Went fishing in the river this weekend caught few nice blues and gar. Been fishing all my life and never had a hook snap, using large gizzard shad 7/0 mustad ultra live bait circle hook. Rod bent all the way over hard , drag was screaming for couple seconds and then nothing. Reeled in thinking bait was gone and it got off. Hook was snapped in half. Never in 40 plus years . This is in Waco area ….
Anyone ever experience this?

I have only had them straightened out when had a fish on and something gets off or snag trees or rocks and pulled them out and they come back to the boat... Otherwise I have just pulled the hook off with line breaking or getting cut.

That 7/0 hook you broke is not a thin wire hook either. It would have me wondering if the hook was just that fluke. Darn sure bad luck bud. I would rather break the hook though, instead of one of my sticks. 40 years ago I broke a rod I had been told you couldn't break. Broke it right middle of the reel seat, had what I was sure a really nice bass. Lost everything but the butt of the rod. Been buying better rods ever since, those that have the warranty behind them, not just the salesman...

It takes time to get past all that, your mind will run through all sorts of whatever in the world broke that hook that you should have been able to have a look/see and take a pic of. Hook break off right under the eye or just where?

Question: Do you use pliers to pull the hook out? Was this a hook you have had tied for a while? I think it was a Fishin-N-Stuff video where Chris talked about hooks getting damaged with pliers and the cut in the hook from the plier marks turns into a weak spot and they can snap at that point. If it was a new hook, I guess it could have been a flaw in that one and just bad luck too...

Ouch! I would have been beside myself having half a hook left when losing a big fish....

I know those hooks take a real beating.

I dont even bother to sharpen mine, just toss them in the trash when I swap out my leader, which is fairly frequently. Chances are I have had them snag on something at least once, and know both the hook and the leader are the weakest link in the chain when hooking up big fish. The other weak area in my case is the knot I tie the hook on with, but I have got much better with those as of late.

Good point about pliers on a hook can weaken one unhooking fish , and could of had a flaw in it. Was new as in used just that day but maybe just one or 2 small ones on it earlier. Definitely stays on the brain and makes ya ready for another 👍

if you fish long enough you will face different problems and some with no answers. I've had 10 O break once and had 2 straightened out. had one big trotline break at Limestone thinking it was a gator. Only use pliers when you can't get the hook out by hand, pliers will wreck a hook fast. This from my limited experience

The damage by pliers noted above is spot on. Especially if the damage is done along the curve of the hook. Even if not damaged, if you have played a few big fish on a hook it could have fatigued stress. Every time you set the hook, or a fish runs it puts stress on the bend. Most of this stress is at the point just below the shaft where the hook first curves. The metal bends slightly and springs back at that point over and over and over, which causes that metal fatigue.

If you think about using pliers to remove a hook, one of the easiest places to grab the hook is right at the back of the bend. This is the worst possible place to pinch the hook because it is already the most fatigued spot. If possible, put the pliers on the shank near the eye. That point on the hook only sees straight tension, and damage from the pliers will have very little effect.

And to the OP's point - I feel your pain. I hooked a fat blue on a fly rod once and played him for 20+ minutes trying to wear him out. Finally got him up to the bank and while I was reaching down for him the hook breaks and he takes off. Probably a 12# blue, which is a monster on a light weight fly rod.

Coff,

I have had some monster carp on flyrod and it's not anything you land quick, I usually use a 9 weight rod when fishing like this, little crayfish pattern bug on gets the carp. There is also couple of places I visit when I can that carp be had with anything white. The carp are fed pop corn all the time and they will take it off the top water in 20 foot deep water.

Joe Poole Lake at the docks there is one of those places also. I must say though never broke a hook or even straightened one out with a flyrod, even my stiff 9 wt# and the load I can put on it lol... That would really catch me off guard...

Yep. I'm with you Jackie. I only use them when I have to. I went back and looked for that video I mentioned and couldn't find it right away. I think he may have put plastidip on the pliers so they didn't gouge the hooks. I am gonna look for it some more and if I find it I'll add it to this thread...

Had to be a Volkswagen flathead.

Can't remember the last time I had a hook break on a fish, don't think it's ever happened, even on tuna and sharks.