braid newb

[That Dang Guy]

Glad i helped out.

I'm a freaking knot junky.

A few years ago we got into saltwater jigging off paddys and for rockfish. Try tying 65lb braid to 50/60lb fluorocarbon and every knot has it's own problems. The uni2uni was never strong enough and getting more than 4 turns seated correctly always gave me issues. Bimini-albright takes too much work and ALWAYS caught the guides when you casted. Which resulted in birdnest and/or lost jig. Seaguar knot was too bulky and didn't tie well with different line diameters. A PR knot took as long as the bimini-albright, but didn't have any of the problems associated with it. The problem is you need a tool to tie it and my bow string serving tool always gave me inconsistent pressure.

That's when i said F it and went to hollow spectra. I'm still trying to dial it in. I like the loop to loop splices and your ability to change it on the fly, but you really need to be careful when looping your cats pawl. So now i'm splicing fluorocarbon into hollowbraid and connecting it with an uni2uni to the solid braid. It passes the stationary object pulling test, but i still haven't pulled on a nice fish with it yet.

Theres a few newish knots out there that I want to mess around with too, but this post is too long as it is.

[HEMAN]

Glad i helped out.

I'm a freaking knot junky.

A few years ago we got into saltwater jigging off paddys and for rockfish. Try tying 65lb braid to 50/60lb fluorocarbon and every knot has it's own problems. The uni2uni was never strong enough and getting more than 4 turns seated correctly always gave me issues. Bimini-albright takes too much work and ALWAYS caught the guides when you casted. Which resulted in birdnest and/or lost jig. Seaguar knot was too bulky and didn't tie well with different line diameters. A PR knot took as long as the bimini-albright, but didn't have any of the problems associated with it. The problem is you need a tool to tie it and my bow string serving tool always gave me inconsistent pressure.

That's when i said F it and went to hollow spectra. I'm still trying to dial it in. I like the loop to loop splices and your ability to change it on the fly, but you really need to be careful when looping your cats pawl. So now i'm splicing fluorocarbon into hollowbraid and connecting it with an uni2uni to the solid braid. It passes the stationary object pulling test, but i still haven't pulled on a nice fish with it yet.

Theres a few newish knots out there that I want to mess around with too, but this post is too long as it is.

yeah it is.. sheesh!!! i got lost at uni2uni

[klocked]

After/Correct:

There you go!!..... looks clean!!
couldn't have done it any better myself

[tacklejunkie]

Man I haven't hooked a fish on the new reel yet with the braid on it. lol
I usually hook a good one when I purchase new gear but not this time. The steez is gonna make me work for it.

I've lost several nice baits to my Uni2Uni breaking by now. Most recently a gambler meano and a revenge bluegill chatter, amongst several jigs at fairmount to the trees. I think it mostly only breaks when I backlash it though because I'm trying to super launch a bait with practically no spool tension.

Still have yet to be able to test this knot with a fish. I guess I'll throw a Senko on the reaction steez setup just to break it in and feel the drag go. Still gotta mount this reel on a nicer reaction rod eventually too.

Hey do you guys wet the line when you cinch the knot? This seems to make the braid wax have more resistance and maybe be worse for the mono line than just cinching the knot dry against the braid using the wax?

[vanillagurilla]

wet the mono so it dosnt build heat when u sinch it. and the leader breaks on you more because when u ( or anyone who uses braid) get stuck and trys to pop it out or pull on it hard, ur putting all the stretch in your 10' of leader because braid has no give. so the weak point breaks. especialy if ur using that medium heavy rod still TJ. u need something with a fast or extra fast taper to take some of the shock.

[tacklejunkie]

wet the mono so it dosnt build heat when u sinch it. and the leader breaks on you more because when u ( or anyone who uses braid) get stuck and trys to pop it out or pull on it hard, ur putting all the stretch in your 10' of leader because braid has no give. so the weak point breaks. especialy if ur using that medium heavy rod still TJ. u need something with a fast or extra fast taper to take some of the shock.

I do wet the knot for now and always have because of heat friction. Just wondering on this braid, it seems like wetting the knot creates more friction because of the wax. (akin to gaining grip on a surfboard in the water with wax) It's easier to cinch the knot without wetting it. Seems like less harsh on the line too. I'm sure I'm supposed to wet it still but was just wondering.

I don't really pop the braid/mono connection. I use it mainly for shallow reactions, so it's not getting stuck much unless I fish the dam. The reason it breaks is from the backlash yo. It's my fault. I won't be able to trust the knot until I hook a fish on it, which I will be waiting to barely set the hook on so I don't bust him off.

If I go to extra fast taper, my hooks aren't gonna go in the fish on the baits I'm using without swinging extra hard. I need some backbone dude.
It's a spinnerbait rod designed for big hooks like this..

In fact,
I don't think there's really any reason for me to be using braid honestly. I never broke one of those fish off as far as line, just the bait broke.
Only reason I'm trying it is for hookset power, and I might go back because I gotta swing and crank no matter what. Half the time the fish hook themselves on this bait and the other half all you have to do is reel down first before setting because they pounced on it. I'm just sticking with it at least until I hook one or two fish and see how it feels. I'll probably go back anyways and just figure out a better way to get the hook set with mono.

[vanillagurilla]

the hooks will still penitrate cuz ur using braid. ur making up for the mono stretch buy using a soft tip rod. even special spinnerbait and crankbait rods have a special soft tip so you dont pull the hooks out. lots of people loose fish on braid because either they set the hook to hard or they rip the hooks out because the rod dosnt have enough give on hard pulls or head shakes.

[tacklejunkie]

Lol dude I know about crankbait rods how they don't pull hooks. You saw me land that halibut you yanked the hooks out of.

It's not a fast tip they are after. It's a parabolic rod, with a moderate taper. The whole rod absorbs the fish shaking. (or so I think I have come to understand)

With the spinnerbait rods (as far as I know), you have to boat the fish fast because they have the tip to penetrate huge 5/0 spinnerbait hooks. It' not so much about keeping the fish on the line because they crank them in like a swimbait fish before they lose it without letting the fish get the upper hand or slack. Also, those baits I'm using are kinda heavy/bulky and the fish throw them quick if you give them any slack. This is what I've seen in several videos and read on websites anyways. I'm not sure exactly how it's supposed to be done.

I'll just go back to mono. I don't think there's much reason for me to be using braid. All I have to do is make sure the slack is out when they hit to hook them. Sometimes they hit it so hard, they push it forward and all the sudden you don't feel anything at all. You have to wind down in that case before the set, which is where the 7:1 comes in. Otherwise your setting on slack and missing some hookset power, likely even with braid. I think that was my original problem..

I think I'm going to have to learn to wait until I feel their weight to set on them, even though it's a reaction bite and they hit hard and quick. I'll put some jelly and hope they hold on that extra half second. It's such a weird bite. Sometimes they hit and are hooked instantly, other times they hit and then there's nothing but slack, other times you didn't even feel them hit and just felt slack all together but they did. Then you reel down and find fish weight only to feel them spit it.

[vanillagurilla]

yeah but i probly had that hali bearly hooked and he was stuck to the bottom and my rod wasnt fast taper. ur were using the softer 6' rod also. and lighter line. wich streches more. idk about the braid situation but i just know i use it all the time and hardly loose fish when i get bit. but i generaly dont use it when i throw lures so idk about that part. i just use it when i need the sensitivity like ds or c-rig.

[tacklejunkie]

Hey how 'bout some ninja fishing kid? You busy?

Oh yeah the hali's love to do that "suction cup" trick. haha. You gotta pry them up careful holmes.
I think it was your first LC 110 hookup though so I won't hold it against you. haha that was totally your fish.