Page 1 of 1

Tagline Breakaway Strength

Posted: Sat Feb 11, 2017 6:35 am
by Flyer
Hello all,

I'm a longtime commercial fisherman (albacore troller, seabass, halibut) and I just bought a CA salmon permit and am setting up my boat for the start of the season. I have a question and have scoured the boards for the answer with no luck...

What should the breaking strength of my tagline breakaways be? Should I use the blue Ashaway tuna cord, seine twine of some kind, doubled-up Oregon leader? Common sense tells me break strength should be somewhere between 100# and 200#.

My boat is 27', aluminum poles are 24' I'll be running aluminum 2-spool S&S Machine gurdies, and plan to run 50# heavies and 35# floats. Heavies on the tips possibly with shears, floats inside about 3' in from the tips (only option for now unless I run them off the same point as my stabies, which is about 8' up from the base). The bags I have are the straight kind. Not sure if I can get float bags that shear... I may try to make a set. I've got stays and haul lines in the right places, no issues there.

Such a great site you guys have here. Just reading through all the old posts has saved me a lot of headaches already. Thanks a bunch. Hopefully in a few years I'll know enough to help someone else.
Paul

Re: Tagline Breakaway Strength

Posted: Wed Mar 01, 2017 2:26 pm
by JKD
Everyone has their own ideas about this topic. I know that guys use the blue tuna cord (or similar), but I have found that sunlight seems to weaken that particular material. I rarely fish up in the rockpiles so I can get away with using doubled up Oregon leader. I think you are in the ballpark using something between 100# and 200# breaking strength (I would err to the higher side). We use Neptune green gangion braided twine. I don't have any gangion spools handy or I would give you the size number. It will break-off if I scoop-up a kelp island or start to hang-up on the State of Alaska, but works fine otherwise if you keep an eye on them and change them out at any sign of wear or abrasion.