Berkley Transition Line problems cost me big time.

[TritonGlenn]

Whew! What a tournament! We fished Kerr Reservoir this past weekend for a two day club tournament. The weather was wacky. Saturday, I fished the morning in shorts, then switched to sweat pants and rain gear when the cold weather / thunderstorms past through. Then the wind picked up big time. Then back to shorts later in the afternoon. Sunday was chilly and clear at blastoff. I got to my fishing hole, and it was chilly with clouds that came from nowhere. Then it warmed up for a while and I took off my long sleeve shirt and jacket. Then the wind showed up again. It was some weird, difficult to fish in, weather - but not the worst I've ever been in.



Anyway... back to the subject of the title. Prior to every tournament, I respool all my reels. This tournament was no exception. Since I was flipping a jig in relatively "clearer than normal" water, I tied on 20lb test Berkley Transition line onto my reel. Day 1 (Saturday), I run to my spot and start pitching the jig to buck-brush and standing timber (water was 5' above normal pool). THUMP! I get this hard hit, and rear back on my hookset. I just about fall backwards when my line pops. :angry: Now, I know it's not frayed, as I just put fresh line on the night before. So, I check the last 8 feet or so of line for frays or nicks, find none, so I re-tie on a new jig. A few casts later, there goes a bass swimming away from the tree with my jig. I set the hook, and once again, come up with a popped line and no jig. :angry::angry: So, I cut off about 15 feet of line, just to be safe, tie on a new jig, ensuring that I cinch up the knot really slowly and evenly (just like I had done before), with a little spit for lubrication so I don't burn the line. I start pitching to the trees again and get another swim-off with the jig. I set the hook and watch a 4+ lb fish turn quickly at the surface and pop me off again. :angry::angry::angry: At this point, I am beyond ticked off, but I have nothing else besides braid, which I initially didn't want to use in that clearer water, so I keep using the 20lb Transition line. I should have switched right there - but my mind was blank as I was so ticked off at the time. 7 broken off / lost fish later, I just about wanted to throw the rod overboard. I calmed down, picked up the other flipping stick (65lb braid), and continued to fish. I picked up two bass for a total of 3lbs + on day one. Disappointing to say the least. To top it off, I "forgot" about what braid does to a finger, and had my index finger in front of the reel when I set the hook (I'm used to touching the line when wormin', so I keep it there all the time). I sliced myself up real good. At the weigh-in, I'm in second to last place.



So... a trip to the store was in the plans for the evening. I found some P-Line CXX in 30lb (comes off the reel like barbed wire... but I could tow my boat with the stuff ), and spooled up that night.



Day 2 - ran back to the same spot. I wanted to try something new, as I figured with the 14+ lb sack that was leading day one, I would need 25lbs + to win the thing. I started throwing a new Swim-bait. First cast - HAMMERED!!!! ..... by a 5 1/2 lb largemouth. I'm using some Shakespeare Extra Tough line in 17lb test, and it held great as I worked big mamma out of the buckbrush she got into when she hit and ran. A few casts later - another, and another, and another. I had 4 fish in the boat by 7:30, and it looked like I was working on a pretty decent limit. It slowed down after that, but I did manage to put my fifth in the boat at about 9:30. Then the wind picked up, and that bite was all but over. I beat the banks for the next several hours, knowing that I had a 5+, 3 that were over 14", and a 13 inch fish that I really wanted to cull. 1/2 hour before the tournament ended, I ran back to the ramp and fished some buck-brush with a white spinnerbait. With 15 mintues left to go, I had a 14" jump on it,

 

[Scott Hammer TOXIC]

Sorry to hear. Sometimes some line.....and some fisherman's hook set style.... just don't mix. Not discounting the fact that you might still have gotten a bad spool.



TOXIC

 

[Mark Jaworski]

Hi Glenn,



I feel your pain, I had that happen to me with Stren Magna Thin. It happened to me about 8 times and that stuff went in the can. I was using 8lb finess fishing. I went back to mono and have had no break offs. I also use the transition for drop shot. I have had no problems there, but then again like Tox said Im not really setting the hook. I did have some 15lb floro coated Pline snap on a hookset the other day, Im thinking it was a toothy critter.



Mark

 

[Mini]

Just because its new to you, it may not be new to the store, the distributor, the distribution center, etc....



Also with less stretch of flourocarbon line, you need to loosen your drag!!!! The line does not have the same stretch as mono and it is especially evident with short line techniques....sorry about your luck, but nice job recovering.

 

[TOMMY RICH]

Hate to hear that Glenn seeing how it was in a tourny to boot:huh:

I have heard bad reports on Transition AND some Vanish batches...don't know if that's the problem but, I have had some bad batches of just about every line at one time or another.

 

[Kevin Izzi]

Hi Glenn,



I have to be honest I stopped using Florocarbon until I went to a Church meeting and met a man named Pastor Mainard who is a big time rep for Pure Fishing (Brerkley) and was given a spool of Trilene 100% Florocarbon. I used it over the next couple of weeks and now I have a new love for the stuff. I don't usally go beyond 15lb and I have pulled in some monster fish with less (a 11lb 4oz on 12lb in central Florida around Christmas). So try the stuff I promise you will not go back to anything else but be very careful on how you tie your knots with any Florocarbon it has to be just right or pop! Best of luck and let me know what you think.



The Dragon

 

[Kim Becker]

Glenn, Just to offer another cause, are you sure there are no rough spots on your rod guides or reel. Had this happen to me and took quite a while for me to figure out it was a rod guide and not the line. Beck

 

[Texas Transplant]

I just had a similar thing happen to me - but not in a tourney, and nothing lost. Standing on the dock casting/retrieving on a newly spooled reel with good line. Think it was Transition, also.



Just got done checking, and it was/is Transition. I was simply casting, and had a minor 'overrun'. While pulling line, it popped and I wound up bringing in my lure by hand.



Starting to think that maybe I should be not using it at all. Really like the thought, but I absolutely hate line that does this regularly.



Tex

 

[Marty Klein]

Yes, I know I'm poking the badger, but if I'm fishing for money, I don't think I'm going to lose 7 fish before I adjust.

 

[Mike O'Connor]

Do you use a polomar knot?

Me and several fishing buddies have suffered the same fate until I contacted Berkley about the problem. Berkley stressed to me not to use the Polomar, because if not tied 100% properly, it cuts into it's self. They said to use the Trilene knot and "excessively wet" the line before clinching the knot. I can honestly say that since using the Trilene knot for more than a year, I have not had the line break on the hookset. Below is a copy of what Berkely sent to me.



Berkley

 

[TritonGlenn]

Tox,

I think it may have just been a bad spool of line, but it may very well be my hookset. I've got a habit of crossing their eyes when I'm fishing a jig.



Jaws,

Thanks for the sentiments. Wish neither of us had the problem.



Mini,

You are absolutely right. It may be new to me, but may have sat in a hot warehouse somewhere for several months. That could have been the culprit. I've just never had 20lb (any brand) break like this.



Tee,

On Vanish / Transition (and what is that green non-transparent line they make???), you have to be real careful when cinching up you knot. You should always go nice and slow, and lubricate with a little spit, no matter what line you are using, but for some reason Transition / Vanish burn a whole lot easier, so you have to tie nice and slow.



Dragon,

I'll have to try that out. I use P-Line florocarbon lines quite often. I find they also aren't as tough as the same test mono, but they have their place. More than anything, Berkley XT and XL are still a mainstay in my fishing due to the durability. XL for spinning, XT for casting - works just great.



Beck,

Good call! I did check, and I don't have any rough spots. I rubbed a Q-Tip over the guides on the rod, and the line guide on the reel - no rough spots. But still a very good suggestion, and one that lots of people overlook.



Tex,

I don't know if it was just a bad batch or not, but I don't think I'm gonna buy another one to find out. I will just stick with what works. Thanks for the reply.



Moc,

I do use a Polomar - all the time! That may very well be my problem with this line. Thank you very much for that very informative post. I don't think I'm gonna change my knot though - I'm stubborn when it comes to the Polomar knot. I think I'd rather change lines. But I will try it, just to see. Thanks!



All the best,

Glenn

 

[Texas Transplant]

Mine didn't break at the knot at all. Far up the line.



Had similar problems with McCoy's Mean Green a few years ago. Which begs the question, is the Transition line, a co-polymer line? That seemed to be what bothered me with McCoy's, some years ago.



Tex

 

[William H. (Bill) Barham]

Man, that's some tough luck Glenn. I don't know about these days but some years ago, if I was fishing a tourney, I would have blown my stack.:angry:



Mini, good response! On the Eastern Shore of Maryland one weekend, I found myself in need of line but there weren't any Angler/Sport stores anywhere around. I had driven past an old style hardware store a couple of times so I finally decided to stop in and look. All he had was Mono by Stren, Trilene, and 2 or 3 I hadn't heard of. ALL of the boxes were covered in thick dust and God only knows how long they had been there. I needed line so I bought some Stren 8lb.Mono and luckily I did pretty well in the local tourney and the line held up great. If I really trusted that old line I would have gone back and bought what he had left because the prices were about half the BPS price at the time.

I didn't know about the stretch difference between Mono and Flourocarbon so thanks. I rarely use anything except Stren Mono but, like Jaws, I tried their Magna Thin so I could get more line on my reels and it broke easily. I lost a couple of lures just casting. I also tried two different kinds of brand new Izorline at the Anna get together and hated it. Maybe it was because of the cold but it seemed stiff, and started twisting almost right away. I think I'm going back to my old, reliable Stren Mono..



Moc, that was a great post and I'm going to cut & paste into Word so I can save it!



Uncle Billy



P.S. What's the difference between the Trilene Knot (which I have never heard of) and the old standard, Clinch Knot??

 

[Tony Crowder]

When you set the hook, did you have any slack in the line? I found if I reel up all the slack first I don't have any breakage problems, but often break off when setting a hook on slack line. Also the Trilene knot is much better with flourocarbon, I have not had a single knot break since switching. Tony

 

[Berry Lindley]

Uncle Billy, here is the Trilene knot. I use it a lot.



http://www.animatedknots.com/trilene/index.php

 

[Tim King]

Glenn,



My tourney partner and I had the same problem with 20 lb Big Game for about a year. He tried the Transition and same problem!! I went to the P-Line extra strong and I have never looked back. That is some strong line. I spooled up with 10lb (intentionally) and went flippin in the nastiest stuff I could find. After 14 fish from 14" to 4lbs. I got nervous and retied. I bought some new 20lb Big Game and have had no troubles to date,but I still have that thought in the back of my mind every time I feel the thump and start to set the hook.



Tim

 

[Tony Payne]

I switched to Seagar a couple of seasons ago - compared it to many of the other 'more expensive' Floro's out there - That's all I use now - spinning and baitcasting.



The knot is the weak point, and Floro, due to the low stretch, doesnt absorb shocks as well as one would like.



That being said, I use the "San Diego Jam Knot" on everything - works on braid, floro and mono - is easy to tie, and I havent broke on a hookset in a long time.

 

[Mini]

Tony brings up a good point. With mono one could have slack line just prior to hooksets. You canno tdo that with flouro or braid (well you can, but I wouldnt advise it). The initial "shock" is what breaks the line and with the line going from limp to its break strength in one fell swoop is just too much for it.



Also, Tex (and others)....if you kink flourocarbon AT ALL, it will break right at the kink......ANY backlashes or twisted snarls have to be removed. Once the stuff bends over on itself the bend weakens the line (I assume from heat). The higher quality the line the less thie is evident, but it still remains. Leader material that is soft and pliable (and expensive!) doesnt do it as much....

 

[Greg Meyer]

Sim makes a very good poin about the knot...



When I first switched over to Flouro leader materil for crawler harnesses, I got disappointing results. I was losing fish from the back hook on two hook harnesses where I was using a treble and tying it on with what I "thought" was a good knot, a palomar. I was not having the same problem with single hooks because they were tied with a snell knot. I took me a while and some posts on walleyecentral to get steered in the right direction... but the San Diego Jam knot is the best knot that I know of for Floro. And,boys and girls... you've heard me say it a thousand times... glue those knots!

 

[William H. (Bill) Barham]

Thanks Berry



The only difference I can see between the two is that with the Clinch Knot you only go through the eye of the hook or lure once instead of twice. I would worry about the Trilene Knot going through the eye twice, could maybe cut into itself?



I think I'm going to use the same knot I've used for at least 40 years and that's the clinch knot. Just remember to check your line every so often while fishing..



Uncle Billy

 

[Mini]

The Trilene knot is considered the double clinch knot. I use it with Mono and flourocarbon (sans drop shot). I use a palomer for all other knots involving a line to tackle. Line to line is a whole other conversation!