How do you break off a heavy line snag?

[dorado50]

Originally Posted by Jim Day

Get right above it point your rod straight down so there is no load on it, and tighten your drag as much as you can. Then reel into it as far as you can easily.

Then watch the swells.

On the drop downswell reel it some more then grab the spool so the drag will not slip. As the next swell comes in it will lift you up several feet. If the line does not break reel into it again on the next downswell and grab the spool again when you get to the bottom, then let the next swell lift you up again. Repeat this process until it either pulls loose or breaks.

Don't grab the line just the reel spool as the line can cut your hands. they idea is to use your hand on the spool to shut down the reel and keep the drag from slipping and let the flotation of the yak and the power of the swell break the line for you.

With forty sometimes it's hard to get it to break. I get it as tight as I can then at the top of good swell while holding the spool I pull up the rod and reel straight up butt first against the line another foot or so. That usually breaks it off.

Don't ever cut your line or wrap it on sharp edge objects that can cut it. If you cut off the line you'll leave all that line in the water and it's just a hazard for others to hook up on. I hate hooking dead line at La Jolla, it's a hassle and completely avoidable if people would just use their heads and be more careful.

Jim

The last fews times I've been fishing in LJ there was'nt much of a swell so I could'nt use your swell technique! I got impatient waiting for a swell so I just cut my line(sorry about that). You have probably been hooking my cut lines, guess I'll have to re-think another method of retrieval.