Bracey Posted January 5, 2012 Share Posted January 5, 2012 G'day guys fairly new to braid and I can't find an answer to this question. If you have tied a Bimini Twist in 20 lb braid line, which knot do you use to attach the double to the leader? I tried using the Albright and using the double line to make the wraps. The knot was strong but too big to comfortably pass through the guides. I didn't try it but I imagine it would also be too big if you wrapped the 30 lb leader around the braid loop using the Albright. I also read some use a double uni knot. How does that work with the double line? Do you just hold it together so it acts as a single line, same as I tried doing the Albright. On my lighter gear I have just been using the Albright and that's been working ok, but for the heavier setup (20 lb braid and 30 lb leader) it seems most recommend the double. Any info would be much appreciated. Cheers. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ddaniel Posted January 5, 2012 Share Posted January 5, 2012 how u going mate, i use an albright from double to leader have no probs, if your using a cheaper braid it tends to have a thicker diameter than say sunline castaway, which is what i use. google up catspaw or slim beauty, two join knots you can use for light braid if your using heavy braid ie 50lb+ look at the fg knot, a strong knot takes a bit of getting used too. hope this helps. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
outdoordan Posted January 5, 2012 Share Posted January 5, 2012 You tie a double uni as you said, treat both strands of the double as one and tie as per usual. It is a strong knot but very bulky. For a long time I tied a bimini double to leader using a ducknose. It casts quite well, and was strong in the leaders i was using(30lb braid, 60lb leader). I wouldn't suggest this knot for lighter leaders as the braid bites into the leader quite a bit and i'm sure you would sacrifice abit of strength. But with oversize leaders used for abrasion resistance it is fine. These days I use a PR knot for all my conections 20lb and above. When tied correctly, it must be close to a 100% knot and it cast like a dream. It takes a little while to learn to tie it proficiantly, but well worth it. Using a fly tying bobbin i can complete a knot in 4-5 mins. Also check out the GT knot, Mid Knot and FG Knot. Here's a demo of the mid knot by Slinky, Mid Knot Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
slinkymalinky Posted January 5, 2012 Share Posted January 5, 2012 These days I almost never tie doubles in braid. The reason doubles were the way to go in the days of mono line were to preserve 100% of the breaking strain of the main line. When fishing braid, the breaking strain of the main line is rarely an issue... when you consider that a 6lb braid might break at say, 10lb and so-on, more often than not the line you are using is 'over-rated' for your rod anyway. This means that before you are likely to break your main line, you'll be overloading your rod. IMHO most bust offs in braid are either due to being cut off on structure or the result of poor knot choice resulting in the braid cutting through the mono or fluoro leader. The main reason I might consider a double with braid is to reduce the diamater difference between very fine braid and a heavy leader. More about how it runs through the guides than preserving breaking strain. With all that said, braid can apparently lose a lot of its strength when knotted. Proportionally more than mono. All that means though is that choosing the right knot and tying it well is important. The right knots will effectively make the need for a double in the braid, obsolete. Cheers, Slinky Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LeoB Posted January 5, 2012 Share Posted January 5, 2012 G'day I prefer to use a straight Albright or slim beauty to my leader. I don't have a problem with it going through the guides up to 50lb. I use this rig for quick re-rigging. I replace the knot after a few decent fish, or one great one. I re-tie the leader knot, and eventually the whole leader once it gets too short. Cheers Leo Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bracey Posted January 5, 2012 Author Share Posted January 5, 2012 G'day. Thanks for the input. So is the upshot not to bother with the Bimini at all? If you are using a straight Albright with the loop in the leader and the wraps in the braid mainline where would be the weakest point if it was tied correctly. Would the mainline or leader break before the knot? How many wraps would you recommend if using 20 lb braid and 30 lb fluorocarbon leader? Cheers. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
slinkymalinky Posted January 5, 2012 Share Posted January 5, 2012 A lot of people use Albright knots as their leader connection but I personally wouldn't recommend it. If you think about how an albright is tied, there is a critical spot where the braid crosses the mono loop in a way that means under pressure, the braid can cut into and through the leader. I've had them fail several times on long fights with big fish. I switched to using the Slim Beauty knot... there are several variations but essentially it's a connection that is actually held together by 2 separate knots that slide together so that the braid never actually crosses the mono in a way where it will tend to cut through under pressure. In lighter braid (under 10lb for me) with light estuary leaders, I used to use a modified surgeons loop because its quick and easy but even with this sort of gear I now use a hybrid of a slim beauty and double uni knot. I do the double overhand knot and run my braid through the figure 8 in the leader like a slim beauty but then I uni-knot the braid instead of wrapping it. It's a bit easier in light line. The instructions will make sense if you look up the slim beauty knot. Cheers, Slinky Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bracey Posted January 5, 2012 Author Share Posted January 5, 2012 Thanks Slinky. I'll check out the Slim Beauty and give it a try. If that knot was a bit tricky to tie in a rocking boat and I had to revert to something easier would the double uni be better than the Albright. Is it less likely to cut into itself? Cheers, Bartdude Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
slinkymalinky Posted January 6, 2012 Share Posted January 6, 2012 (edited) It's still only my opinion but yes, a double uni doesn't have the same issue. The other advantage of a slim beauty over an albright is that you can cast with it all day and not have it degrade. An albright constantly going through the runners when you're lure casting, can get damaged and weaken over time. Leo is spot on with his attention to detail in retying knots... it's a great way to improve your percentages and if you do that, the above isn't an issue. Cheers, Slinky Edited January 6, 2012 by slinkymalinky Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LeoB Posted January 6, 2012 Share Posted January 6, 2012 I should add I use a uni knot to jig heads. Just locks in beautifully, and I don't think it's too bulky. Cheers Leo Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bracey Posted January 6, 2012 Author Share Posted January 6, 2012 Thanks again Slinky and Leo. I'll revert to the double uni until I have mastered the slim beauty knot. Using uni to the jig head and that's been all good. Cheers, Bart Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LeoB Posted January 6, 2012 Share Posted January 6, 2012 Thanks Bart. And a big thank you slinky, the more I think about it, the more I like about the slim beauty-uni hybrid! Will give it a go in the morning. Cheers Leo Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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