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Thanks for the help, I will give those a try. Is that rapala knot and uniknot pretty strong?
Anybody feel like arguing about braid to fluoro leader connections choices?
Yes, I'll go for it!! I have had probs with that. My fly fisher bros swear by the blood knot for making tapered leaders. I tried that with quite poor results. Mixed results with Uni to Uni. I'm now working on my own version of the nail knot----doubling the lines and with the aid of a drinking straw.....
It's easier for me, rather than pushing a doubled line thru the eye, I push the single line thru hold to form the loop then push the tag end back thru the eye the opposite way. The line is doubled thru the eye and can the my palomar knot. If that makes sense to anyone hope it helps.X2
Well, the crème de la crème of knots for that braid to fluoro connection is the FG knot. (see YouTube) Highest rated for strength and passes through the guides with barely a whisper. Works on the old Chinese handcuff principle it appears to me, harder you pull the tighter it gets. No stubble to snag adjoining coils of line on the reel either. Downside for me is that it's about a four minute knot at my workbench and I wouldn't even try to tie it on the ice since I'm down to one good eye. On the ice I would tie that old workhorse the back to back uni knot. Good logic, excellent strength and easy to tie even on glare ice with numb fingers. Only downside is you may have a little trim-off stubble that can be annoying.Real world, what I start out the day with is a Spro power swivel in a size 8 (50#) or even a size 10 (35#), tiny little rascals tied to my braid main line with a good palomar knot. The fluoro then gets a three wrap surgeon's loop that attaches through the other end of the swivel. Those swivels are tiny enough to pass through your guides and even onto the reel if you have to go that far. Easy to replace the leader if it gets nicked up. There are many other perhaps more elegant systems but these pass the test of time.
I will Debate...I don't like any of the line-to-line knots and even if they test out strong, to begin with, they weaken over time. Most of the time I use a short leader and use a BB swivel, if I need smaller I have started using Fly fishing Micro Tippet Rings, tiny, strong little rings you tie both lines to and end up with a very strong connection. If I need a longer leader (heavier lines) I use a Wind-On Leader, very strong and long-lasting (the lightest for that is 20lbs). Most of my "work" with leaders and knots come out of open water fishing, often landing "little" Bluefin Tuna on light tackle. 100-200lb fish on 60lb test line ( ). My knots have to be perfect and yes many nice fish are landed with an FG knot, but I have seen it fail also... I have been a fishing guide for over 30 years now and I learned very early on that if my clients were using their gear to test their knot, most would fail. What would get them by for their average fish, would not hold up consistently when truly tested. I tie all my knots as if I was going to hook the biggest fish that body of water has to offer and it is a line of thought that has paid off over the years. Many anglers tell me that the systems I use are overkill, but when I or a client hooks the "big One", I don't want to be thinking about if my knot is up to the task. If you watched the video of my fighting that tuna you can see that I put a lot of pressure on that fish and landed it in about half the time many anglers would take (Wind-On) Leader looped on with a Bimini, I can often use it for a full season without replacement and it casts just fine.
I like using a surgeons loop. Simple, strong, and very easy to tie with cold fingers.
back on this again. Trying to tie braid to fluoro with a double uni. The braid seems to cut thru the fluoro at a very low tension. Anybody else have that prob? TIA
Sadly it is only around 70% breaking strength of the line... If that works for you, great, but not for me...