# Best Knot for really light outfit



## AdrianK (May 30, 2006)

OK - two $20 lures lost in 8 days to leader/mainline knot separating and lure flying off into the distance. This has got to stop, and SWMBO must never know.

Any suggestions. Using light stuff tossing 2gm hard body lures with 3lb crystal fireline to 10lb fluorocarbon leader - double uni connection. Holds together fine until about the 100th cast then Twang!

No problems with bimini twist and slim beauty for heavier stuff, but not really practical for leader this light - too hard to thread the mainline double through the knot. Other than (or in addition to) just checking and/or retying the uni to uni a bit more frequently, any better knots suggested, for this particular job?


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## Davey G (Jan 15, 2006)

simple solution. re-tie your knot after the 99th cast ;-)

double uni for me


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## wayner (Jan 7, 2009)

i use a albright knot and use a shorter leader and avoid running the knot through the guides as that is the most common cause of causing the knot failure that you are getting.

wayne


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## dru (Dec 13, 2008)

Interesting. The double uni just hasn't been working for me and I gave up with line that light, nothing less than 6lb now.

I've been playing with a bimini twist in my light line. This seems to have helped, even if it isn't the real intention of the bimini. With the double line, I have found the albrights more effective. Preparing the bimini seems to need a little more care than usual - very easy to end up twisting the crap out of the line. Which means constant loops around the end guide when flicking [grrr]

On the water I use a simple cheat knot, dont know what'it's called. Tie with a free length of leader. bring about a foot of line and leader together and tie a simple double overhand knot. Rough and bumpy through the guides, but OK till the next time out.

Neither is really the "best knot for really light outfit" so I'd love to hear what everyone else does.


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## Greybeard (Mar 17, 2008)

Have to agree with kraley on this issue double uni 6lb yamatoyo leader 5 wraps and 3lb fireline 8-10 wraps but could also be a bad batch of line i think Ive got one of those myself at the moment if you only use five wraps for the braid the step up catches on the runners tackles and snaps.
Cheers Greybeard


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## blueyak (Jan 20, 2009)

Hey AdrianK I go as light as 1lb crystal fireline with 2lb sunline fc leader at times and use the same knot as you.

step by step It goes like this.

1 tie the flouro/mono first. around 5 wraps.
2 pull that knot snug but not tight.
3 tie the braid around the mono around 8 wraps.
4 pull that knot farly snug.
5 pull on each line until the 2 knots join
6 pull on the tag ends to tighten the knot

7 *Trim tags, (using some braid cutters, I use a xtool. Place the tag between the cutter blades with just enough pressure to hold the line, then pull the tag end until the knot is hard up against the back of the cutter blade then snip the tag off. Repeat for the other tag).*

8 test knot keeping in mind the breaking strain of the line.

Step 7 done correctly will give you a very well trimmed knot that won't catch on your guides as you cast.

I have also found that if I tie the braid first and overtighten it it seems to crush the mono a bit and makes it snap as I tighten the knot.

Hope this helps,
Stewie


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## SnakeMan (Mar 8, 2009)

One of my favourite knots is the Palomar knot it doubles the line through the eyelet which I find it makes harder to loose the lure but its not the easiest to tie with a lure.


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## Greybeard (Mar 17, 2008)

Just another thought are you using the old saliva makes a difference.
Cheers greybeard


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## CatfishKeith (Apr 17, 2009)

I use a bimini twist and connect the leader with an Albright on 4lb braid and 4lb leader. The knot is almost invisible and flys throught the rod guides. On the heavier lines 30lb not as smooth.

Last thought after trimming tags I hit the remaning tag with a lighter and melt it back to the knot using you fingernails to protect the know from the heat and without buring your nails


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## AdrianK (May 30, 2006)

Thanks for all the comments. Answering Q's:
8 and 5 wraps of braid and leader;
I do tie the braid first - might try reversing that;
saliva? yep - always do that already;
I do pull the braid very tightly before tying the leader - might try easing back on that;
I agree - the knot through the runners seems to be the problem - isn't a bulky knot though - but after an hour or more of casting, I suppose any knot might fray;
I will try a shorter leader next time.

Thanks all


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## Junglefisher (Jun 2, 2008)

I agree with DaveyG here, you have to retire the knot on a regular basis. You can always try "testing" the knot with a good yank every now and then - although I prefer not to as I have found this actually weakens the knot.


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## Guest (Feb 23, 2010)

I fish 2lb fireline to 6lb mono leader for shallow water whiting fishing and have not had any problems with knots.

I tie 6 turns in the mono, and 12 turns of fireline using a uni to uni. I tie the mono first and pull quite tight, then the braid. I also trim the ends quite short.


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## pescado (May 17, 2007)

Adrian, i was having similar dramas with jackalls and spinnerbaits going flying off the end of my line until i found this knot


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## AdrianK (May 30, 2006)

That's a cool knot - looks like a simpler version of the Slim Beauty - I'll give it a go.
Bet it hurt seeing the Jackals take off - those bad boys don't float so well.


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## madross (Mar 30, 2010)

Try the 5 loop surgens knot very good and easy to tie.


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## ssymmetri (Mar 14, 2010)

FG knot!
There's no "knot" in the mono so it's really slim, really strong also, uni's at the terminal tackle usually break first
takes a little practice, but worth it


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## Marineside (May 8, 2009)

I have been using twisted leaders lately & have no trouble, i think it's got to do with the twist in the 2 lines stopping anything from being able to slip, also casting works well as the weight at the end of the line makes for a much further cast

Have a look at this for making your own


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## keza (Mar 6, 2007)

ssymmetri said:


> FG knot!
> There's no "knot" in the mono so it's really slim, really strong also, uni's at the terminal tackle usually break first
> takes a little practice, but worth it


I use a mid knot on my heavier gear but it won't grip on anything under 20lb.
I thought that would be the same for the FG ?


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## ssymmetri (Mar 14, 2010)

keza said:


> I use a mid knot on my heavier gear but it won't grip on anything under 20lb.
> I thought that would be the same for the FG ?


Thought the same thing actually, but if you make the wraps tight it holds the same




the important step is when he bites the mono and tightens the twists 
(i don't lick the knot though haha and melting the end with a lighter seems unnecessary)
and test the knot when you're done


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## sbd (Aug 18, 2006)

The double uni for me on light line. I have repeatedly found that the slim beauty, albright et al are consistently weaker.

There is one really critical step to a double uni, as touched on by Stewie & other above, but it bears repeating. Tighten each side of the knot by pulling the tag end *only*, this and only this will ensure that the knot forms correctly. You can see if it has - if the tag end of the mono falls parallel to the main line and exits the knot with the main line (& the knot appears otherwise well formed) it's probably a good one. If the tag end comes out sideways from the knot, exits the knot at a different spot to the main line or the knot looks otherwise mis-shapen cut it off & retie it. In fine line, I do 7 turns in the mono & 11 turns in the braid. I only lubricate the mono side.

Re the FG/mid knot/PR knot & other variants of the chinese finger trap principle, I agree that they are the strongest connection possible & use them on heavier kit always, but find that in lighter gear for casting that the inflexibility of the knot causes wrap ups around the guides unacceptably frequently. YMMV.


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## parfitt (Dec 29, 2009)

Double uni is easy and quick to tie and has never failed me. Just don't over-do the turns particularly with the leader. If the knot doesnt neatly pull tight, chances are you did too many turns


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## samwisefnq (Dec 3, 2009)

spider hitch to albright ( 4-6 wraps). easier than a bimini and takes no time at all/ use this on my 4lb fireline. connects up to about 20lb leader with minimal fuss.


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## mangajack (Jul 23, 2007)

Two things to remeber about leader to braid connections: 
The leader is generally mono or FC and suffers much less from abrasion in the guides when casting and retreiving.
The braid has zero shock absorbtion and must not be fished like mono.

For my money I want the outermost part of the knot to be FC or mono to handle the wear and damages that guides can inflict. This rules out such knots as the Albright ( my one time all time favorite knot) because it has the braid as the outermost part. Even though Albrights are so super easy and fast to tie perfectly, they do wear quickly in the guides and you do need to retie every hour or two.

I have gone to the double uni knots these days with 4 wraps of leader and 8 to 10 wraps of braid depending on the breaking strain. the double uni knots outermost areas are leader material and greatly reduce the damages to the braid part of the knot which snugs up tightly and short to the mono section of the knot. I can get several trips out of a double uni knot and maybe around a thousand casts before it shows signs of wear.

I use plain braids exclusively and have gone right away from thermally fused lines or coated lines like fireline, microfuse and millenium. Plain braids tie much better knots.

Jack.


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## Mordy (Feb 21, 2010)

Adrian k
Had the same problem, noted that when the connection between the Braid and the FC snapped it snapped on the
the FC side. the braid was cutting (abrasion) it
Solution a surgeons knot ( local fishing shop got me onto it they cater for a lot of game fishing rigs) wrapped over 5 times this gives you alternating layers of flouro / braid,
rather than just a core of one line with multiple wraps of the other line.( as in double uni or double nail knot)

I have been using Berkley Vanish and my problem has been knot slip at the terminal (hook) end
another low point was losing a virginal ecogear lure,,,,,oh ! My Baby! :shock:

Tried a Trilene knot ( on the FC) at the hook end but after a bit of wear and in the water......good bye fish.
Not a snap in the line a definate unraveling
Apparently one of the down falls of FC, according to a comparitive report I was reading last night.
Maybe I have been using the wrong product.

At present I'm going back to mono!!! :? 
Tight loops and Knots


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## banky (Sep 25, 2009)

Hey,

I have a small bream rod with a light rig,
I just use a simple uni knot.

Cheers Phil


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## keza (Mar 6, 2007)

i have some spools of vanish that i wont use as it has very poor knot strength.


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## Wired (Mar 19, 2010)

If you use a shorter leader is there any reason not to use a swivel for the join?

I'm still learning these knots and the last time I tried to tie anything fancy while in the yak out on a river I found myself tangled in a tree against the banks :?


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## Mordy (Feb 21, 2010)

Swivel would be fine, but I suppose thats two knots. Thats what I use on garfish and mullet.
As long as you don't mind some of the line hanging out of the rod tip.
I really like the surgeons knot with five raps for the join between braid and the leader.

Thanks Kaza about the good oil about Vanish , I have three spools of it :shock:  !!
Good to know somebody else has had the same problem with that line.

What do you use now?????

After tying (and losing) a an Ecogear bream lure to it , and loosing some really nice fish over the last couple months,
maybe that's why they call it Vanish.....Fish on!!!!! and pooofff! gone.

I went to a lecture on Bass competion fishing last night and talked to the guy about F.C he recommended Stren 100% F.C
or Pline Halo if you can get it.
He said that some lines are just flourocarbon coated, ( don't buy them)
and recommended a variation on the uniknot, 5 raps for 6lb line ( for connection to hook or lure)
but with two wraps through the eye of the hook ( weak point for F.C.) and make sure that one of the loops( through the eye) doesn't slip back ovet the shank.
Amazing circuit prize money of up to $600,000 US, Large Berkley tents full of fishing tackle, you just had to tell them what you needed
for the tournament and they handed you a box. Knocks at the hotels door with reps giving you a large box of soft plastics, as long as if you caught the fish on it you mention the product.

Small extra heavy tungstun sinkers, and soft plastics that were self wieghted with salt so they wouldn't need jig heads.
Thus more natural presentation.
Most punters would carry 10-13 rods with them. And this lure box looked like a small suitcase.
All their rods would be replaced in three years, due to being worn out, and would respool the F.C on all rods after a few days of competition.
Made the ABT look like a sunday picnic.
Bit like Tiger Woods with a fishing rod.  
Has a huge folling in the states.
Mordy


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