When is easy-penultimate or antepenultimate better than ultimate?

[Garry2Rs]

Is ultimate knot strength really needed?

 

If we are talking about line under 6 pound test maybe it is.

But, what got me thinking about this, was Crappie fishing.

 

I was using 6# Fluorocarbon as a leader attached via a Triple Surgeons Knot to 10 or 15# braid.

 

When used to connect mono-to-mono, this is a close to 100% strength knot. However it is known to slip with braid. Tying fluoro to braid it might only be 50 or 75% line strength, but it's quick and easy to tie and even with 50% line strength, say three pounds test, I had far more strength than I needed for Crappie or the odd OOS Bass.

 

Over the last couple of years I have watched all of the Knot Wars episodes with great interest. Looking back, what I saw was that all of the better knots break close to or even above the rated strength of the lines. Especially when two turns are taken through the eye.

But some of these knots seem to be very complex.

 

I don't know about you, but these days I'm using fluorocarbon leaders on my braid. Since the fluorocarbon is close to invisible I find myself using 10# instead of 8 pound or 15# instead of 12 pound test etc.

 

To get to the point...IMO, if knot "A" is easy to tie but breaks at 13 pounds on a 15 pound leader while knot "B" which requires two Boy Scouts and a diagram to tie properly, get's a full 15 or even 16 pounds...So what!

 

I will go with easy "A" knowing that I am way over gunned anyway.

 

What do you think?

Garry2R's

[Syn]

With proper drag setting and good fish fighting technique (not trying to horse the fish) a weaker knot eg 13 vs 15 won't break anyhow. lol tying a complex knot is easy to do at home but out on a windy lake with the waves its so much harder.

 

edit: This is why a walleye fisherman with 8lb line can bring in a 40" muskie.

 

Of course I would not want to tie on a weak knot purposely just because its easy to tie.

 

I would have loved knot wars much more if they had tested the lines soaked under water for 10 minutes.

Edited June 13, 2010 by Syn

[ChrisK]

Garry2R's,This is what I think.....

OK,you know I'm all old school so this braided line to mono dilemma always throws me for a loop.

Is braided line even needed ? Thats my question. Why the heck use a braided line strong enough to tow a boat when your attaching lighter mono or floro to the end of it. You know the chances of your ultimate knot or mono leader failing first is in the high percentages ??? Why not balance out the equation with a little old school and use mono line to mono leader and set you drag accordingly ???

I can't get over the fact that braided line is visible in the water and I couldn't attach a peice of floro or mono long enough to get the braided line out of the fish's site. I don't get it ?? Perhaps all the years steelheading with 6lb mono main line and 3lb mono tippets landing anywhere up to 10 pound fish has got me stuck

[Garry2Rs]

Garry2R's,This is what I think.....

OK,you know I'm all old school so this braided line to mono dilemma always throws me for a loop.

Is braided line even needed ? Thats my question. Why the heck use a braided line strong enough to tow a boat when your attaching lighter mono or floro to the end of it. You know the chances of your ultimate knot or mono leader failing first is in the high percentages ??? Why not balance out the equation with a little old school and use mono line to mono leader and set you drag accordingly ???

I can't get over the fact that braided line is visible in the water and I couldn't attach a peice of floro or mono long enough to get the braided line out of the fish's site. I don't get it ?? Perhaps all the years steelheading with 6lb mono main line and 3lb mono tippets landing anywhere up to 10 pound fish has got me stuck

 

There is nothing wrong with old school Chris.

Garry'2R's