Leader knot problem

[MikeMc]

This year I finally decided to try a spinning setup with braid and a fluorocarbon leader. I've been tying the uni-to-uni knot for many years and decided to go with that. I also read an article that Gary Yamamoto wrote about how he likes to make his leader long enough so that when he's fighting a fish by the boat the knot will be laying on the spool. I used 30lb braid and a 15lb test berkeley 100% fluoro leader to cast and skip spider grubs. I tied a good knot and superglued it. I caught a few fish on the setup, but nothing big, just small keepers. The knot coming thru the guides was painful to hear on each cast. And towards the end of the day yesterday I made a cast and the knot broke while going thru the top eye, sending my jig soaring across the lake. Any one else have this problem? I really like the setup so I want to solve this issue.   Thanks alot.

[bocabasser]

i used to have the same problem until i switched to seagar flourcarbon leader. i also used a uni to uni knot. give it a try. i only use about 2 feet of leader, because i hate the sound and way it goes through the eyes. i only use 2 feet of leader so that the knot does not go through the guides. i believe that is why my knots kept failing. the constant rubbing against the guides eventually frays and weakens your knots.

[Redsyn]

I have been using this knot

http://www.animatedknots.com/albright/index.php?LogoImage=LogoGrog.jpg&Website=www.animatedknots.com

it is smaller then the uni-uni and easy to tie. Maybe you can give it a try.

[roadwarrior]

Learn how to tie the Blood Knot:

http://www.animatedknots.com/bloodknot/index.php?LogoImage=LogoGrog.jpg&Website=www.animatedknots.com

The easiest way to practice is with a thin cotton rope. This way you can see what you are doing. By clearly observing the procedure, it will surprise you how much easier knots are to learn.

8-)

p.s. After you get a hang for tying the Blood Knot and develope a trust, you can cut the tag ends down to the bone. The knot will not fail!

[MikeMc]

I actually practiced that knot and used it to join my braid to the backing on my reel. Seems like a nice little knot. Do you let that knot go through the guides on the cast, or do you make the leader short enough so it doesn't have to? It just seems like any knot could break after casting it through the guides hundreds of times throughout the day. My line broke right at the knot and left the coils in tact. I was left with braid and both sets of uni knot coils. The fluoro broke right at the knot.

[Wayne P.]

I use 30# Stren Super Braid with about 4' of 20# XPS Fluorocarbon on spinning gear. I use a 6 turn on both sides uni-uni knot. No problems casting or retrieving through a 6 mm rod tip. I cut off the tag ends flush with the knots and don't use any glue. Most of the time I will replace the leader after about 100-150 bass. I have never had a casting or fish related breakoff with that setup and it's been about 5 years. When I get hung up on some underwater obstacle and have to break off, usually the line breaks at the hook and that is usually due to fish teeth abraison making the line weaker.

I use a 4 turn uni-uni knot for the braid to mono backing connection.

When I first started using fluorocarbon, I used Vanish and it would break where you stated, but the cause was from friction when tying the knot and poor quality line. Sinced I switched to the XPS, no problems.

I suspect your knot tying ability is the culprit or the new Berkley fluorocarbon is just relabled Vanish with lower breaking strength per line diameter as compared to original Vanish. (compare the two line diameters in the same pound test)