# The best knot for braid to terminal tackle



## High Plains Drifter (Feb 16, 2007)

I am posting this (a re-post form another forum) because of the excellent bimini twist post nearby. The bimini is great with mono but there is a better knot for spectra braid. - HPD

My hands are cut and raw. My wife avoids me. A mouse in the corner of my workshop has a nice new nest made of bits and ends of broken spectra. I’ve worn out and broken my scale and had to buy a new one. My nerves are as frayed as the broken line that litters my basement.

I’ve completed THREE full days of testing and breaking braided spectra line. Much of the responsibility for this belongs to this article. http://www.sportfishingmag.com/article.jsp?ID=43557 I had some issues with this article most of which was that the extensive knot testing was done with 20# Fireline and very little was done with braid. Results with Fireline CANNOT be extrapolated to braid. They are completely different critters.

The main objective of my project was to see if I could tweak 30# braid to the same knot breaking strength as my usual 50# PowerPro. I should explain my surf fishing is done on the Mexican Pacific where the added distance with a lower diameter line is very beneficial. Secondary goals were to evaluate the new Sufix Performance Braid, to investigate a “mystery break” theory, and to investigate the “low abrasion” reputation of braid.

First and foremost, I have succeeded in tweaking 30# braid to the same strength at which I was effectively fishing 50#. It’s all about knots. I tested hundreds and hundreds of knots of every type and description. Previously, I was using the Palomar knot with 50# PowerPro and I was happy with its strength and performance. I was quite surprised to find this knot tests at only 25-30# with 50# line. Time and time again I repeated this with careful attention to drawing down the knot correctly and stressing the knot modestly to simulate casting strains. Knowing now the breaking strength I was happily using, I searched for a way to make the effective strength of 30# line the same. I’ll spare you the hours and hours. Suffice it to say I almost used up a 150-yard spool. Here it is.

The best knot for braid is the five turn UniKnot with doubled line. It takes some skill and experience to tie this knot correctly. Inattention to details will make this knot inconsistent and weak. When done correctly, this knot twirls around itself when drawing up forming a uniform overlaying wrap. It must be drawn up high on the line and then gently slid down to the hook and tightened again. Attention must be given mid-way during tying this knot to the drape of the slack. If you have tried this knot before and discarded it may have been your technique. Maybe, if I can figure out how to video in extreme close-up, I will post a video. Using this knot with 30# braid, I can obtain 25-27# of breaking strength. This is the same strength as when I used 50# braid with a palomar knot!! The good news is you should only have to tie it ONCE !! I’ll explain a little later.

The five turn doubled UniKnot turns 50# braid into a juggernaut. I was able to achieve 35-40# of breaking strength. Why less total strength by percentage than 30#. Not sure but still a substantial gain over the palomar knot.



I was very excited to try the praised 30# Sufix Performance braid against vilified 30# Power. I was hoping for a miracle. I’m very sorry to say that Powerpro was the same as Sufix in my knot and strength testing. Exactly the same. Sufix has a little different weaving and maybe this lends to more durability but I have another thought about durability. I noticed when braid breaks it recoils upon itself within the braid. Braid is not zero stretch. It rebounds significantly. This creates uneven tension on the thousands of micro fibers and results in minute slack in individual fibers even yards up the line. When all the fibers cannot share the load equally there is loss of breaking strength. Here is a picture of broken braid. See that the weave has been disrupted?



Even though the braid looks fine when tensed up again the damage is there. This effect compounds with each break. After three or four breaks the line starts to break easily somewhere in its running length. Sometimes yards from the knot! This happens with both PowerPro and Sufix.

THE WORST THING YOU CAN DO IS BREAK YOUR SPECTRA BRAID LINE!! While I’m sure an occasional bad weaving comes from the factory, I believe most “mystery breaks” come from a line that was stressed through several previous break offs. A SACRIFICAL LEADER IS THE BEST THING YOU CAN DO FOR YOU SPECTRA BRAID! This balance between a sacrificial leader and the strength of the braid can only be found through experimentation and can be done several ways. All mono does not break at its labeled strength. You can use a lighter test of mono. You can use heavier mono (good for abrasion) and tie a weak joining knot. Or you can tie a couple of overhand knots in the heavier mono.

Try as I might I can’t convince myself that the abrasion resistance of spectra braid is low. I have run it over all manner of sharp objects. Perhaps when folks are fishing nasty water they are getting snagged and several braid break offs soon reduce their braid to crap??

So, I now have 30# spectra braid joined to a Spro Power swivel with a doubled UniKnot. A 34-inch length of 30# Sufix mono is tied to it with a quick and weak knot I learned years ago called the Crawford knot. The braid breaks at 28#. The mono breaks at 24#. Perfect. I have cast 3-ounce lures thousands of times with the equivalent strength line and never cracked off (you would need a heavier shock leader system with a tournament type high energy cast). I cannot put more than 17 pounds of pull on my 12-foot Rainshadow 1387 without fear of breaking it.

Here is a youtube video of tying the Five Turn Doubled Uni-Knot. Forgive the dorky dialog and the shakey hands. It's really tough to watch a video screen, tie a knot, and talk and the same time! http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cGL2aD9q-cE

LIVE IN FEAR FISH!!!! – HPD


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## tnturtle (Jan 10, 2007)

Excellet post .Thanks.


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## Digger (Jan 4, 2000)

Thank You for the post. I agree on the sacrificial leader though my reason was purely finacial. This information points out the direct tye has lots of problems with snags for example..


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## kelsch (Aug 7, 2003)

*tangle WARNING*

I tried the 50# PP (no problems) for plugging in Mexico and thought I could get more distance with the 30# (I did, maybe 10-15%) but the unexplainable knot that appears somewhere in the cast line a few times a day started to get to me. So last year I started using 40# PP. Got better distance than the 50# on average and no annoying knots. I hope 30# works better for you. It seems like some slight tweak might get rid of the knots but I couldn't find it quickly and decided not to risk a problem during a once a year trip.


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## fingersandclaws (Oct 17, 2005)

Wind knots!!!! That's why I switched from PP. If using spinning or conventional, if you use a shockleader or anything tied to the mainline, that knot sometimes gets "hung up" on one of the guides for just a fraction allowing the line behind it to "catch up" and when it releases, you got a nice little mess  Berkley Fireline, for me, gets high praises just for the fact I have yet to get a wind knot. 

Also, higher diameter line helps the situation, so you going back to 50lb. is another solution. If you like the added distance from the smaller line, try something other than PP. BTW, I don't work for any company in competition with PP, just my personal experience.


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## High Plains Drifter (Feb 16, 2007)

kelsch said:


> I tried the 50# PP (no problems) for plugging in Mexico and thought I could get more distance with the 30# (I did, maybe 10-15%) but the unexplainable knot that appears somewhere in the cast line a few times a day started to get to me. So last year I started using 40# PP. Got better distance than the 50# on average and no annoying knots. I hope 30# works better for you. It seems like some slight tweak might get rid of the knots but I couldn't find it quickly and decided not to risk a problem during a once a year trip.



The topic of wind knots is a whole chapter in itself. One component is line suppleness. Once you key in on the mechanics and causes of a variety of wind knots (yep, it's a garbage can term for several different knots) they can be avoided. Maybe, in the near future, I'll post something detailing wind knots and their avoidance. - High Plains Drifter (HPD)


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