I'm using a double uni knot, with my braid being 10lb and leader being 4-6lb(usually 4-8ft long). Every time I get snagged and have to snap the line, it breaks at the uni knot. I would like to get some ideas on how I could get the line to break at the bait so I don't have to put on a new leader every break off.

It happened 4 times this morning within an hour and got frustrating...

Miles,
I generally tie a double or triple surgeons knot.
Easy to tie and quite dependable.
The knot is slightly bulkier and remember to lube the knot prior to tightening.

Luck
Gene

Try a triple surgeons knot or learn to tie the FG knot. The FG seems complicated at first but once you learn to tie it it is relatively easy to tie. Lots of tutorials for the FG on line.

A triple surgeons know is tied very quickly and works well for me. No big deal to quickly tie on another leader if needed.

It really helps to hold the lines under water as you tighten the knot to both lube as well as keeping the knot from over heating as you make the knot tight.


Be safe



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 11/01/2015 12:45PM by roger wilson.

Your problem is not the weakness of the uni, its the strength of your terminal knot. Tie a weaker knot. :-)

Seriously, the GT knot is a great knot, and with some practice, it gets quite easy. There are a lot of web sites telling how to tie it, but the best one has didappeared. I'll try to find it and post it. It allows you to tie it in your hand without tensioning the braid by anchoring your rod and pulling against it. Much cleaner. Hope I'll be back.

I use the Albright special knot, it holds very well under extreme shore jigging conditions. Google it, plenty of info on the net.

[youtu.be]

There are two important parts of the knot to execute correctly. 1. The weave, under and over, under and over, under and over, alternating the two parts to the braid. This is key to a strong, uniform, knot, 2. snugging up the weaves as shown in the video. They need to be very tightly snugged up, and it's easy once you get the hang of it.

Disclosure: I've not tied this knot with 4-6 pound FC, but expect it will be more difficult with that light a line because the end won't stand up as well and will bend when you're wrapping the braid. I won't use FC under 10-it's too fragile and subject to damage for me. It is my opinion that many knots become less than reliable with FC of less than 10 pounds.

The main advantage of the FG over others comes if you're trying to use braid with FC leader AND micros. It is the only reliable knot I've found that will freely pass through 3 mm micros.

Thanks for all the input! I moisten the line with my saliva so that's not the problem I don't think. I've tried the FG knot but I can't get it :(

I will play around with the other knots and do some testing. I will be using size 4 minima guides, so that could be the next issue lol.

If you use 10 pound test good quality (not the old Vanish) FC do you have a problem? I'm suspicious that your problem may be the FC and not the knot. What lure knot are you using? You may want to take your question to the Bass Fishing Forums, lots of discussions on this topic in the last few months.

[www.bassresource.com]

Surgeon's is nice and simple, but when I tie light Fireline to light fluoro, the braid seems to cut the leader material. Back to back uni-knot works really well for me. If you know how to get the surgeon's to work with light braid and leaders let me know please, as it's easier and quicker.

Thanks - Marc

Keep it simple - that's all I can handle!

Interesting problem. Much different than what I want fishing salt water. I want the leader to be stronger and to not fail at the hook end. I might use something like 40# braid to 20# mono to an 60# FC leader....so the 20# mono fails and I don't lose the braid.

When it comes to knotting braid to mono/FC I think there are three main things to consider. Strength, size/castibility, ease of tying under adverse conditions. IME the highest strength braid to mono connections require a doubled line (as in bimini twist). The twist is easy to do but I doubt anyone bothers for fresh water. Still I'd be looking to make my braid to mono connection as close to 100% as possible. If my leader was lower # test, and I wished it to break at hook/lure end, there are plenty of (less than 100%) knots to consider at that end (think loop types).

Still I'd be looking at a better braid to mono/FC rather than a weaker knot at hook/lure end. It is just that better braid to leader connections are harder to tie and/or bigger in size. I'd start with alberto and use improved clinch at hook/lure end.

Many don't work on knots enough. Funny but you can tie ten in a row......and have test results from near 100% to a mere fraction of that.....all while thinking they were done in an identical way. So don't buy everything you read on the internet.

Russ in Hollywood, FL.

Good insight, Russell. For your salt water fishing, if you haven't been exposed to the FG yet, give it a try. I think it's the strongest, smallest option, and with leaders as heavy as you use, it's really quite easy to tie. It's a lot easier to tie than those Biminis, that's for sure. When the knot is tied on a heavy FC leader, like 30 pound test, and you take the knot apart to see the condition of the FC, you find that the braid has embedded itself into the FC. The FC has all the ridges and valleys from the braid weave, so in fact the braid and the FC are interlocked mechanically. But the braid is not tightly folded over itself like it is in the Albright or some other knots. I don't think that some FC's like that. I think the GT may be the ultimate in strength.

For the light lines Miles is using, I like to use a short sacrificial bit of 10 or 12# FC between the braid and the 4 or 6# FC. It's been my experience that very light line to braid just doesn't hold very well.
I use a modified slim beauty to join the braid to the 10#. The modiification is to double the 10# and use the double line to tie the figure 8. That knot is then lightly coated with Zap-a-Gap, with most of the excess wiped away. That knot will pass through micro guides quite well. A 10-12" lenght of 10# will give you a lot of knots to the 4 or 6# when you break it or need to lengthen. I'll usually get several trips out of that 10 or 12" section before needing to replace. The 10# is joined to the tippet with a blood knot, which also passes the guides easily. I hate having so many links in my chain, but for such light line I've just not found a better way to go. You could do similar with double uni's, which I'd also coat with Zap. In fact, that might be an even smaller knot than the slim beauty. I'll try that this week.

BTW - and since heavier tackle was mentioned, I also use the slim beauty for casting to large jacks, tarpon, etc. The only difference is that I do not double the mono (30# braid to 60# FC), but I do double the 30# and use it draw down to the figure 8. I really like the FG, but if I'm on a boat and time is ticking, the slim beauty is always going to be quicker and easier, and quite secure.

The FG knot is hands down the best braid to leader knot. I use it down to 8# FC and I have never, I repeat never had a properly tied one fail. I knew about the FG for years, but all the instructional videos were from offshore salt fishing where they were using like 100# leaders. Those vids show you weaving the braid around a very stiff leader, but that doesn't work with 8# FC. It wasn't until I saw a video on "Salt Strong" that I saw how to weave the thin leader around tensioned braid and have it pop out perfectly. Check this one out. [www.saltstrong.com]
The only thing I had to figure out in the beginning that isn't emphasized enough in the video is that as your braid stack builds up, you have to keep it tightly packed together. If you don't, when you go to fully tighten it, the first part of the weave stack will tighten and the slack in the far part of the stack will still be there.
If you want a really bomber knot, pinch the FC tag with your thumbnail just as it goes into the braid stack and cut it out about 1 or 2 mm from the pinch. Then hit that with a lighter while you are still pinching it (to protect the braid) to create a small ball on the tag of the FC.
This is a great knot. it will go through any guide and it is silent and vibration free. Try it!

I fish salt and don't use swivels. I tie double uni knots for line to leader. I'm using 20-40# braid and 25-40# fluorocarbon. I also use the Albright knot for the same line choices. I have found doing a simple overhand knot close to the lure/sinker allows me to break off when I hook rocks or structure and saves most of my leader. Just another option. Good luck, MH

Any knot you choose will work better if you double the braid.

Wow, you can tell rod builders sweat the small details! I will look at the salt strong video after work and try the FG knot again. Trout fishing is about to get hot here in Kansas City, and now that the Royals won the World Series in an epic fashion, I can get back to focusing on my fishing!

Thanks everyone!

Tony is right about the stacking of the braid with both methods, all pound tests. It is critical to the success of the knot.

Google the "Slim Beauty" knot. It's a combination of a jam knot and a half-bimini. Tie the figure-8 jam knot in the thicker diameter line, which in your case would be the leader. Tighten the knot slowly and lubricate your braid wraps to avoid friction heat weakening your mono leader. I use spit. No matter what, 6# leader will break before 10# braid, which in truth is likely at least #18 braid.



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 11/02/2015 01:24PM by Phil Ewanicki.

I use mono for leaders never had a problem I also use a loop to loop connection

Bill - willierods.com