Bass Rig

Had an unusual problem over the weekend. I had my line snap 4 seperate times when setting the hook on a bass. I use 20 lb. spiderwire stealth braid, tied with a palomar knot. I had this happen twicw on Saturday, thought my line was too old, changed it Saturday night, happened again twice on Sunday! Got a little gunshy after that and missed a nice one. Any ideas why this would happen? My drag is not too tight, pole is a medium action 5' 10" ugly stik.

Thanks!

Mal, I've had this happen to me many times with Palomar knots, I don't use them anymore. They work great when I caught small fish such as perch, crappie, etc., but when I caught something big, it broke the line. It's a week knot for larger fish. I tie on all my hooks and lurers with a standard knot. It's a little more time consuming, but it's been awhile since I've lost on.

Try the improved clinch knot....my sheet NEVER breaks.

ORIGINAL: SmMouthSeeker
It's a weak knot for larger fish.

Guess I've been lucky all these years catching 10# steelhead, 20# carp, 15# cats and 6# smallies on 6# line using the Palomar.  If you're getting failure at the knot, they you're tying it wrong....or unlubricated.

Like said before, check the guides for a cracked ceramic.  A Q-Tip works quite well.  I've replaced more than a few guides on other people's Ugly Sticks that had cracked inserts.

Doesn't sound like knot failure, it sounds like an issue with the line. I've been using the palomar with braid for over 10 years. If the knot fails, you'll almost always see a number of small curves at the end - showing that the know literally "untied." That is user error most likely. And that's happened to me maybe 3-4 times.

Sounds much more like you're breaking the line, possibly from shock on a hookset. Could also be nicks in the line from rocks. Braid is amazing in many conditions, but sharp rocks can easily slice it enough to cause easy break offs. Could somehow be a bad spool of line too. I haven't used Spider Wire of any kind in over a decade. I recommend trying Power Pro, Suffix PB or Suffix 832, among others.

Finally, many people recommend a double palomar for tying braid knots. Which I believe was described - a second time through the hook before tying the loop around the lure. I've never used it because I haven't had issues with the regular palomar.

If you check the studies conducted on sites like Tackle Tour and through various articles, the palomar has the highest breaking strength of almost any knot in any direct tie situation (i.e. not for line to line). Only real issues come with higher end fluoro - in which every single knot tested breaks at a lower rate than with other lines.

I also agree that it sounds like line failure and not a knot slippage or breakage problem. I use a palomar for everything and never experience problems with braid.
 
My guess is the line is somehow getting nicked and that's causing the breaks. What was not mentioned, and what I'd be interested in, is what type of cover or structure was being fished. Rocks, weeds, etc? That would tell alot on how the line was failing.

My two cents I too have had plenty of knots break on hookset while bass fishing with texas rigged plastics with a free sliding bullet weight and carolina rigged plastics using a barrel sivel with a bead or no bead and it didnt mater what the knots where palomar, improved clinch, trilene they broke etc.
I think the knots fail because of the free slideing sinker i'm guessing possibly slamming into the knot with a hard snap hook set.
I almost never have a hookset break a knot when fishing plastics wieghtless or on a jighead.
The problem with the carolina rig was solved for me a few years ago by using a carloina keeper instaed of a sivel plus with the carolina keeper it is very easy to adjust the leader length from the stop/ keeper to the hook it does not matter what type of knot is tied at the hook palomar, trilene etc they dont break.
With the texas rig this year I startred using the Homer Circle knot that I seen a tv segment called knot wars and it holds up very well to hook sets when the sinker smacks into the knot.
Try it, it may help

Either knot failure or a cracked guide.

ORIGINAL: Mr.Slickfish

Try the improved clinch knot....my sheet NEVER breaks.

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