What's a better knot for fluorocarbon?

[QUAKEnSHAKE]

These KNOT WAR results 15# trilene transoptic mono -- 15# trilene FC and 14# fireline braid

[looking45]

Your knot might not be the problem. When you “cross their eyes” are you setting the hook with slack line? Try to take up the slack in the line before you set the hook. 

[Mastercaster]

double pitzen, Invisx on baitcasters and tatsu on spinning gear 

[FishTank]

I use the San Diego Jam knot. I just got back from a trip this week and fished 4 different set ups all with FC. I caught around 100+ smallmouth and other various fish. One setup had 5lb, one had 6lb, another had braid with 6lb FC leader and the last had 12lb. All used the San Diego Jam and not one break off all weak. The lines all head up well.  I fished in and around cover and grass as well. 

[Fishin Dad]

18 hours ago, Lead Head said:

Isn't the knot in @Fishin Dad video the double pitzen? 

 

It's what I use with 14lb and above sunline sniper. I have a pretty big swing and that's on a 5-6 foot leader of FC. In theory, the line and knots get more stressed than they would with straight FC. I have had 0 mystery failures in the last few years. The few failures I have had were either my fault or unavoidable. 

I never cut my tag ends flush or even very short. With t-rigs I will thread the knot and tags into the plastic. The 3 tags actually bite into the plastic and help prevent plastics from sliding down on the hook. The weight contacts the plastic instead of the knot. 

I have heard this knot called a lot of things, but yes, double pitzen is common.  The common theme is that many call this the best fluoro knot, and I agree.  I am not always a fan of the 3 tag ends as they tend to catch grass, but it is so easy to tie and has never failed me yet. 

[Dan N]

Knot using it

[LrgmouthShad]

A palomar is fine on fluorocarbon. I’ve been playing around with 18lb Sunline sniper. I got to test how strong the line and my knot is this weekend, pulling against snags trying to break it. It is unbelievably strong. There ain’t no way in heck a fish is going to break me off, unless I’ve been careless and not retied when I need to

[galyonj]

@NorthernBasser love that knot. I put that ish on everything.

 

 

[J Francho]

Improved clinch, Palomar, and Uni all work well and are all I need.

[Mike L]

@LrgmouthShad

 

I’ve used Sniper and Shooter for almost everything and have for years. 
I like it better than all the rest. 
 

Stay with it, I’m sure you will too

 

 

 

 

Mike

[LrgmouthShad]

@Mike L it is fine line. I do think I like it better than invisx, which is probably its main competitor. Both lines are quality and both have good personal attributes. In a fluoro, I was looking for something stout that holds up a little better to abrasion, and I think sniper fits that bill. It also isn’t totally rigid. It has some stretch. 

[Fishingmickey]

On 7/8/2023 at 10:01 PM, Justinfish said:

Improved clinch 5-6 wraps depending on line thickness 

X2 six wraps per Alton Jones.

PS.  I'll add that Diawa Samurai is a fine fluorocarbon line too.

FM

[Bankc]

The best knot for fluorcarbon, and I've pretty much tried them all, is the Berkley Braid Knot.  It's not, as the name implies, the best knot for braid.  But in my experience it holds up better than any other terminal knot for fluoro.  However, it's a mess of a knot to tie, so while I'll use it from time to time, I largely avoid it.  I typically use the Fish N Fool, which is a slightly modified uni, and it works well enough and is easy to tie.  I use that knot for most things, really.  I hate Palomars for fluoro.  They always fail prematurely for me, and always at the top where the mainline is pinched by the knot.  

 

The trick to most knots and fluoro is to work the knot when it's loose so you can mainly tighten it from the tag end side.  If you stress the mainline side too much while cinching the knot, it seems to weaken the line.  Kind of the same with mono, only mono is more forgiving.  Braid doesn't care.  

[NorthernBasser]

5 hours ago, galyonj said:

@NorthernBasser love that knot. I put that ish on everything.

 

 

The Trilene? It's so good. I like how the tag end ends up in the backside of the knot. Seems less likely to snag grass/slime. It's so easy and quick to tie as well. I'm surprised more people don't use it.

[galyonj]

1 minute ago, NorthernBasser said:

The Trilene? It's so good. I like how the tag end ends up in the backside of the knot. Seems less likely to snag grass/slime. It's so easy and quick to tie as well. I'm surprised more people don't use it.

 

Yessir.

 

The tag end orientation's what got me to try it, but the fact that it's literally never let me down keeps me coming back.

[txchaser]

At least on tatsu, Double SDJ is stronger than the single SDJ on a violent hookset. Knot strength under impact is not the same as knot strength on a slow pull, at least on flouro. If I recall correctly there's some crystalline structure that makes it respond differently under different kinds of loads. Anyway that makes most of the knot tests poor at simulating the actual conditions of fishing, at least for presenations that want a serious hookset. 

 

Five turns for 17-22lb, six for 12-15.

 

I tested SDJ vs doubled-line SDJ (what I am calling the double SDJ) with 15lb tatsu tied to two 3/0 hooks, one connected to the door handle, one connected to a dowel, and yanked hard enough to break the line somewhere. 100% of the time it broke by the knot on the single SDJ. I was swapping which hook was on which knot to make sure it wasn't an imperfection in the hook eye, and swapping which knot was on the dowel or on the door in case that changed something. 

 

It's just a guess on my part, but the guess is that the structure of the knot provides some sort of insulation against the violent hookset. 

 

For all of these knots on flouro, taking a little extra time to dress the knot well seems to make a difference. As an example, instead of yanking on the main line to tighten the knot, pull gently, and use the other hand to slide the knot down till it makes contact with the hook. 

 

On the list to give a serious shot are the trilene and the HH tornado. 

 

Edit: watched a video, best I can tell the Berkely Braid knot is a double SDJ without the last step. I've been trying that knot for weedy or algae spots where three forward-facing tag ends is bad. So far it has been a winner. 

 

 

Edited July 11, 2023 by txchaser
berkely knot

[Darth-Baiter]

the double SDJ is a great knot.  the only downside is that the three tag ends act like a pitchfork and grabs grass.  

[Boomstick]

The trilene knot is often recommended for fluoro and it does work but the uni works better. I’ve only broken off once and that was my fault - after pulling out several snags over a couple days I should have retied and lost a real nice one.

 

I go for 5 turns, but I lose count and go with 4 or 6 that works too.

 

The palomar is not great with fluoro and the double is much worse.

[J Francho]

10 minutes ago, Boomstick said:

The palomar is not great with fluoro and the double is much worse.

The palomar is actually VERY strong with fluoro, but it has to be tied carefully and properly. I used to do a knot strength demo at seminars I held with my speaking partner, Paul, who was a very good angler. We'd both tie a palomar on the same rod and reel and test the break strength. I always got well into the 6.x range with 6 lb. Invisx. He never got over 4. I noticed he let the line roll over itself and pulled it tight from the main line. You gotta snug it up gently and cinch from the tag end. It was always entertaining and eye opening. 

[Boomstick]

1 minute ago, J Francho said:

You gotta snug it up gently and cinch from the tag end. It was always entertaining and eye opening.

I always pull in the tag end and then both together. Haven’t had terrible luck with the palomar myself but I’ve had to pull some snags out on 10 or 12lb line and that sure took a lot of work.