Mono to mono leader knot?

[sasquatch]

Ok, you guys who fish the bigger casting gear, how do you make your connection from,say, 40# mono to 80# mono? 

I have been using hollow spectra and making loop to loop connections. There are things I like about it, such as, it travels nicely through the guides, picks up less weeds than some knots I have used, and the lack of knots gives less reduction in strength.

Things I don't like are, it is somewhat time consuming to construct, it is difficult to reconstruct on the beach in case of a break off, and, using nail knots to anchor it, it slips a little while on a fish, and so must be redone occasionally.

Knots I have tried are the allbright and the combination of a short spider hitch and no-name knot. They also have pluses and minuses.

What do you use? Mono to mono, not braid to mono, and how is your system working for you?

[Latimeria]

You know my knot. 

It isn't my favorite, but I don't know how else to bulk down 40 to 80# mono...  It seems no matter what, is will be big and bulky. 
As you saw in our last trip, the knots held up before the leaders broke, so I'm pretty confident in that... plus it is quick to tie up on the beach if needed.  I hate the knot shooting through the guides though.

[sasquatch]

I would like to see how you tie the knot you use. Maybe this evening if we think about it.

[MASSfisher]

Have you tried the alberto knot? I read somewhere that somebody else was using it (not sure how heavy of a connection, but definitely mono to mono).

I've used it before and have tied it a few times for practice and it's pretty compact compared to the uni to uni and some other knots.

I use it all the time for spectra to fluro/mono but it's definitely common for some guys connecting mono to mono.


I did a youtube search for "shock leader" and got sidetracked after watching this knot 

[Sticks]

I have always liked the double uni knot for joining lines. With heavy mono do 3 or 4 wraps. with the 40 lbs do 4 to 6 wraps. you could even use some "Loon" brand UV knot glue to build a small taper on the front end of the 80 lbs line to make it slide through the guides a little easier.

[Chris]

Albright knot for 40-50 connected to 130-150. alberto is difficult to get set right with those lines. For 30/40 connected to 80-100lb I use a 5 turn uni (mainline wrapped around shock leader) to a single over hand (shock leader around mainline). we've caught lots of big sharks using this and it casts well. I only use the Albright for the heavier stuff because I've been slide baiting and its more streamlined for the trolley to slide over.

for the uni to over hand tie your uni first and get it tight on the shock leader but not cinched down. leave a good foot length tag end. then tie your overhand with the shock line and leave a long foot length tag end. slide the two together within a millimeter or two apart and wet it with saliva, make sure its super wet. now cinch down your uni knot and carefully pull it to touch the overhand. cinch down the overhand and you'll notice they might move apart about a millimeter, MAKE SURE YOU CLOSE THIS GAP!. getting it nice and wet with saliva pull the two knots together (by pulling the mainline and shock line) then re tighten both knots a couple more times for good measure and then pull the lines to make sure the gap is closed. the knots have to be tight and touching otherwise they will break.

Hannah and I approve of this connection!

[sasquatch]

Right on, Chris, I'll keep those in mind. Right now I have started experimenting with braid splices.

I am running 100lb solid braid, similar diameter to 40lb mono, spliced to 80lb hollow. Loop to loop connection to 80lb hollow spliced to 80lb mono using nail knot nub and serve and flexible CA to secure it. Not sold on the solid braid, but I decided to try it and see how it holds up.

And congrats on the new addition.

[Chris]

thanks! he's quite the character!

I've had better success with getting braid to cinch down properly using the alberto and Albright than mono so they are still a viable option. Braid is just more flexible and if mono kinks too tightly, it will break (that tight crease creates a hotspot when cinched down and weakens it greatly) and if you cant cinch it down tight enough, it will eventually and break, so you have to adapt and learn which knots work best for the diameter lines your using. I would still recommend trying the Uni to overhand even though your using braid but I wouldn't fish it like straight 100lb due to the overhand shock leader knot. fish it like 40lb and you'll be straight. I've had that connection hold with several tests using a spring scale under 20lbs of pressure (most of our surf casting reels are maxing at 15) so you could push it further, just not my recommendation.

as for the loop to loop. I've only used them offshore, and they weren't my setups but it seems like a good connection and as long as your mainline doesn't break you can change out shock leaders quicker than anybody who's tying knots. you can also apply more pressure to this connection than the uni to overhand.

Good luck! you guys have been killing it out there!

[sasquatch]

I like the loop to loop part of the connection. Unless I forgot my glasses, then its tough. It is a pretty seamless connection and collects almost zero weeds.

I'll update once I have a fish or two on the braid.

[WheresMyBeer]

I'm still uni - uni ... but working on the albright for the larger connects.

Still to scared to go your way with the line splice 

[Pinoyfisher]

Alberto is great for different diameter lines.