# Which knot fits?



## lil red jeep (Aug 17, 2007)

I have just started throwing a Tica 11'6" extra heavy conventional with a 30 shv. Yesterday while throwing, after about 15 to 20 casts, my double uni-knot snapped as it went through the rod tip, sending 6 oz. of lead and a 40lb mono shock leader sailing into a storage shed (6 oz of lead makes a big hole in vinyl siding). 

In order to get the knot through the last guide and still hold, what do you guys use for a knot in the practice field? I was tied to 17 lb sufix tri. and maybe it was just wear and tear because of the number of casts. The knot was good and strong and tied well. It's one I practice a lot and is slim also. The knot broke on the leader side of the knot, but right _at_ the knot, leaving me a nub of mono and then my sufix tri. 

Interested in what you all might suggest.


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## Tommy (Jan 24, 2001)

For FIELD CASTING only use the blob knot. Burn a small blob on the end of your shock leader then tie a 5-6 turn uniknot attatching the running line to SL. Lubricate with spit and tighten down against the blob. Very small profile and goes through the guides great. 

Not for fishing.

Tommy


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## cygnus-x1 (Oct 12, 2005)

In no way am I an expert in distance casting p) however wherever I am (fishing/practicing) I use the same knot system when casting surf poles with heavy sinkers. I too use 17# sufix tri and I use 10lb of shcok per oz of lead. I usually use a 50# or 60# shock. No matter what since the diameters of the lines are so different I always use a double line knot on the main line (spider hitch or bimini ). Then I attach the double line to the shock with a bristol/noname knot. I have found that the 2 knot system works better for me. These knots are small in diameter.


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## Fishbreath (Nov 11, 2004)

There you have it Big Red. Both applications are covered - Fishing and Distance. Double line approach is best for fishing IHMO (good call Cyg), and Tommy would know, that's for SURE!


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## Orest (Jul 28, 2003)

*I like the blob knot*

for practice. Just got to keep a lighter with you.


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## Railroader (Apr 13, 2005)

Well tied Albright....

Here we go again...opcorn:


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## AtlantaKing (Jul 7, 2002)

The uni-to-uni works well too, but just check it and retie if it looks rough. Even though I'm partial to a BT to NoName connection, I also only get 20-25 casts out of one before it's rough and needs to be retied. I think checking the connection and retying in this case is much more important than which knot to tie; a surf-casting knot system has a very finite service life.


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## lil red jeep (Aug 17, 2007)

Railroader said:


> Well tied Albright....
> 
> Here we go again...opcorn:



Thanks guys! I don't mean to open up the whole proverbial knot can of worms. This is just an inquiry on a good knot for field casting. We've all read the 18 page scientific knot thread in the open forum which addresses probably every knot possible. I was just stumped on the knot I tied breaking the way it did. I missed putting my weight through the hood of a parked VW by only a few feet, and don't want to do that again. Thanks again. And AK, while I was typing you posted and thanks. I thought there might be a useful life span to the knot but you cleared that for me.


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## F I LetsGoFishin (Apr 24, 2007)

big red jeep said:


> my double uni-knot snapped as it went through the rod tip, sending 6 oz. of lead and a 40lb mono shock leader sailing into a storage shed (6 oz of lead makes a big hole in vinyl siding).


 Hence the recomended 10# for each oz. of weight.
Not familair with the double uni, is that the same as uni-to-uni. which so many are fond of?

I also opt for the albright when tied correctly (a little finness goes a long way with any knot) but also check and re-tie knots often espesialy when power casting for practice as you tend to put more into those casts than when fishing


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## Team Buddhahead (Apr 3, 2007)

> In order to get the knot through the last guide and still hold, what do you guys use for a knot in the practice field? I was tied to 17 lb sufix tri. and maybe it was just wear and tear because of the number of casts. The knot was good and strong and tied well. It's one I practice a lot and is slim also. The knot broke on the leader side of the knot, but right at the knot, leaving me a nub of mono and then my sufix tri.
> 
> Interested in what you all might suggest.


Just my .02...
Watch your follow through.


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## sprtsracer (Apr 27, 2005)

I am ASSUMING you are tying mono to mono and not mono to braid. I also like the uni to uni (for fishing...haven't started the field thingy yet) but you may want to double the 17lb line before you tie the uni. That should help. I don't tie the other knots enough to comment on them.


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## eric (Oct 24, 2007)

single line slim beauty, i have yet to cast and break that sucker.. the uniknot (or hangman) actually acts like a ramp, and enlarges to the shock (double overhand knot) . goes out perfectly,, 

coming back in might get snagged on the tip once in a while.


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## Drumdum (Jan 6, 2003)

ooeric said:


> single line slim beauty, i have yet to cast and break that sucker.. the uniknot (or hangman) actually acts like a ramp, and enlarges to the shock (double overhand knot) . goes out perfectly,,
> 
> coming back in might get snagged on the tip once in a while.


 A competitive distance caster,Mike, was fishing with me one night on Nags Head Pier,and was having a problem with the normal knot that he used.. I showed him a revised version of slim beauty with uni knot instead of normal clinch.. That's what he uses now.. He and Tommy both flat out sling the devil out of a piece of lead.. I've seen Mike throw ten and bait further than a REALLY good caster can throw 8.. My nomal knot for fishing is a spider or bimini to a no-name,but this knot is a much smaller connection,and the strongest-smallest single line knot I know..


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## lil red jeep (Aug 17, 2007)

ooeric said:


> single line slim beauty, i have yet to cast and break that sucker.. the uniknot (or hangman) actually acts like a ramp, and enlarges to the shock (double overhand knot) . goes out perfectly,,
> 
> coming back in might get snagged on the tip once in a while.



I've downloaded many knots from netknots.com and don't remember seeing a 'slim line beauty'. That isn't a knot I'm familiar with. What I haven't been able to figure out is how a double line knot like a BT attached to a leader via a no name or other knot results in a slimmer knot than a uni to uni or an albright. Maybe if I saw one someone was throwing I could understand.


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## Tommy (Jan 24, 2001)

Drumdum said:


> A competitive distance caster,Mike, was fishing with me one night on Nags Head Pier,and was having a problem with the normal knot that he used.. I showed him a revised version of slim beauty with uni knot instead of normal clinch.. That's what he uses now.. He and Tommy both flat out sling the devil out of a piece of lead.. I've seen Mike throw ten and bait further than a REALLY good caster can throw 8.. My nomal knot for fishing is a spider or bimini to a no-name,but this knot is a much smaller connection,and the strongest-smallest single line knot I know..


Kenny,

Mike is indeed a good guy and a GREAT caster. I'd like to learn that slim beauty myself.....

Tommy


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## DERFM (Jun 19, 2004)

ok , here is the regular 'slim beauty ' 
http://www.midcurrent.com/articles/knots/slim_beauty.aspx
just substitute a uni knot after the figure 8 ..
i think this is the one kenny is talking about ...


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## Tommy (Jan 24, 2001)

Kenny,

Do you replace the running line 4 down 3 up knot with the Uni or the figure 8 on the leader with the Uni??

Tommy


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## DERFM (Jun 19, 2004)

not kenny  but it is the running line that gets the uni , after it is run through the figure 8 .
if you use a 'doubled ' running line it make a much smoother transition to the figure 8 in the shocker ...
ryan's dad first showed me how to tie this , got a 'refresher ' from mike langstrom at a casting demo awhile back ...
very 'smooth' knot , it is what i use on deb's abu's with a levelwind ...


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## Tommy (Jan 24, 2001)

Thanks Derf,

It really isn't that much different than the overhand to uni that I have used for years. 

Double overhand in the leader tied to a double line 5 turn uni in the running line.

Cool

Tommy


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## DERFM (Jun 19, 2004)

not a lot of difference , but using the figure 8 knot , the running line goes straight through the center of the knot ...
the overhand kicks everything out to the side more ...
and the figure 8 is nothing more than a double overhand ...
maybe it is just a 'mental' thing ...
but as it has been said before " use the knot you feel most comfortable tying , cause it is the one you have the most confidence in ".


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## Drumdum (Jan 6, 2003)

DERFM said:


> not kenny  but it is the running line that gets the uni , after it is run through the figure 8 .
> if you use a 'doubled ' running line it make a much smoother transition to the figure 8 in the shocker ...
> ryan's dad first showed me how to tie this , got a 'refresher ' from mike langstrom at a casting demo awhile back ...
> very 'smooth' knot , it is what i use on deb's abu's with a levelwind ...


 Derf,that is the "Mike" I was refering to in my post... 
Tommy what Derf said about making the overhand knot into a figure 8,sliding the running line through,drawing down the figure 8 tightly, making a four wrap uni,wetting it down,and sliding together,make for one heck of a small single line connection..


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