You will have 3 tag ends when completed properly. It can be a pain in the butt to tie sometimes but it is the strongest knot I have ever used and have compared it to others like the Palomar in a friendly competition comparing knot strength during a musky tournament. The double improved clinch knot is the only fishing knot I use now..

I suspect we have more than a few truth in advertising issues but the companies that make line would probably defend their system by saying it factors in the taper of a good pole and a properly set drag on the real

Not so long ago a shingle manufacturer (might have been GAF) started advertising a lifetime warranty on the shingles they were selling in markets like Dallas / Ft Worth, Oklahoma City, and Wichita. Hint, those cities are known to get hailed out several times every decade so insurance pays for new roofing and the warranty would never be tested.

Something is definatly wrong with your test. THE 65 lb won't break that fast unless it is rotten. Get you some 65 lb spider wire and tie it to something and try to break it by hand. NOPE you will be cutting it. I use 30 lb braid on top water and have lost some lures in trees and HAVE NEVER been able to break it unless I wrap it around the boat and use the trolling motor to pull. 112lb thrust.
I use 20 lb big game to flip trash with and it is almost impossible to break.

Post a pic of your set up you are using to test.

Yes I keep all my line in refrigde

That’s my only drawback with any type of braid...you ain’t getting a lure back, lol. I have to wrap mine around a stick/paddle/wood and pull for all I’m worth to get it to even break and normally it will be at the knot. I’ve pulled in logs I couldn’t lift, but do get my lure back!!

the 40 pound mono Berkeley Big game gets 100% of advertised weight without breaking.

30 pound spider wire braid gets 80% of advertised then breaks at the knot

the Berkley big game braid keeps breaking at 36-38 pounds some knot breaks but almost half mid line breaks once I started using different knots



next question should an line swivel swivel under tension and how much tension before they stop swiveling

Just curious what you plan on catching and with what rod and reel? I’ve caught a 61” sailfish on bass tackle with 10# test mono. Used a Shimano Stradic 4000 with a 7ft med/light inshore rod, lol. Unless your trying for a line class record of some sort I’d think your average 30# braid with the right rod/reel would haul in just about anything you’d want.

was setting up a pole for catfish , there was 65 braid on the shelf so I bought it , I would have probably never know had I not tried to test it , I just thought it was off to be only about half of the advertised strength.

for the price I can live with calling it 35# line , I just dislike false advertising I recently bought some swivels that claimed 132# at 70# they eye stretches at 12# it won't swivel at all I will use them but dislike claims well beyond what something will actually do.


I will probably just buy the 30# spider wire EZ-braid from here on but I though I would try heavier once

I just think if you put the knot instructions on the box and I tie that knot it should be able to slowly lift 100% of the claimed weight using that knot and that line.

the 40# mono did it just fine

The spinning reals I use always get along with 30# or lighter Spiderwire but nothing too much bigger. I decided to go too much bigger I'd have to use casting reals and I am not patient enough to work out back lashes while everyone else is hauling in fish. My simple mind is not made that way LOL so I will stick with what I know and if a fish is that big I will let the drag and the bend of the rod wear him out and then I will boat his huge self

the real issue is I spend to much time on land in my office where I happen to have easy access to a 50 pound weight , my fishing tackle and my scale and not enough in the boat fishing


hoping to have the boat all back together and the paint dry by Monday and go out for a run up and down the river

I think there are so many different factors playing into line strength. I've caught big fish on ultralight setups, and I've had small fish break off heavy gear. Knot, drag, rod action, age of line ect. Any defect on said line is going to affect the breaking strength.

Are you testing shock loads or static loads?

If the line is breaking like that on static loads, it seems it's falsely advertised.

Jim

Like I said before, nearly lines have been independently tested and the results can be found online. If your test is good and it's breaking under the rated strength, you got a spool of old or compromised line. It's not "false advertising". Pretty much every "test" line sold will test over it's rated strength. It has to because they can't legally claim a specific strength if they can't prove it. "Class" lines will test at or under the rated strength, but that's not what you're testing.

slowly lifting so that the scale can keep up definitely not a shock

I think your right James and maybe you should have skipped law school and become and engineer LOL.

Shock loads deal with acceleration and momentum and the formulas to calculate such force is MV2 meaning that speed is given much more credit once movement is figured in than weight.


Everyone mark her calendars

given Berkley no longer has this line on their web site , I suspect it is old stock on the bottom shelf at Walmart it might have been there a while

I could call Berkeley or return the second spool I have or use it an call it 35#

braid definitely breaks down over time I got out a reel with 3-4 year old braid on it , it was 15 pound when purchased I could grab and pull and snap it easily. the fibers seem to come apart over time , whatever binds the fibers together breaks down

When ever I snag a pole that I haven't used for a while or worse yet sat in back of a pickup for a while I run out and cut at least 6 or 8 ft and re-tie. My fear is that any damage whether it be by sun, salt water, or sharp rocks should be out at the end and if so then everything still spooled up would be better.

Not that I am Keven Van Dam but I fish waters known for big fish and breakin them off irritates me like few other things

with mono I would pull out and feel the line for smoothness and cut off any that was rough

I am still new to the braid game

In my experience mono breaks down faster than braid. Sunlight and ozone are the culprits. I have some braid on a few rods that is easily five years old. Still to strong to break with your hands. I use the cheep stuff from Wally World. Power Pro. It used to be a dark green but is faded to split pea soup color.

I've gone down the braid road, and other than for jigging for eyes where feeling the subtle bite is important, I went back to all mono.

Its just not worth the aggravation.

I have 2 identical poles now one loaded with the 65# 35# big game braid and one loaded with 40# bog game mono I wills see which I like better and I have enough of either line to replace the one I like less

I agree and that's a beautiful trout.

Braid certainly has its place, but I’d say about 95% of the time I prefer mono. Its just easier to use and more “fishable” for me. Braid doesn’t do well with rocks either. Neither does mono, but braid is worse. Braid does better around wood and heavy weeds. Just depends on your style of fishing.

So what were the fish's weights?

What does inches prove?

Inches prove the same as weight, zero. I’m sure it was just an illustration to show that larger fish can be landed on light line. The force a fish pulls has no correlation to its weight.
As a side note, I once caught a 27 lb flathead on 6lb mono. Ironically I was fishing for flathead bait.

My thoughts too.

A buddy of mine loves it on a baitcasting reel when we're Musky fishing.