BajaNomad - One more time: spectra to mono

One more time: spectra to mono

Santiago - 9-17-2009 at 09:01 AM

I'm close to giving up on braided line. My bimini-to-albright broke while fighting a maybe 25# yellowtail - second time for me. The braid cut through the mono. I'm guessing the knot was about 3 or 4 months old, maybe had only a couple of yellows over 20# on it and a bunch in the 15# range. I then simply took the bimini loop and used that to loop through the eye of another iron, and that broke on the next yellowtail. Sheesh.
A lot of you guys are way more knowledgeable than me on this stuff - what am I doing wrong? I like the response and feel of the braided line with a short top shot, but I am tired of losing decent sized fish.

dtbushpilot - 9-17-2009 at 10:46 AM

I use an albright knot (top shot loop with about 10 turns of the braid). I've never had a knot failure, perhaps I'm not catching big enough fish.....dt

Cardon Man - 9-17-2009 at 12:12 PM

Albrights have to be finished right or they will slip. Make note that you are locking the albright down properly once tied.

Also, with loop to loop connections they have to be seated a certain way or it's no bueno. Looping through the eye the iron would make the bimini loop pinch down in just the wrong way when you really put the heat on fish.

Diver - 9-17-2009 at 12:20 PM

Here is a good demo from Allcoast;

http://www.allcoast.com/discussion/ViewTopic.cfm?page=1&...

Pescador - 9-17-2009 at 07:38 PM

Santiago, because I only catch the big yellowtail and not the little bitty babies I see in all the pictures, I have gone to Jerry Brown Hollow Spectra and I push5 feet of the mono down the middle of this stuff and then at the point of connection I wrap with small diameter thread and then finish off with a drop of super glue or adhesive. This is a much better system than the knot. If you need the knot system, then do not go over 12 turns on your bimini and a 7 turn allbright will greatly increase the strength. :lol:

Santiago - 9-17-2009 at 08:59 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by Pescador
Santiago, because I only catch the big yellowtail and not the little bitty babies I see in all the pictures, I have gone to Jerry Brown Hollow Spectra and I push5 feet of the mono down the middle of this stuff and then at the point of connection I wrap with small diameter thread and then finish off with a drop of super glue or adhesive. This is a much better system than the knot. If you need the knot system, then do not go over 12 turns on your bimini and a 7 turn allbright will greatly increase the strength. :lol:

Pescador: you were one of the guys I was referring to but I have a question: at some point you must of tried these knots before the hollow came out, right? Did you have these issues? I'm assuming that when the housing values return so I can actually afford some Jerry Brown hollow I will do likewise. The diameter of the knot must be sweet. When you say 'small thread', are you referring to a #5 rod wrapping thread or a fly tying thread?

msteve1014 - 9-18-2009 at 05:03 AM

you don't have to use a whole spool of the hollow. Splice 20 feet or so on to your solid, and then make the connection pescador is talking about. Put a loop in the hollow, and a bimini in the solid for a loop to loop.

fyi, I use a worn knot for solid, to anything up to 40# mono

[Edited on 9-18-2009 by msteve1014]

Don Alley - 9-18-2009 at 10:52 AM

While I use a uni to uni for light tackle connections (15, 20 lb mono) for the yellowtail and heavier line I use one of two systems. One, a spliced connection like Pescador's with the hollow Jerry Brown.

I have also used a bimini at the end of my spectra backing, then a loop to loop connection with a mono topshot. The mono topshot is made with piece of the hollow spectra; a spectra to mono splice like Pescador's on one end, and a spliced loop on the other end. 10-12 turns only on the bimini.

The only advantage of the second connection is that topshots can be changed faster, if necessary, in the midst of a trip, but as that's not been necessary I'm more and more favoring the simpler, streamlined first connection.

I have not had a failure yet with these connections.

Slightly off topic: I've been using a Seaguar Knot to join a short florocarbon leader to my mono line. Fast and easy tie. So far, no failures, but only light to medium tackle 30 to 40lb, for dorado and sailfish.

Pescador - 9-18-2009 at 03:37 PM

Ok, before buying Jerry Brown Hollow, I used 80 lb. Izorline spectra and tied that to 60 lb Big Game or Flourocarbon. When the big yellows are holding near the bottom this is the weakest we can go in our area and keep most of them off of the rocks. I tie a 12 turn bimini in the spectra which was proven by extensive knot tests in Sport Fishing magazine. I then tie a 7 turn allbright with the mono for connection. I would replace that knot about once a week when the big fish were really running because I noticed that after pulling on a few dozen fish over the 30 lb mark, I would notice a little weakening in the knot area. When you first start tying this knot, you need to test it by wearing some gloves and seeing if you can break the knot. Most of the time it will break somewhere else but the knot unless you are tying improperly.
If you ever get down to my area by Santa Rosalia, I will show you how to put a small section of Jerry Brown on (needs a needle to do this) and splice it into your old line. I have Izorline that has been spliced this way and it works as well as Jerry Brown hollow. When the fish are a little spooky, I find that the flourocarbon line increases the amount of bites I get and oftentimes I will catch two fish to everybody else's one on the boat who use traditional mono. As far as the splce, I normally wrap it with size A rod wrapping thread because I always have an abundance from building rods.
I think you can google the Sportfishing article on knot strength and it is very informative. You also might try contacting Jerry Brown for a sample piece of his line and you could splice it in.