Snaps for Barra Lures

[Stumpthumpa]

I am after a good quality snap for Barra lures to use at Awoonga and other places, I recall something about this a while ago I and tried searching on this subject but had no joy.

In the past I have always tied a loop knot with a plastic sleeve over the line in the loop section for best strength and to avoid line cutting, but you end up shortening leaders eventually and then retying the whole thing. Does anyone use a snap which stands up the the abuse of bigger Barra?

[warrior]

halco heavy duty snaps are used all over the place for this kind of fishing,lindsay dobe and jack erskine use them on the mega fish in peter faust dam. cheers AL

[Stumpthumpa]

Thanks Al,
Are they a snap or snap/swivel. Any size information?

[hardb8]

G'day thumpa,
I've also used the Halcos with success which are a snap only (no swivel).I went for the smallest size to minimize the visual aspect of the snap to the fish.The size chosen was 3 and is rated at 50lb from memory.Bigger ones are available in the range but can't give you any figures on their weight ratings.They stood proud against fish to 114cm and didn't look like failing.

Regards hardb8

[McCod]

#6 Halco Crosslock snaps are great.... but don't use them to long tho! A day or two of use then change them out with new ones as they get soft after a few dozen lure change outs.

Cheers Les

[Stumpthumpa]

Thanks everyone for the help- Ausfish comes through again!

[wheezer]

i'm with Les, stick with the big halcos. rated 65kg from memory. you can't leave anything to chance. they really aren't that big and it will be the last thing a barra is looking for when seeing a big lure darting and twitching in front of its nose!

[mylestom]

The halco big snaps combined with penn10x 80lb leader with double twist the last 10inch seemed to work fine for us at the six impoundments we tried. The only bust off were when the fish or structure came into contact with the 50lb braid.
Seems to be overgunned. But after losing a lot of big fish on 20lb and 30lb braid the rate of catch and release increased by about 80percent.
Trev

[aussiebasser]

If you buy some Knotted Dog Mag Barra leaders, they come fitted with Halco snap. I've never had this combination fail at Awoonga or Faust, and one leader has taken at least 6 Barra around the metre mark.

[A_DIFF_PERSPECTIVE]

I honestly can't help with an answer there. I will never use a snap. It is a possible weak link that can fail, and we do our best to remove weak links from our terminals. I'd hate to see just one fish lost and bearing a lure attached because of snap failure, be it a 40 kg fish at that. Barra are the best at tackle destruction, and snaps just won't 'cut it' for my liking at present. All lures are tied directly to leader. Even if a snap is used, you will still have to re-tie the leader to the snap most likely after every fish or so! A snap won't stop leader chaffe. And most leader systems are throw away items. Hard wearing barra will make short work of most systems. Sorry for the non-snap advice.
Johnny M

[Mak579]

What's your preferred rig Johhny?

Matt

[barramad.]

It is a possible weak link that can fail, and we do our best to remove weak links from our terminals.

That says it all. Eliminate anything that is,
1. Unnecessary
2. May Affect action
3. Not 100% failsafe

Ive never used them, never will. Ive never had a perfection loop fail, so Ive never needed to. Easy to tie, and lures/plastics/Flys swim natural and free.
Why add another possibility when theres no need to?

Stumpthumpa, each to their own mate, Lindsay Dobe, one of the best Barra exponents in the land uses Jacks twisted leaders with snaps.
Ive seen them work first hand, however they are not for me. Just doesnt add up for my liking.
So yeh, Im with you Mitch.
Jas

[Stumpthumpa]

Jas and Johnny,

I understand and appreciate your comments on this. In the long run maybe there is a balance between the reliablility of snaps and knots tied by those of us that do not get to fish this type of fishery except on the all to brief annual pilgrimage?

[A_DIFF_PERSPECTIVE]

Stumpthumpa,
There probably is a balance, yet a snap still has to be tied onto your line somehow, and with chaffing leaders you will learn to perfect knots quickly. I often think of small crimps and a tool. This would greatly reduce the amount of line lost each time we change lures, resulting in a slightly longer shelf life for a leader. My leader systems are simple. Mostly 80lb mono, sometimes 100 lb mono leader, tied via an albright knot to mostly 50lb braid. A double section in the mainline is created via a bimini twist of approx 50cm. Someone else will name a snap for you that might suffice.
I won't put my name on any.
Johnny

[McCod]

[quote author=A_DIFF_PERSPECTIVE link=1154660154/0#9 date=1154903626]
It is a possible weak link that can fail, and we do our best to remove weak links from our terminals.

That says it all. Eliminate anything that is,
1. Unnecessary
2. May Affect action
3. Not 100% failsafe

Ive never used them, never will. Ive never had a perfection loop fail, so Ive never needed to. Easy to tie, and lures/plastics/Flys swim natural and free.
Why add another possibility when theres no need to?

Stumpthumpa, each to their own mate, Lindsay Dobe, one of the best Barra exponents in the land uses Jacks twisted leaders with snaps.
Ive seen them work first hand, however they are not for me. Just doesnt add up for my liking.
So yeh, Im with you Mitch.
Jas[/quote]

Yes each to there own! But Stumpthumper want’s to use a good snap as per the post. Now I don’t doubt both your ability to fish for Barra but it must be difficult to comment on such a good product if you do not or never have used an item. If fishing lock up drags in places like “heavy thick timber “where there is a big chance of connecting with a monster the HD Crosslock Snaps are one of the best options around if using a twisted heavy mono leader either 2 or 4 ply. Even using one of these tied to heavy mono with a proper knot is stronger on a straight line pull in most cases compared to using a loop knot. Loop knot will some times get weakened where it contacts the split ring “tow point” on the lure unless it is sleeved. In some cases the snap will affect the lures action! But not on most Barra lures with a strong action.
Not trying to be smart about it …… But a have tried both set ups and there are pros and cons on both sides and after a few hundred Barra landed on the Crosslock Snaps and with a number of larger ones scull dragged out of heavy timber in placed like Faust , Awoonga , Monduran .I have not lost a Barra due to Crosslock snap failure yet. Loop knots and line failure at split ring…… yes plenty of. I have seen a few Cross locks fail but in all cases it’s been big Barra wrapping around structure and the snaps had been used way past there use buy time and became soft.


Cheers Les