help with double uniknot leader length & casting..

[poohbear]

Hi guys,

got myself a new rod (berkely drop shot IM6) and reel (Aernos 2500) yesterday which was quite nice for plastics.

however i found that my double uni knot occasionally caused some tangles when casting.

I use about 2x rod length and find it a bit troublesome casting then made it shorter to just under less than 1 rod length.

was using 8lb braid + 10lb leader.

what could it be? bad knot ? or rod?

any suggestion appreciated! thanks!

[rosstralia46]

i find its the knot i use the double uni when needing a stopper for a float because its a larger knot i use the 5 twist surgeon knot because its a quick and easy knot but if u can master the slim beauty it is probably a much better knot to use

[woody1]

I work out my leader length so the knot is just abover the spool when casting, If the knot is on the spool it could catch other line as it comes off when casting

[max pwr]

I usually keep the leader to 1 rod length plus the amount of line you like to have between the tip of your rod and lure/ soft plastic, that way when you're casting the knot is not on the spool and cannot catch the line and stuff up your cast. Also having a shorter leader reduces wind knots occuring.

Hope this helps

[poohbear]

cool thanks for the help guys :silly:

yeah i tried to use just under 1 rod length. so if the leader becomes less than half rod after changing jigheads etc, that is still enough?

so you guys reckon its just a 'big knot' problem rather than anything else?

[poohbear]

i find its the knot i use the double uni when needing a stopper for a float because its a larger knot i use the 5 twist surgeon knot because its a quick and easy knot but if u can master the slim beauty it is probably a much better knot to use

hey mate for the 5 twist surgeon knot, is it like the one here?
/>http://www.animatedknots.com/surgeonsjoin/index.php?Categ=fishing&LogoImage=LogoGrog.jpg&Website=www.animatedknots.com

except with 5 twists rather than just 2?

[jeff f]

spool up wit fluro tie the jighead straight on the end, no leader knots to worry about

[Dell]

Going from such a thin mainline to a way larger diameter leader also plays a part. If it were me i'd downgrade your leader to something lighter and thinner or if the 10lb is a must just shorten your leader like others have mentioned. You could also try the improved albright or slim beauty as these knots also tie up smaller and neater than the uni to uni. Try slowing your cast down also cause I've found if you really crack your casts out with the heavier leader on lighter rods you get more wraps on your guides.

[Baptism]

Going from such a thin mainline to a way larger diameter leader also plays a part. If it were me i'd downgrade your leader to something lighter and thinner or if the 10lb is a must just shorten your leader like others have mentioned. You could also try the improved albright or slim beauty as these knots also tie up smaller and neater than the uni to uni. Try slowing your cast down also cause I've found if you really crack your casts out with the heavier leader on lighter rods you get more wraps on your guides.

agreed.

another knot you might want to try is a bimini twist to GT knot

casts a mile and havent had any tangles so far

[Hfisho77]

I reckon your problem could be the knot. As others have said the uni is quite fat which may cause it to catch on the guides more easily. 8 lb braid to 10 lb leader shouldn't be a problem as long as the knot isnt on the spool when casting. A rod length of leader should be fine. I use an improved Albright knot attached to a Bimini twist, it's nice and thin and really strong and it casts nicely.

[BassTracker]

I work out my leader length so the knot is just abover the spool when casting, If the knot is on the spool it could catch other line as it comes off when casting

Ditto

[PlasticFantastic]

Another thing to consider is the weight you're casting a heavier weight will generally overcome the knot issue but using lighter weights will causes it to get caught up alot more. As for me I use a double uni with 7 turns in the braid and 4 in the mono in anything up to 15lb leader without a problem after that I go for the slim beauty or for offshore the fg knot.

Cheers

Mark

[poohbear]

thanks a lot for all your help guys!!

is there any difference with the knots suggested? which is stronger?

and if i spool the reel with fluorocarbon, are they invis in water? okay for day fishing? and as sensitive as braid?

[fard12]

I fish with 8lb braid and 10lb flurocarbon, run at least 2 1/2 lengths of my rod (6'6") for flathead. I also use an albright and have no problems casting. My plastics rod has an oversize top guide as well and infact have had all my top guides changed to a more knot friendly guide.

[Surfingant]

run at least 2 1/2 lengths of my rod (6'6") for flathead.

That's a hell of a long leader, any particular reason why?

[Abureelman]

The problem with leader knots when casting is that the line needs to go through the guides as smoothly as possible. Too light a lure, wind and a 'lumpy' knot are the worst culprits to cause loose loops which will end up causing tangles.As you initially cast your lure or bait, a loose loop will be formed between the reel and the first runner due to the initial inertia and speed of the lure flying off into the distance. this causes the line to wrap around the first runner, if have a knot that slows or interrupts the smooth passage of line through the guides, you will increase the chance of this causing even more problems. So much for the theory!!!!

The solution that works for me is to use the Sebile knot when joining braid to flouro leaders as it doesn't double the flouro over. You are in fact wrapping the braid around the leader and keeping the knot as thin as physically possible.

Beware!!! This is a knot to tie at home before you go while you have plenty of time.It can cause much frustration to get it right when using such light line as needed for light lure fishing. You-tube the knot and you will see that it is shown using heavy line. It can be tied with thin line but it is much harder to get the wraps tight due to the suppleness of the lighter leader.

All I can say is perservere and you will be happy with the results. I always used the double uni and still use it for lots for non-casting applications but since using the Sebile for casting I haven't had loop tangles and the distance for casting has increased dramatically.

Cheers

[Aquaholic]

Other things I don't think anyone has mentioned.... If your spool is over full, this will lead to problems, and if you have not wound your line onto the spool with a medium amount of tension from get go, coupled with the right amount of backing, this will also lead to problems. Another thing that people tend to overlook is that after a few cast and retrieves, if you have not wound the line back in with a little bit of tension, there will be a few wraps of loose line on the spool that will lead to problems. So occasionally be mindful of that, and on the retrieve grab the line loosely between your fingers close to the 1st runner to add a bit of tension as it winds onto the spool.

All the other comments about finding the right knot is true, the slim beauty is good up to a line class, but offshore chasing bigger quarry I prefer this one.... Even though its a double on the main line, it still has a very small profile running very little interferance on the line guides.
/>http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OGSD8B8E3ko

Aquaholic

[Luc53]

Hi use this knot to join my main line to the leader. You can trim the tag end quite close.

My leader length is usually 1.5 times the length of the rod and have no problem casting. As has been said, when using braid and light lures, it pays to every so often to hold the braid between your fingers to wind it on under tension.

YUCANTANKNOT.doc

[fard12]

run at least 2 1/2 lengths of my rod (6'6") for flathead.

That's a hell of a long leader, any particular reason why?

I find fishing for flathead in shallow water it is best to keep the braid as far away form the plastic or hardbody as possible. I also allows for the changing of lures without having to retie another leader after a few times. Also the leader gets knocked around a fair bit so quite often you have to retie due to abrasion of the leader. And sorry that should read 8lb leader not 10LB.

Cheers