# Crimping braid



## seafisher (Mar 11, 2003)

I've heard of some people on here using braid for leaders and I had a question about that. Can you crimp braid like mono or sevenstrand? Does it try to come out of the crimp? Thanks.


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## AL_N_VB (Apr 3, 2002)

I haven't.Any terminal tackle I tie on to braid gets the good ole' reliable Palomer knot.I occasionally chek my braided line cause,even though they say it is abraision resistant,I have been close to loosing fish cause a couple of the braid strands being cut by obstruction.

My .02 cents.


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## Cdog (Mar 18, 2002)

*Hey NS4D*

Don't use braid Yet. But was wondering when tying th polomar do you tie a simple polomar or a double polomar? A friend of mine that mates in Hatteras told me if I ever used braid I had to use a doulble cuz th braid would slide. Just wondering what your experience has been. Thanks.


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## BentHook (Dec 22, 2002)

I don't think it's possible to crimp braid but there is a braid line that you can splice together. It works on the chinese finger principal. 
When you tie a knot with braid, you must use extra turns and wraps and loops. The line must be pulled tighter then when using mono. Use gloves and wrap the braid around your hand or fingers several times and use pliers when it's possible. like attaching to a swivel. 
Go to www.powerpro.com and they show what type of knots to use and not to use.
When using braid for a shockleader and fishing from the surf, the braid will wear much faster so keep an eye on it.


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## catman (May 28, 2001)

Although I use braided line I don't think I'd trust a crimp in it. The dia is too small in most cases. Good point about checking your braid when used a shock leader.

Catman.


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## AL_N_VB (Apr 3, 2002)

*CDOG,*

All terminal tackle and lures-I have used a single turn Palomer knot.

I mainly fish 20 lbs braid on my 8 foot trout rod,and from hooking up with 3 ft.rays to 6-7 lbs troutand 24 to 27 inch stripers,the standard Palomer has held its own.

It's a simple knot to tie,and PP suggests using it.


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## RJohn (Oct 24, 2002)

seafisher, 
I have heard of using 50/80lb as shock leader. Big braid would probably work for a "bite" leader and would be more abrasion resistant than 30/20 lb braid but I agree with N4D that you really run a risk using it for abrasion resistance. Many use flourocarbon for abrasion resistance when using braid. Knots that work well are unii-knots, uni to hardware, uni to unit for braid to fluor or mono leader, palomar for braid to hardware ( have not used the double and have not lost anything), and either the alberto knot or the "guides" knot for braid to leader. You can find the alberto knot with a Gooble search or on SOL and the guides knot is an overhand knot in the mono/fluro, braid through the overhand and then an 8-turn uni with the braid over the mono, simple, small and strong knot. I don't think that you could get a crimp small enough to work even with 80 lb or larger braid and based on my experience with crimping mono I think you run a serious risk of cutting the braid. Good luck.
John


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## seafisher (Mar 11, 2003)

I know that Power Pro makes 250 lb. test braid that is 80 lb. test diameter. I don't know how hard that would be to tie but it would cast better than big mono and drift less.


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## sand flea (Oct 24, 1999)

Have any sharkers or king fishermen out there used heavy braid instead of wire? Seems like it might actually be able to slip between the nasty chompers of toothy species.

At least it should hold up with some of the blues.


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## FisherDan (Jun 8, 2003)

"A friend of mine that mates in Hatteras told me if I ever used braid I had to use a doulble cuz the braid would slide. Just wondering what your experience has been."

Cdog, your friend gave you good advice about using a double Palomar knot. It is much stronger (20% to 30%) than the single, conventional, Palomar. He's also right about slippage being a big problem with braid knots. Depending upon the line diameter, I use two, three or even four warps, when tying a modified Palomar with braid. You will have to use a pair of pliers on the tag end to tighten the loop up snug. Wet the knot down with spit before you attempt to tighten it. If you can't pull the loop up tight, re-tie the knot with fewer wraps.

I modified an old spring scale to test knot strength and it's been a real education. Most polyethylene braid line tests out much stronger than it is rated. As an example, Spiderwire Stealth, 20# is actually tests out above 30#. Many of the knots that are recommended by the braid manufacturers are actually quite weak, some testing only about 50%, or even less, of the actual line strength. Because the line strength is grossly understated, inferior knots appear to be of acceptable strength.

Here's my short list of four knots that work with braid:
- 40 to 50 turn Bimini twist
- Offshore swivel knot (a.k.a. Cat's paw knot), used together with Bimini
- 25 turn Albright knot with tag end passed through leader loop twice 
(I have developed an improved 25 turn Albright that features three to five figure eight wraps in the leader. This knot is considerably stronger than the the Albright listed above. I also use a variation of this figure eight knot together with two Biminis to splice running line to backing. I'll try to come up with a description of how to tie it and post it later.)
- Double, triple or quad Palomar knot

Dan


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## seafisher (Mar 11, 2003)

Sand flea, I king fish and no one that I know or have saw, has ever used braid. We always use single strand or sevenstrand wire 60-100 lb. test. And sometimes, titanium wire, which will not kink like single strand.


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