Topshot's and Knots

I start with about a 20' mono top shot when rock fishing.
Those lings will wear the line near the hook so I am constantly cutting and retying.
When I get down to about 3 feet left I cut it off and add another 20'.

Thanks for all the info guys.  Learned some new knots last night and added a topshot to my reels.

NCKA has made me the angler I am today!

Josh

Hands down my favorite for braid to mono. After a little practice it's easy. Strong, small, and easy. What more do you want?...

can't much of the first run issues be dealt with a looser drag setting?

i have been using the albright for years without any problems

I thought I remembered an Albright failing you somewhere this year. Is that right? Sturgeon?

I have been using the modified albright for several years and really like it.  What I have noticed is that as my braid gets older the knot is so strong that I start breaking the braid before anything else.  Some of the braid on my reels is 3 or 4 years old and its not quite 30# anymore....  When I use the albright on fresh braid its awesome, but fuzzy old braid not so much.

I have used teh "smal strong" knot several times and ti works well, but I cant tie it while on the ocean, so I retie broken off or old leaders with the allbright.

Note:  I use 10 wraps up and 10 wraps back, then cut the tag of my leader at an angle to slide through the guides better.  Usually I run a leader 6" shorter than my rod for better fish landing and cleaner/faster drops when using irons.

i have been using the albright for years without any problems

I thought I remembered an Albright failing you somewhere this year. Is that right? Sturgeon?

last year, big ling, but that was total operator error, i tied it too fast in high swell, looked at it and knew it was a bad knot and threw it any ways trying to get back to the spot where something big broke my 30# leader 

can't much of the first run issues be dealt with a looser drag setting?

That is how I tend think too. I also use rods with lighter tips for braid to absorb some of the shock. I don't like connection knots so I use a barrel swivel and 4' of leader. 

never had an uni to uni fail. WSB ,Halibut, Big Lings I hate using a fast tip rod for the possibility of a huge ling coming up out of the rocks. I want to be able to lift heavy right away.

Al,

Which line, the braid or the mono, did you wrap around the other?  You should be wrapping the braid around the mono.

I find albrights to be tricky to set consistently.  Make sure there are no crossings in the winds.  And lubricate well (spit).

-Allen

I had been doing just like in the video I posted, folding over the mono, and wrapping the braid up and then back 7 times.  I was having less success wrapping it 8 or more times when cinching it down. Although I must say that when using fluorocarbon instead of mono, the cinching was a lot easier. The front of the knot would tighten well, but not the rear.  I practiced about a dozen times before calling it 'good' and carefully did the wraps and well lubricated it.  If there was any doubt in my mind, I cut it and retied it again.    The knot feels very strong and like I should be able to trust it with fish at least.  With a glove on the braid side I wrapped it around my hand and pulled as hard as I could and it would not break.   

I guess I'll have to do some more testing.  Maybe I'll tie up a few different rods, different size lines, and see if I can get the knot to break elsewhere, instead of on my topshot.  I'll also have to give Jonesz's one a try.  But if all else fails... Back to the beloved and trusted Uni-Uni knot!!!

You can always give the Double Albright Knot a chance...



20-24 times is too much but I wrap my freshwater stuff 14 times. 

Figuring I must have tied it wrong I went back to the bench, practiced a few more times, and then re-did the topshots again before my next outing.  Once again, when I pulled the snag free, it took away my topshot and all the gear along with it.   On this particular snag I will say that the topshot was 30lb Mono, joined to a 40lb Braid, and the leader 30lb mono, was connected to a swivel with a surgeons loop, no swivel.  Usually I count on it breaking at the surgeons loop, or closer to the hook that is snagged. 

So I am left guessing... Did I tie the knot right?  Or when there is a snag, is the Albright knot 'cutting' the topshot, because of how the mono is 'looped' and then wrapped?

UPDATE!  It was the crappy line I was using.... 

I went and switched all my top shots out to either 25 or 30lb Segauar 100% fluorocarbon line instead of my good old (6yrs old) Berkley Big Game that I've been using for just about ever (6yrs) and my results have been 100% more favorable.  Breakoffs happened on my leader at the hook, instead of at the albright.  Also landed two fairly big mud marlins yesterday, testing all of my knots to the fullest, and no breaks at all.

The spool of BG has been around the block and I guess it's just too aged or something.  Been using it for all my RF leaders and topshots for so long, I guess it was hard for me to suspect it.  Was getting to the very end of the spool anyways, so I guess it's time to invest in a few new spools of Mono for tying up my cheap RF leaders.  Anyone have suggestions on what to get other than BigGame?? 

I've been using P-Line Flouroclear with good success for salmon to rockfish. 30lb.

Figuring I must have tied it wrong I went back to the bench, practiced a few more times, and then re-did the topshots again before my next outing.  Once again, when I pulled the snag free, it took away my topshot and all the gear along with it.   On this particular snag I will say that the topshot was 30lb Mono, joined to a 40lb Braid, and the leader 30lb mono, was connected to a swivel with a surgeons loop, no swivel.  Usually I count on it breaking at the surgeons loop, or closer to the hook that is snagged. 

So I am left guessing... Did I tie the knot right?  Or when there is a snag, is the Albright knot 'cutting' the topshot, because of how the mono is 'looped' and then wrapped?

UPDATE!  It was the crappy line I was using.... 

I went and switched all my top shots out to either 25 or 30lb Segauar 100% fluorocarbon line instead of my good old (6yrs old) Berkley Big Game that I've been using for just about ever (6yrs) and my results have been 100% more favorable.  Breakoffs happened on my leader at the hook, instead of at the albright.  Also landed two fairly big mud marlins yesterday, testing all of my knots to the fullest, and no breaks at all.

The spool of BG has been around the block and I guess it's just too aged or something.  Been using it for all my RF leaders and topshots for so long, I guess it was hard for me to suspect it.  Was getting to the very end of the spool anyways, so I guess it's time to invest in a few new spools of Mono for tying up my cheap RF leaders.  Anyone have suggestions on what to get other than BigGame?? 

I like Big Game, but I wouldn't trust ANY 6 year old spool of mono.

-Allen

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