Best Knot to join Spectra to Mono?

[Onokai]

What do you feel is the best knot to join specta backing (light 50#) to light mono topshot -say 20# or 25# mono? Mark

[StickFish]

Loop to loop.

On the braid backing tie a Bimini
On the mono use 10' hollow Dacron or hollow spectra. Using needles, splice a loop in one end and insert the mono into the hollow core about 5 feet and serve the joint with a bunch of 1/2 hitches. BOE posted a good post on doing this before the season started. Used it all summer with 65# main and 50# top shop. Hope that helps.

[Paddler]

Here we go again. Stickfish is right, loop-to-loop is the only way to go. There really is no knot combination that will give you good knot strength tying braid to a mono top shot.

http://www.ifish.net/board/showthread.php?t=164981

[ron m]

Originally Posted by Onokai

What do you feel is the best knot to join specta backing (light 50#) to light mono topshot -say 20# or 25# mono? Mark

Mark

Below is a link to an article with two knots for connecting braid and mono. I used the first one to connect braid to mono, hasn't failed yet. I used it this spring when I put new line on all my reels. I did not do a scientific test to check when it fails though.

http://www.saltwatersportsman.com/sa...472807,00.html

One plus is that it is easy to tie, combines knots you've probably used before.

The process Stickfish suggested is probably at least as good and likely better, but it requires specialized tools and much more time.
ron m

[kenai]

I've used uni to uni because it's easy. Bimini on the braid and then uni to uni.
Makes a pretty small not through the guides. The knot failures I've had have been on the mono to swivel, the uni to uni has held up well.

[Grady252]

If you have hollow line skip the loop to loop and go for a Sato crimp type of connection..... add a 30' piece of hollow line, so you only have to do it once and you can keep updating your topshot as needed. Feed the solid braid into the hollow braid and serve the one end, and then feed the mono topshot and complete that connection.... the cleanest of all and very strong....

If you do not have hollow and don't wish to do a "fancy" connection, I would say do a bimini on your spectra, and then tie a worm knot or improved albright to connect the topshot.

[WillFish]

For years I used the back to back uni knot with good results. I am currently using a modified version the Tony Pena knot. Instead of tying a figure 8 knot in the mono I tie a 6 turn uni knot around the braid and follow up with the braid wraps up and down the mono. I insert the end of my ring finger between the braid and the mono before wrapping the braid to hold the loop open that the braid will insert through.

This is a very easy knot to tie and I believe gives better strength than the back to back uni. I really snug the uni in the mono, pulling tightly on the tag end of the mono. It is not necessary to pull hard on the tag end of the braid, just enough to take out the slack while pullling firmly on the braid mainline. The braid cinches down on the mono kind of like a chinese finger trap and forms a bit of a cone taper up to the uni knot in the mono.

This knot flows smoothly througn the guides for casting. When tying 25# mono to a good 50# braid the mono will frequently break mid-line, yielding a 100% knot.

[Chrome Bumper]

Uni Uni is the only one I know.

[Paddler]

Guess I should modify my post. As long as you're tying to mono rated at 50% of your braid, knots are okay. Don't think it matters too much which combination you use, uni-uni, bimini-albright, etc. Where I ran into trouble was tying 65# braid to 50# mono, and hoping for at least 50# knots. Didn't happen, as the braid always broke at ~50-60% of rated.

So, if you're using 20-25# mono to 50# braid, you should be okay. Why don't you try a few combinations and break them with a scale, and report your results? Might be interesting.

[Nalu]

Mark-

The Stren knot has worked well for me so far on the light tackle stuff. I have not busted a knot all year on either the Stren or the Bimini Twist to Albright.

Course I haven't done any scientific data testing in my garage with scales and different knots.

All I have to go on is catching fish....

[Onokai]

All I have to go on is catching fish....
Thanks Mike that counts most
Thanks Ron for the link
Thanks guys for all the response's-I am going to keep it simple as its light stuff

I like this one the best
STREN KNOT

According to Dave Justice, the Stren knot is considerably stronger than the traditional uni-to-uni connection used for joining thin-diameter braid to varying sizes of mono or fluorocarbon, providing the uni portion of the knot is tied in the mono or fluorocarbon. When making mono-to-mono connections, the uni portion of the knot must be tied to the heavier line.

I have got what I needed. I'm using my new Gary Sato line winder now-its super with a millaukee drill on it to spin up some new 20# and 25# plineline on some of my light gear with spectra backing.
Mark

[Spoonplugger]

"Tony Pena knot" is good but I've been using the "Red Phillips Knot" this year with absolutely no problems. It is a little easier for me to tie in a rocking boat. I have been joining 50# spectra to 20#-70# fluorocarbon and mono. My only modification to the knot is 8 wraps on the uni portion in the 50# spectra. A lot of times the 50# mono or fluorocarbon will break at the knot tied to the lure first, so I assume it is a pretty strong splice.

[StickFish]

The Stren knot looks pretty slick - thanks will have to remember that one in a jam on the boat - loops to loop is best done around the TV in the winter not on a pitching boat at sea

[John H]

Hi Mark,

I struggled with this also then got help on this forum. I did a bunch of research and found the stren knot was supposed to be the best. Then I was reading a thread on Ifish. There were several suggestions on what knot to use and it sounded like a bimini twist on the braid and albright knot to connect the mono to the braid was the top suggestion. So I decided to check it out by doing my own unscientific test. Here is the result.

The plan was to do a test comparison between the stren knot and the bimini twist/albright connection. The first try was with 50 lb mono and 80 lb spectra. The knots were tied in line with the 50 lb mono on the ends. The 50 lb mono was tied to some 80 lb mono with a double uni knot, then connected to a barbell, weighing about 65 lbs. I then wrapped the other end of the line to a dowel and lifted until something broke. The uni/uni knot broke 3 times at the 50-80 lb mono connection. I finally used a loop and crimped sleeve connection between the 50 mono and 80 mono. This time the connection held and the 50 lb mono broke. Both the stren knot and bimini twist/albright connection held. Then I went to 80 lb mono and 80 lb spectra using a 90 lb barbell. This time the spectra broke at the stren knot. The barbell was just starting to lift. Looks like the bimini twist/albright knot won. It also should go through the guides easily. The finished knot was trim and looked pretty good.

I did a search online for the bimini twist and albright knot to get the instructions. I found the bimini twist at www.leadertec.com/tipsandtechniques/fishing_knots/knots_Bimini.html
and the albright at www.fishingguide.com/fishtechequip/techniques/knots/albright_knot_steps.html

[TrinhTD]

I've had good luck with the Red Phillips knot also.

[fishbait]

Varivas Knot.

Had never heard of it in the states till I fished with a guy that had done alot of fishing in the Phillipines and SE Asia.

When demonstrated to me on the boat it took him less than 30 sec to tie a new florocarbin leader to the spectra. Good thing too, cause the tuna bite was on big time.

Simple and easy to tie and strong.

This is from a fishing web site based out of Singapore.

[Tinman]

I use Bimini twists in both lines, interlocked with a "cat's paw". I gained a lot of faith in this method with my lingcod outfit this spring which had a 40# pound mono topshot over 50# spectra. I naturally got snagged on the bottom several times and busted off some jigs. Every time, the mono topshot broke. The interlocking Biminis held fast through several trips trips until the topshot became too short and I recplaced it.

The Biminis are not hard to tie shoreside, but would be a pain to tie at sea.

[havnfun2]

have been using tha Recerse Albright or worm knot

www.powerpro.com