My Knot Failed?

[livemusic]

I usually use a palomar but I tied an improved clinch knot on braid. An expensive spinner bait. Caught a jackfish (chain pickerel) and lost him and the bait. Got the line back and it was not conclusive... I figured his teeth cut the line... but there was a little curly cue on the end of the line and I thought... hmmm... this looks like it could be caused by tying the knot. Meaning the knot failed?

 

I have read that many people do use improved clinch knot on braid. I am wondering... how much tag end should you have on this knot. I had very little, like probably less than 1/16". How much? How much for a palomar tag end?

 

I do not think that I wet the line when I cinched it down. I haven't been doing that but I am going to start. That bait was about $9. I am hoping it was just his teeth. Those fish love a spinner bait.

[F14A-B]

Um, I'm not so sure this is anything more than normal break offs, I mean, these things do occur you know.. If it were occurring a high percentage of the time.. Maybe there's another issue, I'm not so sure that's the case here though..

[Cgrinder]

Don't tie the clinch on braid. She'll slip.

[S Hovanec]

Sounds to me like the knot slipped

[bigturtle]

if you want to tie any knot that you are unsure of, double the number of loops around the eye of the lure. this usually fixes the problem.

[J Francho]

A curly-que with braid?  Who knows.  Two things, I don't use braid for spinnerbaits.  Pickeral can slice through braid with not only their teeth, but the gill and rough scales over the gill plate are abrasive as well.  OK, three things....I don't generally spend $9 on spinnerbaits.  Not even my custom made ones cost that much.

[John G]

Uni Knot!

[QUAKEnSHAKE]

Don't tie the clinch on braid. She'll slip.

Even in the PowerPro manual it has -do not use clinch knot it will slip. Not saying PP was used though.

[rippin-lips]

With braid I only ever use the palomar knot. I really don't see any reason not to. It's super quick to tie, and it hasn't failed me yet. Be sure to pull on the main line real good after you tie it. There usually is a small amount of slip but it's not much. However with 1/16" of tag it sounds like that was the issue. I cut my tag end after I fully tighten the knot down and leave about a 1/4" of tag. You can even hit it with a lighter for a bit of extra security if you feel the need to.

[bigturtle]

 You can even hit it with a lighter for a bit of extra security if you feel the need to.

What does this do?

[Maxximus Redneckus]

What does this do?

makes a melted knot at the end thatvis hopefully bigger then the loops in the knot preventing it from slipping through

[gulfcaptain]

If you are going to tie a clinch knot, you need to either do a San Diego knot which holds well (instead of wrapping up you wrap down then go through both loops, wet and tighten.) or you run your line twice through the eye of the hook then tie.  Now after you tiied your knot, lock it down with 2 half hitches.  I don't like the palomar knot, and tie either the improved clinch or the San Diego knot all the time (other then snelling a hook).  And you should ALWAYS wet your line before you tighten.  Doesn't matter what knot you tie.  If you don't wet it you can possibly not cinch it down all the way hence when it's under pressure it fails or you create a bad spot from the line rubbing and chaffing itself which could lead to line failing.  Both can be avioded.  And I only cut the tag end off after I am completely satisfied with my knot.  If it looks questionable, well I cut it off and retie.  

[rippin-lips]

makes a melted knot at the end thatvis hopefully bigger then the loops in the knot preventing it from slipping through

You get a gold star for the day.

[CWB]

I double the knot through the linetie before tying any knot I use with braid. Don't recall any slipping but have had biteoffs.

[madweazl]

Was using 15lb Power Pro braid today and had a heck of time with the San Diego for the first few tries. I use this not pretty much exclusively on flurocarbon and mono but it took a few tries to get used to it on braid. Easier to do a uni for me. 

[bigturtle]

my god, you people have to burn your line to get a knot to hold? wow.....

[Ozark_Basser]

Double uni or double Palomar work very well with braid. The double uni is one stout knot for braid.

[John G]

A single Uni is all you need. I bent the crap out of a 4/0 Flippin Hook with a single Uni while pulling on a big branch and the knot did not break.

[Ozark_Basser]

A single Uni is all you need. I bent the crap out of a 4/0 Flippin Hook with a single Uni while pulling on a big branch and the knot did not break.

True. But I like the reassurance when throwing big baits on braid. You cannot break that knot if you tie it on heavy braid.

[ABW]

I only use a palomar with braid. Learned my lesson when tying a San Diego Jam. These types of knots slip.

[yakingfisherman]

I use the reverse improved clinch knot on all my lines including braid. Never had one knot slip on me. great knot.

[Master Bait'r]

Double palomar with braid.

I mean if you're going to do it once, twice is not hard. Just get 'er real wet before you cinch. It will Never. Ever. Slip.

[hatrix]

All I seem to ever use any more is a San Diego Jam now. I even tie it with braid now and it has never failed me yet. It can be a little tricky with braid at first because it doesnt want to slide down and bunches up. Just grab the knot and twist it down the line if that happens and it will slide right down. Do the same the thing with other lines if it looks bad like ti will be a bad knot and it should come out perfect. Also when I tie it I only go through the top loop. I don't actually know if that is a different knot but it has never failed me since I started tying it last year. 

[SirSnookalot]

Nothing wrong with the improved clinch knot and braid, making a second wrap on the final step will prevent the tag end from pulling thru.  I have caught hundreds of tarpon, snook and jacks using 15 or 20# and never a problem, provided I tied the knot right.

I saw this tip demonstrated on TV by Henry Waszcuk, boy was he ever right.

[ThatZX14Fella]

I believe wetting the line is more of a precaution for people. I never do it when I tie knots and very very rarely do my knots give. For example, when I get caught on a rock or something underwater (which happens a lot for me), the line tends to break 90% of the time instead of my knot failing. I used to only tie the improved clinch, but now basically all I tie is the San Diego Jam.