Breaking knot

[JMitch]

I have had some issues lately with my knot breaking. I have always tied what I call the Trilene knot and also the Palomar knot. I am using 12-14 lb test monofilament line as a leader on 20-30 lb braid. Many times I have the knot break leaving a little “curlyQ” on the line were it breaks. I am assuming that is the knot break and not just the line breaking. I have used the knots for decades and had no problem in the past. Any help would be appreciated. 

[huZZah]

I went through a phase of exactly this with Trilene knot. I paid closer attention to how tight I was cinching and how much I was cutting off tag end. That solved it for me. The curly line made me think I stretched it hard while tightening the knot. Then it slipped when I set hook or pulled due to not having enough tag to hold onto. 

[gunsinger]

I recently went through a stretch where my leader was breaking at the knot on hookset. I began to wonder if maybe the leader was just too old as I’d never had issues with knot breakage before. I ended up dumping the leader and just going straight braid. 

[Captain Phil]

8 hours ago, JMitch said:

I am using 12-14 lb test monofilament line as a leader on 20-30 lb braid. 

 

Why don't you ditch the braid and just use the mono?  I don't see the advantage?

[T-Billy]

What kind of mono? When fishing straight mono, I like low stretch, with Trilene XT being my favorite. Braid to leader, I use Big Game. BG has a bit more stretch and is famous for it's shock absorbing ability. 

Sound advice from huZZah above. Watch your knot closely when cinching down. When everything stops moving you're done. Don't over tighten and stress the knot, and lubricate well before cinching.

[MickD]

"Curly" usually indicates that the knot  is slipping, not breaking.  With any monofiliment line, sometimes even with braid.  You can change lines, but most likely nothing will change until you change your knot tying process.  

[Mike L]

So I assume then it’s the mono knot that’s slipping at the terminal end and that it’s is a rare occurrence?

 

If so, your knot tying process changed for some reason as @Mick D said, or your line has been compromised. 
 

 

 

 

 

Mike

 

[JMitch]

Thanks guys. I am thinking that I am tying the knot too right then. I will pay more attention. In response to why don’t I just use straight mono? I use too. Once I tried braided line I will never go back to straight mono. Totally out performs mono. No line memory issues and almost no backlash issues. Also if I go straight braid it is too hard too break if I get snagged. Braid with mono leader seems to work great. 

[Captain Phil]

Mono stretches.  Sometimes that's an advantage.  With today's Fluorocarbon line, there is no need to use cable for fishing line and tie on a leader.  As you discovered, all this does is add another knot to break.    The price of braid and fluoro are compatible.   In my opinion, 100% flouro is a much better choice.  Other's may disagree.  

[MickD]

How do you define "too right?"  If it's curling, it's slipping, and it's not tied right.  If I use an improved clinch knot with 5 turns, setting it tightly while it's wet, and including setting the tag end tightly, with any mono or FC or hybrid, I don't get curly ends.  If it breaks, it breaks straight indicating that it broke, not slipped.

[T-Billy]

5 minutes ago, Captain Phil said:

Mono stretches.  Sometimes that's an advantage.  With today's Fluorocarbon line, there is no need to use cable for fishing line and tie on a leader.  As you discovered, all this does is add another knot to break.    The price of braid and fluoro are compatible.   In my opinion, 100% flouro is a much better choice.  Other's may disagree.  

I have to disagree on this one. Flouro has worse knot strength than mono, doesn't recover from shock well, and while the price per spool is similar, braid doesn't need to be changed out nearly as often as flouro making braid more cost effective. I also much prefer the way braid handles, particularly 832.

[Captain Phil]

1 hour ago, T-Billy said:

I have to disagree on this one. Flouro has worse knot strength than mono, doesn't recover from shock well, and while the price per spool is similar, braid doesn't need to be changed out nearly as often as flouro making braid more cost effective. I also much prefer the way braid handles, particularly 832.

 

Another braid vs. mono/flouro thread?  Why not?  ?

 

 I don't know what braid everyone else is using, but braid wraps around my rod tip, backlashes are more numerous  and much harder to pick out.    I end up cussing it all day. When flouro first came out it was stiff and coiled like a snake, so I went back to mono.  Recently, there has been a great improvement in fluorocarbon fishing line.  My Seaguar line is a pleasure to fish with.  I get more bites.  I don't need a leader and stretch is not an issue. 

[WRB]

Both the trilene and Palomar knots use a double line around the hook eye. If  the 2 lines cross over each other and not lay side by side the line flattens during clinching tight. You can see the damaged flatten line as a shiny spot. The line is severely damage and breaks easily at weakened area.

To test the mono line before using it simply make 2 or 3 wraps around tour hands about afoot length and snap your hands apart. If the line breaks easily it’s bad.

When tying the Palomar don’t twist the loop going over the hook, that crosses the double line over.

Tom