bottom quiz
 

I've got my mono line cut by fish several (4-5) times while bottom fishing around San Diego coastal kelp. I started using bigger diameters, but my latest casualty was a ~50 pound mono, cut at the hook! The line showed some slight abrasion damage too. I replaced it at once with a steel leader, only to be humiliated again with a broken safety snap...
Seems a lot of people catch halibut with a mono rig (I have zero halibut experience). OTOH leopard sharks do not have sharp teeth for a clean cut, rays are the same. Could it be a thresher bottom-feeding ? But there were no jumps or wandering around, just violent head-shakes and pulling to bottom.
What beast am I fighting ?

Sevengill & Soupfin Sharks have legit teeth that will make short work of mono. Still I think you'd have some abrasion further up the leader from tail slaps.

* sorry, missed the abrasion part. Sounds like a shark to me.

X2...and they'll roll up your leader as well...

Keep trying so we can find out!! Try 80-100lb fluoro leader 6ft and 80lb braid

I'd bet Soupfin. About this time of year into the Fall transition I seem to hook a handful. Same M.O.roughed up leader.

Last time I rockfished Newport, between 3 of us, we hooked up on 7 soupfin that day. One bit through 25lb, but 40-50 just got a little chewed.

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