Knots For Flurocarbon Leader

[Cameron]

Today I used fluorocarbon leader for the first time while blackfishing off the rocks. We struck drummer in a big way, so every bit of gear copped a real hammering. I was tying my knots in exactly the same way that I would tie a standard mono leader, wetting them properly before pulling them tight and testing them thoroughly, but had an amazing run of knot failure.

Should I be using more turns in a fluorocarbon knot, or should I be using a particular type of knot? Fluoro does appear to have a shinier and more slippery surface than regular mono, so is there something that I should be doing differently? My son has been using fluoro for his soft plastic leaders and suggested that I should try it for blackfishing, but after today my old reliable Tortue mono is still looking good.

[Bashir]

I use mono for my blackfish traces. Lately I've been using 12lb suffix which came free with fishing world a while back, still got 2 spools left of it. If I go lighter I use plain old maxima trace.

[Ken A]

my old reliable Tortue mono is still looking good.

I used Tortue for donkeys years for all my rock fishing & found it very hard to beat. I would be sticking with that myself, I can't see any real advantages to using fluorocarbon when fishing for blackfish or pigs.

What type of fluoro were you using?

[Cameron]

Ken,

The fluoro in question is a brand called Nitlon DFC (made in Japan). I have noticed in the past that sometimes the leader thickness has an influence on how keen the blackfish are at taking the bait, so thought that fluoro might give me an edge in that direction. Having experimented, I think that good old 7lb Tortue will do me for blackfish and something heavier if the drummer are around.

[Ken A]

Nitlon has a good reputation so maybe you need to experiment a little with knots. I haven't used it myself so I can't make a recommendation on the best knots for it. I'm sure some of the guys who use it will though.

I love Tortue

I just wished someone in my area sold it

[ianoc69]

I have been using some 8lb fluorocarbon in the passed couple of weeks and been reasonably happy

I like the double uni for leader to fireline and have not had any trouble

My concern is leader to jig head using fluorocarbon. I am currently using a single uni but would like any feedback as to alternatives knots for leader to jig.

I have pulled a couple on snags that were too easy

[Bashir]

Hey cameron all these guys use their flurocarbon for their soft plastics, the stuff is pointless when targetting blackfish and I say stick to the mono.

I reckon fluro is ok but I haven't bought any in a few years and if I happen to throw some plastics around I just use a light mono trace and do ok.

[macman]

G'day

I'm with Bashir on this one, why bother with fluoro for this type of fishing ? I can't see it making any real difference. I would do away with the fluoro for sure. In really still conditions, just use 6 lb trace. I have landed a few decent pigs on 8lb trace but not many and I was pretty lucky with those.

Matt

[Cameron]

Guys,

You have convinced me. Back to Tortue for sure. I am generally happy to try something new, but having caught so many blackfish over the years using Tortue traces, what was I thinking? There might be a case for using fluoro in the estuary where the blackfish are smaller and more finicky, but on the rocks where they come big, mean and mixed up with drummer, why muck around with something that has not done the hard yards in that sort of territory

Thanks everyone

[Ken A]

I used 10 pound Tortue straight through when I was luderick fishing off the rocks. I never went lighter in leaders but just used a longer leader with a larger bait when the fish were finiky. Worked for me.

[macman]

I used 10 pound Tortue straight through when I was luderick fishing off the rocks. I never went lighter in leaders but just used a longer leader with a larger bait when the fish were finiky. Worked for me.

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And in autumn when the pigs are taking cabbage more often I use 12lb straight through , even manage to land the odd2-3kg drummer

Matt

[Ken A]

Theres nothing like the sound or feel of the handles of your luderick reel ( mines an Avon) smacking into your fingers & knuckles when a good pig hits. Taken a couple 2 & 3 kilo models myself Matt & they are a great fight on luderick gear.

Lost a few rounds as well

To this day at Nth Little Beach I can still see the huge pig in the wash at my feet beaten when I had to run back about 20 feet from a swell & cut my line off It was a genuine 5 kilo fish & the fight had been awesome. That loss sticks in my memory more than some chunky Marlin I have dropped.

[Bashir]

Ken I learnt to cast a centrepin with an avon royal, good little things, just gotta look after them. I don't bother with them now I just use my alvey luderick special as a sidecast and just whack those baits out there the lazy way. Has anyone used unitech float line? I remember it being pretty popular with some luderick fishos when I was young and I saw it recently in a tackle shop and thought I might give it a go.

[macman]

Ken I learnt to cast a centrepin with an avon royal, good little things, just gotta look after them.  I don't bother with them now I just use my alvey luderick special as a sidecast and just whack those baits out there the lazy way.   Has anyone used unitech float line? I remember it being pretty popular with some luderick fishos when I was young and I saw it recently in a tackle shop and thought I might give it a go.

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I am a bit of a centrepin nut. I've written an article about using centrepins, including a recipe for the ideal float. Just need a few more photos to finish it off.

In my collection I have an Avon ( one of the smaller ones) , a Purist 2 (Young and sons) and about 4 Alveys of different vintages including the newer plastic Luderick specials. All excellent reels, some are purely for still water ( the little Avon and the Purist) I only use the Alveys off the rocks and I try to never use the sidecast unless I can avoid it. Great fun and I learnt a lot about fishing from my time using this sort of gear. My favourite line was some Berkely stuff which isn't made any more, it was a sort of apricot colour. I am now using the Pioneer stuff, cheap Yank line but has good abrasive qualities and is quite supple.

Matt

[Bashir]

I know the berkley you are talking about, it was a trilene line, but not their big game stuff, which is crap. I used to use it a fair bit on my spinning reels. Im gonna give the unitech line a go next and see how I go.

[stylo]

Without starting up a new thread, can someone advise the best knots for

1) 8lb fireline to 10 lb flourocarbon leader

2) 4lb fireline to 10 lb flourocarbon leader

3) 10 lb flourocarbon leader to terminal tackle

I have read that flouro is slippery in nature and the knots can be trickier than normal mono lines. I am using albright for joining the two lines together and a standard uni for the terminal tackle knot.

Is this cool ?

Edited November 18, 2007 by stylo

[luderick59]

hi guys

i use vision fluro 6lband 6lb jarvis walker main line on my avon

i tie all knots [blood knot not locked] with double line except the hook :

when a pig is on iusually just snap off the hook

peter

[jewgaffer]

Hi Stylo how about this one mono to braid I don't know whether you're using a swivel or not for whatever you interconnect but not necessary on braid to mono

METHOD braid to mono leader:

3 loop uni knot in the mono 4 loop locked blood in the braid. The braid will tighten hard up against and much lower than the coils of the mono, it will bite in and this knot will not slip.

METHOD braid to swivel:

double the braid pass thru eye do a blood knot, don't lock it by the passing it back thru the big loop as in the braid to mono method above, you will finish up with a tag up the line and a loop near the eye. Pull the knot tight lubed up a bit, and cut the loop and you'll finish up with three little braid tags which you can shorten and seal with a lighted durrie or a cigarette lighter.

Cheers

jewgaffer

[stylo]

Thx guys ..

How about the flouro leader to the hook knot ?

I use the Rapala currently for leader to jig heads .. will this knot still be ok for flouro leader to jighead ?

[jewgaffer]

I don't know the Rapalla knot. But a snell wrapping with the loop from the tag end pulls in real well up to 80lb leader for me. However for the lighter lines I would use a uni knot passed thru the eye twice to re-enforce it and have it loop back down the leader from the eye of the hook if your talking about toothy critters rather than snell the line along the shank

Cheers

jewgaffer

Edited November 18, 2007 by jewgaffer

[coastspinna]

i use the improved allbright from the platypus website and dont have much trouble using fluoro or mono...for hook knots just used a locked blood knot ( ie feed the line through eye of the hook twice in the same direction before tying blood knot )\

as said before though why use expensive fluorocarbon when you don't need it

hope this helps mate

ian

[Nolongeramember]

Thx guys ..

How about the flouro leader to the hook knot ?

I use the Rapala currently for leader to jig heads .. will this knot still be ok for flouro leader to jighead ?

Nah its too weak I reckon. All those loop knots are weak. I use a half blood knot with no lock. The lock weakens the knot. Ive done heaps of knot testing and this is a very good knot. Make sure its tied well with all the loops nice and even when pulled tight and it will NEVER slip. If its not even, tie it again. Pull the knot tight from the main line only and give it a test pull before using.

I use the same knot for leader to bimini double connection and its the strongest connection I have tested and Ive sat around for hours trying all the popular knots. Although it does have to be done a particular way that I cant explain here.

[coastspinna]

i must admit i only lock my bloodknots when tying braid to swivels or snaps..

[Nolongeramember]

i must admit i only lock my bloodknots when tying braid to swivels or snaps..

Dude the blood knot is very good for mono, but is not very strong when tied in braid. The best for braid is a bimini or plait double. Try it out. Tie each knot and try and snap it as see which is stronger.

Why not put a mono leader onto your braid via a bimini twist and then tie your swivels etc to the mono? Thats how I do it. Much stronger.

PS. My mate lost a jewie of a lifetime on a dodgy locked blood knot tied in his 30LB braid. He had a 20Lb mono leader and the 30Lb braid let go first. Lesson learnt thats for sure...

[gretsch]

I use fluro for all my leaders. I use an albright for leader to main line connection sand the uni for all terminals.. I can honestly say that I haven't had a knot fail for a long time.

I fnd that you must bevery careful when tying the knots.. if you rush it or get lazy, expect a failure. Some of my fishing mates tie terrible knots and they lose fish to knot failure regularly.