When you start putting serious pressure on the fish you would be amazing the leverage that can occur esp if the fish is hooked on the outside of face on a single hook off the treble. In the old days while fishing gibbs bottle plugs the stock treble hooks did not stand a chance...Back then I had switched to hand braized stainless trebles from eagle claw. These were much stronger but it was possible to break them. But they worked well for me. Nowadays vmc makes a better all around treble. But it is still possible to bend them. My solution is don't try and stop the fish in his tracks on the first run. Let her exhaust herself...apply steady pressure. Guys that fish "locked drags" and heavy line are asking for breakoffs at the weakest link....something has got to give.
My bro droped a moster off the #^&#^&#^&#^&shoot one night on a gibbs needle fish, (pre-habs days) when he reeled it in the single tail hook was nearly straight. I mounted and framed the hook and gave it to him as a Xmas gift that year so he would not forget the trip.
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