to snap or not to snap

[Rockport24]

Flap hit it right on the head I think. It's all a matter of preference and what works for you. It is good to hear what the "high liners" do though, it makes you think about better ways to do things.
I used to only tie direct, but have been using snaps for the last two years and don't notice any issues.
in reply to F-18's comment on the leader tied to the main line, I think Canalman had a good article about that in the fisherman at one point. that sounds like a good tactic, especially if you fish rocky areas and use braid as your main line.
DZ also had a great post a while back about going leaderless on full moon nights and it making a difference in hooking up.

[fishaholic18]

Originally Posted by Rockport24

in reply to F-18's comment on the leader tied to the main line, I think Canalman had a good article about that in the fisherman at one point. that sounds like a good tactic, especially if you fish rocky areas and use braid as your main line.

I think you are correct on that.

[zimmy]

breakaways cause I change lures probably more often than necessary.

[parker23]

I use either coastlock or breakaway snaps for all artificials. BUCKTAIL JIGS GET TIED DIRECT. I get a better feel w/direct tie on the jig.

[keeperreaper]

Plugs when dark out breakaway clips. Full moon when it is shining like God's spotlight direct.

[bloocrab]

When Beach fishing with no danger of rocks, sometimes I just attach a breakaway to the braid w/no leader. Just becareful of a couple of things, when landing the fish...braid will slice ya like a knife, the bigger the fish, the sharper the knife......and if Bloofish are parading the beach, I'll add the leader just because it's easier to tell on the leader, if the line gets damaged from Bloo-Teeth than on the braid.
Anything but beach-fishing gets a leader, swivel at the top..(which is where I'd tie a teaser if I opted to use one, hardly never do) and a breakaway on the lure end.
I used to do what Jimmy did, start off w/a long leader - end up with a short one. Another problem other than always having to re-tie with that is the knot itself. In the heat of good outing, a knot tied at home is more likely to hold than a knot tied while your buddy is landing on a lure that you're about to change over to. Just a little more preparation I guess. I do recommend the Breakaways, the larger ones though - I don't like tie-ing to split rings. I've been lucky at times to find the line working it's way out of the ring, and other times wondering how the lure got off leaving me a pigtail, but without breaking the line ???? ....

[tattoobob]

I think it is crazy to think a fish will see the snap and not a huge 4x hook hanging from it, if a fish spooks it's not because of terminal tackle.

Spinning I use a swivel and a snap

Conventional I use an uniknot to uniknot then a snap

[Mike P]

Originally Posted by keeperreaper

Plugs when dark out breakaway clips. Full moon when it is shining like God's spotlight direct.

Why would God's spotlight reflect more off a black clip than off bright silver hooks?

How about that big, bright silver pan of a faceplate on a Danny or Atom 40?

[stripadan]

I put split rings on all my plugs that didn't come with them. I used to tie direct to split ring. Equivalent action of snap with no snap failure. Then came breakaways. I use the bigger breakaway when possible or tie direct if I feel it is too big for conditions. Black swivels to keep blues away in case I'm fishing during daylight.

I also put split rings on my Canal jigs. When the hook eye started to rust, I didn't feel comfortable tying direct. No noticeable difference in results, but more confidence in line wear.

[Pete_G]

This doesn't really relate to the original question but since the ball bearing versus barrel swivel is in the discussion:

I've gone back to bb swivels even in the surf. As a braid fisherman I think it helps. With mono I'm not sure it effects things so much, but either way here's why: barrel swivels barely qualify to be called a swivel. Put some tension on the popular Spro Power Swivel and it only reluctantly turns. I think barrel swivels are at least partly just something to grab onto when landing a fish.

Here's my theory. Barrel swivels don't work that well and braid DOES accumulate twist that will encourage wind knots. Since braid doesn't really have much power to it's twist it will have a lot of trouble turning a barrel swivel to relieve the twist, but it can probably turn a ball bearing swivel even under pressure.

In practice (not theory) I'm fairly convinced now after a year or so that it helps in the surf. And I know for a fact it helps when I'm fishing for albies or tuna. (No snaps when chasing hardtails of course, just a bb swivel plus a fluoro leader with a loop knot)

Ball bearing swivels do cost more but they cost far less then a snarled bird's nest of expensive braid coughed up by a spinning reel in the darkness. As Flap said, your mileage may vary but if you deal with chronic bird's nests in braid on spinning reels it's worth giving ball bearings a shot. It isn't always "loose wraps" in the braid causing those tangles.

As for the main topic, I still use snaps when fishing for stripers as I don't like ending up with a short leader after changing just a few plugs. I like as long a leader as physically possible. I still use the old reliable R34 coastlock and I haven't even tried a Breakaway. I haven't had any failures that have made me feel like I need to change.

I've also seen too many big fish caught during the day in gin clear water on top water lures with a snap to think a snap matters , never mind in the darkness when fishing for stripers. If they like what you're throwing and how you're working it a snap just does not slow them down. Flats fishing for stripers is obviously a different game, but in general a snap doesn't seem to bother the bass. I do think as your lure gets smaller there more you have to think about going direct.

If it's a "subtle" presentation I think it might matter (6 or 7.5" Sluggos for example) but on a big splashy Pencil or Danny, no way.