sorry for the long read but here's what happened, went out to tower bay last night on LL to do some carp and crappie fishing. had no luck on the crappie so i got some shad and rigged one of my poles for catfishing. well my luck i was using some cheapo coil rod holder from walmart that i been having because i was going carp fishing, and really didnt think i need my home made ones. so half way thru the night a HUGE take down! the tip was staying on the ground shaking violently i thought for sure he was going to yank my rod into the water. well by the time i ran to it in about 3 sec., it snapped...when i reeled it in, the line that tied the hook was the part that gave out. i only had that line maybe 6 months (off shore angler 20lb) i snelled my circle hook at least 7 times around. Was the fish just that big? or does line get brittle that soon? oh by the way the big cat bent my cheapo coil rod holder from walmart too pretty good. its one thing that the hook popping out of its mouth, its another thinking it was my fault not doing something right, what a downer. oh the reel i was using was a 6500 abu garcia so i know the drag would of set in if was past 15lbs because i had the drag to the max.

Yes, mono does get brittle. The more it's in the water, and the more it's exposed to UV, the faster it degrades. That said, that may not have been your problem. You could have had a nick or abrasion on the line at that point it broke that you didn't see. Could have been a gar, too.

could been a big carp maybe ....like heavy said ... line does get brittle ..if I used mono it would be Ande

I use offshore angler 25# and use and abuse it. Never had it go bad due to age or sunlight.

I use Offshore Angler 25 lb high vis main line. I use same brand 50 lb clear for the leader. I like the heavier mono for abrasion resistance. Never had a problem with them. I know Tom uses the same set up and he has caught many fish way bigger than I have. It may have been a fluke incident. Rig it up and try it again.

if the rod tip goes down that far it has to be a big fish hard to say if thats why it broke. did you tie a good knot ? If you didnt thats probably why it broke. i always check my knot by pulling on the line with my hand and if it looks like its slipping any or gets undone i cut the line and retie it til i get a good knot that im satisfied with then i know im good to go

Step up to 25 or 30 lb. line.

Use a heaver pound test leader I use offshore angler 20 pound main line and 50 pound leader with 4oz bank weight no problems ever

I agree that some brands hold up better than others. Also, the heaver pound test lines will usually take more abuse of all kinds because of it's diameter.

On father's day last year my son bought me a can of reel magic, I never used it before but about once a month I will spray my lines that are on my reels, not sure if it is helping like it sais it does but it's not hurting, we have been catching some nice fish and the line (anglers offshore)is doing its job, I've actually switched from big game to anglers offshore.

" i had the drag to the max."

may just be the problem, ole Chinese proverb you can always tighten but can never loosen after break.
If line breaks and is straight it is in the line, if it is curly cued at the break it is in the knot.

Did you wet the line before pulling it tight on the hook?

Ill be the good guy it was a really big fish!

Since you said snell...

I like to snell a lot of hooks, but I have noticed on several occasions with several different hook makers that the "crimped" eye of the hook will have a sharp edge and will cut the knot when you sinch it down. Now I pay close attention when snelling hooks to ensure the eye doesn't damage my knot.

matt