An elastic or rubber support is popular among bait cast anglers because it stretches considerably to cushion and protect the hook line. Without it, thin test lines of two to eight pounds are easily snapped by large, powerful fish. That is why many anglers feel this support cushion vital to bait cast fishing. This elastic support cushion is found in almost any fishing supply store in Japan. What surprises many people is that it is quite expensive. It costs between ten to thirty dollars depending on the length and thickness.
This elastic hook line support has often disappointed me because there are swivels attached at both ends and I have had a swivel break off when battling large fish. The elastic support needs periodic replacement because it stretches out without flexing back after repeated 'tug of war' outings with the fish. The elastic has also snapped on a few rare occasions, perhaps because puffer or some other type of fish with sharp teeth bit into the elastic. Most anglers do not check the elastic support between casts, and they are not aware of a problem until the sting of breakage.
I use material which is not elastic, and instead of support I rely on it to reinforce my hook line. I target red snapper so I always use a hook line tested for at least 12 pound strength. Thinner line would undoubtedly get me more bites on the hook, but I am after the larger fish and not hoping to get a few smaller ones as well, with the help of an elastic support for a thin hook line.
I have used insulated, flexible, non-corrosive wire which works well as line reinforcement. Hard nylon is also a good choice for this purpose. Neither has any elasticity, and they have yet to disappoint or fail me by breaking. My approach is to use the best hook line available to battle the tugging and violently bucking snapper. I imagine the inelastic reinforcement another bicep working for me to tackle the fish. If the fish is tough enough to snap my hook line, I suppose that I could not have handled landing it. I have to scoop it up well over five meters from sea level to the top of the wall I cast on. There are days when no one else is around to expand my telescopic scoop net to bring the fish up to me. I do this with my right hand, as my left hand is holding on to the rod with the big snapper tugging on the hook line. This is such a joyful struggle!
An inelastic hook line support is probably not sold in stores. You would have to make your own in order to use one. Crimping pliers and non-corrosive metal sleeves are required for construction. Go to [http://www.baitcastfishing.com], click on the Setup/Essentials tab and before the end of the page you will see in red letters, "Inelastic Hook Line Support (Reinforcement)". The instructions and graphics there will help you.
Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Frank_L_Leslie