Is Your OLD Fishing Line Failing You? Shocking Test Results!
- By: Luke Simonds
- on
- Found In: Fishing Knots, Fishing Tips, Inshore Fishing, Knots, Mono, Weekly Newsletter: 12-15-24
What if I told you that your old fishing line might be costing you fish—and it’s not as strong as you think?
We ran some experiments to test two things:
- Does old fishing line actually weaken over time, or is it just as strong as the day you bought it?
- Does using saliva to cinch down your knots help—or hurt?
Using a knot tester, we ran multiple break tests comparing two-year-old line that’s been sitting in a tackle bag to brand-new line straight from the shop. And while we were at it, we tested the age-old advice about wetting your knot with saliva before cinching it down.
Let’s just say, the truth about that so-called “best fishing practice” might surprise you.
If you’ve ever lost a big fish because your knot failed (been there, done that), you owe it to yourself to watch this video.
It might just save your line—and your sanity—the next time you’re on the water.
👇 See the full test results below 👇
Click here to see the Fishing School lessons
So how did your hypothesis hold up?
Please let us know in the comment feed below.
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Great stuff and Yes the Dry to wet caught me by surprise.
I think a few have mentioned and would be great to see the same tests with some line you have ben using on a reel for .. as long as possible against news line. Of course strip off, frayed, beat up line to some fresh looking feeling. I often wonder about changing yearly.
I realize that older line does lose some strength. But the salve/wetting the was a little shocking the resolute. As I was going up fishing with my Dad and Grandfather, I don’t ever remember one of them telling me or my brother that we needed to wet the knot before tightening it.
I had thought using saliva on a knot allowed it to close up smoother and not create a “heat weakness” on the line inside the knot. And more so on braid vs. mono/fluoro, given the smaller line diameter.
If saliva actually makes this big a difference, then I think this entire experiment is missing the most important variable. WE DON’T CATCH FISH ON LAND! I think we need results from knots that have at least touched some water before the line is stretched and broken. Exactly as it would take place in real life fishing. Am I the 1st to realize this?
Here’s an experiment that was done specifically on saliva a few years back that included a step of wetter the lines before breaking them (same conclusion): https://www.saltstrong.com/articles/saliva-cinch-down-fishing-knot/
I had always been taught to wet my knots before cinching and I always worried about what disease I was risking when applying saliva to a knot with a leader that had already been in the water. Now I don’t have to do either! Thanks
That reminds me: I need to bring my tackle bag in from the garage. We hit 3 degrees on Wednesday in Wisconsin.
Well, Now I’m kind of second-guessing putting on the spool new line at the beginning of every fishing season…
Thank you for providing tests of products which most of us do not have access to equipment to perform these tests. Factual results of good testing can be quite helpful.
Glad to see that you enjoyed this experiment Carl.
I would have thought that the saliva would have helped the know cinch up smoothly. I was pretty sure that line deteriorates over time, no matter where/how it’s stored. I would think that line that is left exposed to UV such as on a reel, would deteriorate faster.
Yes, a line that’s exposed to UV for long periods of time will surely deteriorate quicker than a line stored indoors.
Thanks for the sharing your test data. Simple things are not always so simple.
Thanks for making time to post the nice comment Charles.