ExpiramentIng with knots

[MOPanfisher]

Spent the last couple of days expiramenting with knots, trying to find ones I can tie easily, and that don't break easily and work well with Nanofil.

First, the mono to jig knot.  Have always used a Palomar knot since I was a kid on mono, easy to tie and works well.  However lately I have wanted to try loop knots for my crappie jigs, have only found two that qualify as easy to tie and seem to hold well.  The Arkansas loop knot which is silly easy to tie, and what I know as the Rapala knot also pretry easy to tie.  Both should allow the jig to move more naturally.  As if a jig has natural movements.  In testing both I was getting breaks at the  knot where the mono and Nanofil join so I guess the knots work well enough.

Secind, since my splice was breaking I attempted to get a better splice knot.  I usually tie an Albright knot and have gotten to where about 3 out of 4 hold and don't break when I give  them a hard tug to test it.  I have also tried the Alberto with about a 1 in 4 success there, and today was trying a double uni knot.  Seemed to work OK after I figured out a couole little tricks of what to tighten when. I did have to give the Nanofil a couple more turns to get it to "set" and not slip and subsequently cut the line.

So what am I missing for options, better ones that cold fingers can tie, or preferably without having to dig out a pair of glasses and review it on my phone first.  Don't even know yet if I lie a loop knotnto the jig, just more of a day with nothing better to do.

[fishinwrench]

I wanna see this Arkansas loop knot. 

[snagged in outlet 3]

I use leaders with braid and an alberto but I've given up on nanofil after two tries with it.  The stuff casts like a dream and is crazy sensitive but knot trouble made me give up on it.  @Ham has it dialed in but I suffered too many knot failures to continue.  I use 832 suffix.  It's almost as good as nano and I have very few knot failures.  Loop knot to jigs and neds.  Palomar on most everything else.  

Fly fishing...Whole other ball game.  Davy knot for starters.  

[MOPanfisher]

This was the one I watched.

[Dutch]

I used to run braid with leaders.  After a couple of years of frustration I quit!  Now I use  straight braid, monofilament, or fluorocarbon line depending on the application.  I only ever use one knot.  It is easy to tie and quick.  I can tie it in about 12 seconds with gloves on.  It is called the 16/20 or Pitzen.  I have been using it since some of you guys were still in diapers.

https://www.netknots.com/fishing_knots/pitzen-knot

[Mitch f]

The FG knot is the Holy Grail you’re trying to achieve on a braid/Fluoro or braid/mono leader. It’s a tough knot to learn but it’s so thin and easily flys through the guides. It’s also so strong, maybe the strongest. Beats the uni to uni hands down for strength, which was what I was using before I tried the FG.

 

that tiny fluff you can see is the braid separating on the tag

[MOPanfisher]

I looked at the videos of the FG, maybe I will look at them again.

[Mitch f]

1 minute ago, MOPanfisher said:

I looked at the videos of the FG, maybe I will look at them again.

It literally just grabs the line like a Chinese finger trap. Maybe I’ll get my micrometer out and check the actual thickness of some knots.

[Quillback]

1 hour ago, snagged in outlet 3 said:

I use leaders with braid and an alberto but I've given up on nanofil after two tries with it.  The stuff casts like a dream and is crazy sensitive but knot trouble made me give up on it.  @Ham has it dialed in but I suffered too many knot failures to continue.  I use 832 suffix.  It's almost as good as nano and I have very few knot failures.  Loop knot to jigs and neds.  Palomar on most everything else.  

Fly fishing...Whole other ball game.  Davy knot for starters.  

Yeah, Ham is a wizard with that Nanofil.  I have gone to Seaguar Smackdown braid.  I tie an Alberto knot to tie on the leader.  Works fine, passes through rod guides OK.  But I will check out that knot Mitch mentions above.  

[MrGiggles]

2 hours ago, MOPanfisher said:

Spent the last couple of days expiramenting with knots, trying to find ones I can tie easily, and that don't break easily and work well with Nanofil.

First, the mono to jig knot.  Have always used a Palomar knot since I was a kid on mono, easy to tie and works well.  However lately I have wanted to try loop knots for my crappie jigs, have only found two that qualify as easy to tie and seem to hold well.  The Arkansas loop knot which is silly easy to tie, and what I know as the Rapala knot also pretry easy to tie.  Both should allow the jig to move more naturally.  As if a jig has natural movements.  In testing both I was getting breaks at the  knot where the mono and Nanofil join so I guess the knots work well enough.

Secind, since my splice was breaking I attempted to get a better splice knot.  I usually tie an Albright knot and have gotten to where about 3 out of 4 hold and don't break when I give  them a hard tug to test it.  I have also tried the Alberto with about a 1 in 4 success there, and today was trying a double uni knot.  Seemed to work OK after I figured out a couole little tricks of what to tighten when. I did have to give the Nanofil a couple more turns to get it to "set" and not slip and subsequently cut the line.

So what am I missing for options, better ones that cold fingers can tie, or preferably without having to dig out a pair of glasses and review it on my phone first.  Don't even know yet if I lie a loop knotnto the jig, just more of a day with nothing better to do.

I use a double albright with nanofil. Same steps just double the nano first. Whenever I have trouble getting the knot to hold, I strip about 50 feet off of the spool and that usually fixes it. I think abrasion from the rod guides makes it weak after hard use. I swap leaders when they get too short, and never have trouble with the leader knot giving up first.

I've been running the same spool of 6lb Nanofil since late summer of 18, caught loads crappie, channel cat, some big drum, and walleye with it. I've got a spool of braid on deck to replace it, but the stuff just keeps hangin' in there.

I'm probably the worst when it comes to knots, I can tie an albright and a trilene, that's it.