How can I stop line breaks or hook pulls?

IN MATCHES I’m using quality pole floats with 8lb line and a size 12 hook, but fish often snap my line or take the hook. How do I stop this happening?

Tony Albrighton, Blackwell

THE problem may be with your elastic, which could be too heavy and set too tight. Lack of stretch when a fish is hooked leads to breakages.

Use a 12-14 grade hollow elastic in the top two pole sections so that it pulls out of the pole with ease.

A puller bung system enables you to pull elastic out of the top kit when it comes to netting time, which means less elastic out of the tip and more control over the carp.