Trilene XL issues

[RiverFisher13]

I have been using Trilene for years and have using same knot as well. But as of late i have been having alot of knot slipping issues. Is anyone else been experiencing these same problems?

[burleytog]

What knot are you tying?

[dead eye]

I have fished Trilene XL a lot and used a Palomar knot, I leave the tag end about 1/16inch long never seem to have any slipping problems.

[firefightn15]

XL shouldn't be giving you any problems, are you getting sloppy and not dressing the knot? Otherwise I would be respooling with a different batch and see how that does for you. Burley asked what knot you are using; have you switched recently from something else you were tying?

[The Rooster]

I've had this problem for some time on XL when I tie the clinch knot. Just unwravels and falls out after tying. Palomar knot, no problems but I can't really see that knot pulling out anyway. I always wet the line before pulling tight also but it still would come undone on me. Got tired of tying the same knot 3 or 4 times before I could cast and switched to Stren. Occasionally I'll have that happen on that line too.........so maybe the problem is me. ;D  Doesn't seem to happen nearly as often using Stren though.

[firefightn15]

I've had this problem for some time on XL when I tie the clinch knot. Just unwravels and falls out after tying. Palomar knot, no problems but I can't really see that knot pulling out anyway. I always wet the line before pulling tight also but it still would come undone on me. Got tired of tying the same knot 3 or 4 times before I could cast and switched to Stren. Occasionally I'll have that happen on that line too.........so maybe the problem is me. ;D Doesn't seem to happen nearly as often using Stren though.

Rooster, are you bringing the tag thru it's own loop or are you running it thru just above the hook eye? Other than Yozuri XL is about all I use with no issues. :-/

In other words, are you using the clinch or improved clinch?

[The Rooster]

I think it's the improved clinch knot.

Here's what I do, and I know it's probably lazy. I run the line through the hook eye, then pull tag end up beside main line and twist the hook several times to essentially wrap the tag around the main line a few times. That's the lazy part. After that I put the tag through the loop above the hook eye and then bring back up and put through the loop created when I took it through the first loop. When I do that last step I put it in from behind (cross over line and come back in from the same direction as when I went in above hook eye) instead of just coming straight up and through. Seems to not unwravel as much when I do that. I notice looking at pictures of how to tie this knot though that they just bring it straight up and through without going in behind like I do but when I tie this way it always falls apart when I pull it tight.

Hope this explanation made sense. I can produce pictures if needed using a rope for easy viewing.

[trevor]

Try wrapping it 5-7 times if youre not already doing that.

[SirSnookalot]

Never a issue when using a clinch knot with any kind of line, I singe the tag end putting a bead on it, very unlikely the knot will pull thru.

[Revo_Carrot Stix]

Not sure if anyone has caught North American Fisherman (Versus Country I think?), but they have a segment called Knot Wars with some pretty good animation and strength tests if you're willing to try something different. They test braid, flouro and mono.

http://www.fishingclub.com/ExtraContent/ExtraContentHome.aspx

[Crestliner2008]

I've been using the "Trilene" knot for about 15 years now and haven't had any problem. I have Trilene on 2 of my reels, 4# test on one and 8# test on another.

[Paul Roberts]

I have been using Trilene for years and have using same knot as well. But as of late i have been having alot of knot slipping issues. Is anyone else been experiencing these same problems?

Now that you mention it -yes. Mine has been with Trilene XT. I do not ever remember having this happen in the past, and I've used XT for years. It's not been a lot, but I lost two really good fish coming back with a pigtail -not break-offs. At first I thought I'm getting sloppy in tying. But I also noticed my tag ends getting shorter in the knot as I fish. I've adjusted by making sure I had 6 turns (always used 5 with heavier monos), snugging really tight (moistened and slowly), and leaving the tag a little longer. Another additional safety thing would be to tie an overhand knot in the tag end. This was needed on the origianl "clinch knot" before it was 'improved' by going back through the first loop before tightening. This was done bc the original slipped. I haven't done this -yet. And if it comes to that I will switch lines.

Until you asked I never thought about the possibility of reformulation at the factory. A new lubricant or other additive perhaps. It would be worth writing to Berkley and at least asking if this is possible. While they may not be definitive, they might just look into it. It would be fairly easy to test with proper equipment. I would think they'd want to know.

Not that this is truly the case. You and I could simply be getting sloppy in our knot tying? I wear magnifier glasses to get the job done now lol.

Interesting.

[dodgeguy]

just tie a palomar and be done with it.a properly wetted and tied palomar will never fail you and it's easy to tie.

[firefightn15]

I have been using Trilene for years and have using same knot as well. But as of late i have been having alot of knot slipping issues. Is anyone else been experiencing these same problems?

Now that you mention it -yes. Mine has been with Trilene XT. I do not ever remember having this happen in the past, and I've used XT for years. It's not been a lot, but I lost two really good fish coming back with a pigtail -not break-offs. At first I thought I'm getting sloppy in tying. But I also noticed my tag ends getting shorter in the knot as I fish. I've adjusted by making sure I had 6 turns (always used 5 with heavier monos), snugging really tight (moistened and slowly), and leaving the tag a little longer. Another additional safety thing would be to tie an overhand knot in the tag end. This was needed on the origianl "clinch knot" before it was 'improved' by going back through the first loop before tightening. This was done bc the original slipped. I haven't done this -yet. And if it comes to that I will switch lines.

Until you asked I never thought about the possibility of reformulation at the factory. A new lubricant or other additive perhaps. It would be worth writing to Berkley and at least asking if this is possible. While they may not be definitive, they might just look into it. It would be fairly easy to test with proper equipment. I would think they'd want to know.

Not that this is truly the case. You and I could simply be getting sloppy in our knot tying? I wear magnifier glasses to get the job done now lol.

Interesting.

After reading the original post and thinking about it, I would suspect that your right.  It's been the only real thing that I could think of that would cause the slippage.  One bad knot, maybe, but several? 

[J-B]

I have been using a clinch knot like you described since I was a kid and I can only recall ever having an issue only once or twice.  I use it on all my lines, braid and all.  If it is a bigger bait I tend to feed the line through the hook eye twice before doing the knot.  I wet the line a bit and then give it a good strong pull to get it good and tight.  I agree, it sounds like something might be different with the line.

[Paul Roberts]

Reformulations happen, for a number of reasons.

I'm slow to switch to new lines bc it takes some time to get to know them and you can get to know what they do, and trust this, pretty well.

Some examples: I fished XT when it first appeared, after I saw the need for a more abrasion resistant line than XL for bass in cover. Originally it was also a low stretch line. I tested this one night when the tackle shop I worked in was slow, lifting trolling weights from various lines over the back of a tubular metal chair. I found XT to have, by a good bit, the least stretch before it could lift the weight. Falling behind it was Stren's new 'low stretch' "co-filament" called Prime. This testing (playing lol) showed me that there is a lot of possibilities in line formulations, and other testing showed that there are a lot of properties that enter in to different situations. Anyway, abrasion resistance and stretch are two major ones.

I found the low stretch of XT to be somewhat of a liability though -it was brittle, or, the breaking point came up fast. Put max pressure on a fish and I was in danger of the line parting suddenly. I had been very much used to the stretch in XL, so this was new, and something to get used to. Stretch really cushions things, and allows you to flirt around the max break point more, without risking going over. You can feel, and sometimes hear, the line reaching max -feels and sounds like a string coming taut -bboiiiiiinnnnnnggggg -STOP! Or you'll break 'er off! I backreel with spinning tackle too, so I maintain complete control over how much I give and take. Old XT was different; it went bboiinngg-SNAP!

Now, after getting back into bass fishing after some years chasing other critters, I found added verbage in the XT product description -'shock resistance'. This is the main feature of Berkley Big Game -and my guess is this means in large part, stretch.

So XT is now stretchier, and I've yet to break anything off with it, not due to a faulty knot. But I have had some knots slip. This I do not remember ever happening with old XT or XL.

[RiverFisher13]

Sorry for late response, i have been using a clinch knot. And a new formula is what i was leaning towards.

[CWB]

No knot is foolproof, but the Double Palomar is pretty close and easy to tie. A must with braid.