On Wed, 06 Aug 2008 19:26:03 -0500, Vic Smith
wrote:

On Wed, 6 Aug 2008 15:53:29 -0400, "D.Duck" wrote:



I was fishing in Canada several years ago using a 1/4 oz jig. I set the
hook when a fish hit and the fish immediately headed for the surface from
about 15', a true indication for a small mouth bass. When the bass broke
through the surface the jig came loose and hit the lens of my sunglasses.
Without the glasses I often wonder just would have happened if it hit me in
the eye.

Lucky you were wearing the glasses. Never had that happen, but I've
had my own stuff whizzing by my head with time to duck or dodge.
Luckily never snagged or hit anybody around me.
What got me most about this guy getting killed is thinking about how
many times you end up horsing a rod to free a snag.
I used to do it until the rod creaked, but come to think of it I
stopped doing that some years ago.
Probably because it caused stuff to whiz by my head.
Now if it doesn't come free with a couple light jerks from different
directions I take a couple wraps of line around my hand and pull.
If it breaks, it breaks. A lure hung up on an overhead branch
can still get you even then with the line stretch being released.

A few years ago, some guys did experiments about this very thing -
12lb test mono and varying weights. What they found was pretty
amazing.

At breaking strength, line stretched, a 1/2 ounce weight will
accelerate to 105 mph within ten feet and hold that speed for two
seconds before the rate of acceleration drops. That's pretty fast and
it's no wonder, if the weight was a triangular or bullet shape, that
it would penetrate a skull.

I'd bet with the new mono braids, it's even faster.

I've been searching and searching for the article - can't find it now
as the site is defunct and Google cache doesn't seem to have it
(unbelievable - I know).