Mono to Braid/Dacron Knot?

[Rancanfish]

I can tie a knot just as good as Joe Biden, and remember them just as long.

Every year I have to review my knot animations to get some rigs tied up. I have been using the uni to uni over the years but feel it hit my guides. I wish rod builders would get away from the smaller eyelets some use.

[UKChris1]

When adding mono topshots to dacron (50lb and up) (or the heavier strength PE braid such as 150-200lb), I splice the mono into the hollow braided line and whip the juntion with fine, waxed floss. The details are important to prevent any chance of the mono sliding out but, properly done, it is 100% reliable and pretty much 100% in strength too as well as being slim and smooth for passing through the guides.

I would use the same system with finer PE braids but they are usually too thin to be able to splice (even with wearing extra-strong reading glasses!)

Downside it that it takes some time.

[Keta]

I have the time to build L2L topshots.

[thorhammer]

double uni, if very dissimilar diameter, double the braid with surgeon or bimini. I have broken equipment before this breaks.

[MarkT]

I'm a big fan of Alan's Modified Tony Pena.  It took me a while to learn it because I'm bad at learning new knots.  Bill

I'm a big fan of Alan's Modified Tony Pena.  It took me a while to learn it because I'm bad at learning new knots.  Bill

That's what is called a Bob Sands knot. Same as the Tony Peña but with a uni rather than an overhead in the mono.

[MarkT]

The best knot to tie is the knot you tie best. A theoretically better knot that you can't tie well isn't a better knot. I usually go with an Alberto/RP/Improved Albright... it has many names but it's easy, and good, to tie... works for me!

[Patudo]

It pays to learn the best knot (or at least a good knot) for your particular application though.  Loop to loop connections may be fine for trolling but would be a disadvantage for casting. 

The pic in the OP looks like heavy dacron or braid on top of mono - is this some kind of casting leader? This seems like a somewhat unusual setup and I'd like to know what exactly is being used and what its intended purpose is.  (I did ask in my post #14 but got no reply.)

[alantani]

https://youtu.be/dkZr7hIQbfM?feature=shared

[GrowleyMonster]

Backing to main line, I go with a double uni, number of turns on each side depending on relative line size. Main line to shock leader, FG is very slightly less bulky but I use a single uni, plenty of turns, of the main line around the shocker, make a slight knob in the shocker with a hot lighter or cigar or soldering iron or stove grate, and with the uni almost cinched down all the way tight, I slide it down right down to the knob and then pull the uni dead tight. Then I take a piece of light line and make a free standing uni around the main line and slide it down to the join, so it sort of streamlines the knot from that side, too. I have never had this pull out. Braid to mono, or braid to braid. 20lb to 200 lb shock leader, or 40 to 80, whatever. Equal diameter, I use a normal double uni. I refresh that knot every fishing day because the last turn or two get beat up pretty good by the guides. I don't like to uni the shock leader around the main line because of the bulk.

[JasonGotaProblem]

So you're basically tying a uni knot like it's an FG? I'm gonna call it the FU knot.

[boon]

Backing to main line, I go with a double uni, number of turns on each side depending on relative line size. Main line to shock leader, FG is very slightly less bulky but I use a single uni, plenty of turns, of the main line around the shocker, make a slight knob in the shocker with a hot lighter or cigar or soldering iron or stove grate, and with the uni almost cinched down all the way tight, I slide it down right down to the knob and then pull the uni dead tight. Then I take a piece of light line and make a free standing uni around the main line and slide it down to the join, so it sort of streamlines the knot from that side, too. I have never had this pull out. Braid to mono, or braid to braid. 20lb to 200 lb shock leader, or 40 to 80, whatever. Equal diameter, I use a normal double uni. I refresh that knot every fishing day because the last turn or two get beat up pretty good by the guides. I don't like to uni the shock leader around the main line because of the bulk.

So the entire strength of your connection is the melted knob on the end of the leader?

[the rockfish ninja]

I use the PR bobbin knot exclusively when setting up topshots prior to a trip. It's the strongest and slimmest going thru the guides of my jigging rods, plus I've mastered use of the bobbin by now.

But if I break off while out on the water I revert to the double Uni because I have not mastered using the bobbin on a rocking boat in the swells. Hopefully someday I can change that.

[boon]

I use the PR bobbin knot exclusively when setting up topshots prior to a trip. It's the strongest and slimmest going thru the guides of my jigging rods, plus I've mastered use of the bobbin by now.

But if I break off while out on the water I revert to the double Uni because I have not mastered using the bobbin on a rocking boat in the swells. Hopefully someday I can change that.

Worth learning the FG. It's like 95% as good as a PR and much easier to tie on a boat. Either hold the braid in your teeth or put a loop around your reels handle. I'm the same as you, I'll tie a PR at home but I'm not good enough to tie them on the water.

[oc1]

I can't hold 20# PowerPro in my teeth and have to scrunch up a foot of line into a big knot to have something to bite down on.  Then, I sit on the rod butt/handle and crank the reel to get the right amount of tension on the braid and start FG wrapping the fluorocarbon.

After the knot is pulled tight, I trim the fluoro to about 3-4 mm, hold the knot between two fingers and melt 1 mm into a glob on the end.  If I don't burn my fingers then I know the heat did not affect the braid in the knot.  After that, the tail end with the glob is whipped to the mainline using half-hitches.  The glob keeps the half hitches from slipping off the end of the fluoro when pulled through the guides.  Then more half-hitches are tied directly on the main to create sort of a bumper and smooth the transition.

For me, it is repetitive cast-and-retrieve over a gnarly bottom.  The weak link is usually a spot of abrasion on the last foot of the 20# fluoro.  The leader is 10 feet long to begin with.  I keep cutting off the abraded end and retying as needed and replace the leader when it gets down to about five feet long.  No way I could tie an FG on the boat.

[Cor]

Any knot where the mono is bent back on itself is old-hat unless you're fishing extremely light lines. The newer "finger trap" style knots like the FG, PR and their relatives are stronger and far more streamlined due to not having the doubled mono.

If you're going to go through the hoops of learning a new knot (practice, repetition etc) you may as well make it a good one........

For many years i've used an albright knot and dont think it has ever broken.   I use FG on my braid to leader, (min diameter0.8mm) but never considered using FG on thinner mono like my main line which is 0.55 mm