I've decided to switch over to braided line on my plug rods, but I do not know the best way to connect it to the mono leader. I read on steelheaduniversity to use a uni knot, but I do not know how to tie that knot line to line. Any suggestions?

Go to http://www.powerpro.com and click on Power Pro Advantage at the top of their homepage. Make sure you test your uni-knots until you have the right combination of wraps for the particular lines you are trying to match...

Ty

Tie a good Sampo swivel on the end of the braided line and tie your mono to the other end of the sampo. About a 6 foot fluorocarbon leader to the plug and good swivel to keep out the twist.

Steve

I'm a big fan of the double uni-knot for this purpose.

I was a big fan of the uni-to-uni knot this year until I broke off three coho on the hook set. It could have been the fluorocarbon, it could have been the knot, or it could have been me. I do know I'm looking for an alternative...

Keith

I'm a big fan of no leader needed. Been pulling plugs with "Pro" for 3yrs,great stuff,small dia,no stretch,30lb test,tie direct to snap.

skydriftn,

Do you loosen your drag at all?

I'm with shaggy as far as using a barrel swivel, but forget the flouro for the leader. When plugging are you really worried about fish seeing the leader?? 10-15lb UG should do the trick just fine. Plus it has more stretch than flouro, giving the line and knots a little more cushion on the hooksets.

I've used the "J" knot for the past 2 years. A bit of a pain to tie, but it won't fail.

http://www.saltwatersportsman.com/saltwater/fishing/article/0,12746,472807,00.html

I only use Power Pro on my Mooching set up. Since I like to occasionally place it on the downrigger (PP and release clips don't work real well) I add 40 to 50 feet of mono to it. I have always used the Albright knot and it has never failed. I like to add a drop or two of super glue for peace of mind but it don't help much. It still freaks me out watching that knot screaming thru the rod guides. I'm always relieved to see that knot on the reel.

Come to think of it, since it's been at least five years, I should probably re-tie that knot.

I went to the page that wolverine referenced. Looks like that J-knot is a solid connection, but boy does it leave you with a bulky ugly looking knot.... looks like it could have trouble going thru some of the smaller guides on your higher end sticks.

I also looked at the "Stren" knot..... a hybid of uni-knot on the mono side and an improved clinch on the braid side. Makes a nice looking smoothe fusiform knot.... BUT...

I guarantee that the braid half will slip 100% of the time if enough tension is applied. Clinch knots (and variations thereof) are VOODOO when tied in superlines. Given enough tension, the tag end will ALWAYS slip thru and then the knot just unravels.

I would definitely NOT recommend this knot if you tie it as described.

Of all the suggestions so far, the uni-to-uni is the easiest and most reproducible to tie, while providing a smooth fusiform profile that will sail effortlessly thru the rod guides when casting.

Tried a lot of them. I use an albright to connect the mono to doubled braid (looped). Slide through guides very well. Not as strong as using a swivel but tests better than any uni-uni.

I also use the uni to uni knot with good success. I've never broken a fish off at the connection, but then I rarely bust of fish anyway.

KJ,

A PP/FC cocktail is a hangover just waiting to happen. Great lines on their own but together they spell trouble. The biggest problem is that neither, braids or FC, are that easy to get a good secure knot to begin with, even on their own. Put them together and the odds of getting a reliable connection is even further reduced. Beyond that the main reason for attaching mono to braid when plugging or tossing hardware in my mind is for the purpose of a shock tippet. FC is just too stiff and brittle to be used for this purpose. I'm not surprised your knots were failing and your tippet was breaking with this no-stretch combo. Try using a stretchier mono tippet material like UG, Ande or Izor for better knots and overall results with braids. I could give a ratz about viz myself but I do like the mono tippet for shock absorption, abrasion resistance and the ability to tie on terminal tackle repepeatedly more quickly, more easily and more securely than I'm able with braid solo. Hope that helps.

jaydee and BroodBuster:

Which side of your Albright do you tie with the braid? The standing portion or the coiled portion?

I believe it makes a HUGE difference. Once the knot is seated tightly, there is less of a tendency for slippage when the coils are made with the mono end.

If you make the coils with the superline end, then the slippage factor is increased BIG TIME! When you are done, you will need to finish the knot by forming a 5-6 coil "lock" with the tag end of the braid around the mainline braid.

Tornado,actually tightened my drag slightly from what I used to use with mone,drives the hook home on the take! Those really violent takes are even harder with the low stretch power pro.While I love power pro for pluggin,it has drawbacks too-small selection of effective knots( I use the palomar ),if you hang a plug,VERY hard to break(but you gets lots of plugs back you would lose with mono,and the thing I hate most it forever is wrapping around your tip as you travel downstream

I am new to this forum. I fish for steelhead on the eastern side of the state. My local forum on Fishmonitor.com is virtually inactive and I still have the need to talk to other steelheaders east or west siders. Well to my point. Braided lines have thier pros and cons. In my opinion the pros are no stretch small diameters. Cons once the fish is hooked I like the softer feel of mono. Now the main point I have been buying fire line and whiplash and out of the box they are fine dia. but after a few trips they seem to lose this(fluff up or fray) and the line is so expensive I hate to cut off 50' of line to get back to the original dia. Is there any line out there that does not have this characteristic

Tornado,

For plug fishing steelhead just tie directly to the plug with the PowerPro. This is all I and fishing partners have done for years with steelhead with no problems at all. The fish don't see the PP line anyway, it's green and blends as well or better than most monos. For springers and falls I run a mono leader because of the teeth the chinook have and the poor abrasion resistance associated with braids. If you choose to use the PP for drift fishing then by all means use a mono front as again it will help prevent break offs resulting from low abrasion resistance.

Best wishes,

RM

Nail knot. Never had on fail used it for years on the Dacron line for halibut and fly line. Used it ever since I went to braids for floats and plugs.

Republic Steelheader:

STREN "Super Braid".....Believe me, works ohhhhhh so good. Purchased from Cabelas, 300 yds. was around $28.00, got the 20 lb test, 6 lb diameter, HI-VIS Gold.

1. Put on a Shimano Stadic 2000 before June 1 this last year.

2. Fished the same line, EVERYDAY, all summer long. June 1st - September 3, then had to go to CA.

3. No stretch, floats, no memory, stayed very limp.

4. Used with 8 and 10 lb Ande line for my leader material.

1st summer, I never lost a round cork bobber, that I use for my float. Sure I lost some jigs, on fish and snags but never broke the Stren Braid.

Negative comments.......

1. If you "mend" the line, have to be careful the line doesn't wrap around the upper guides.

2. 6 lb diameter is very "fine" for the eyes of a 64 year old. Sometimes the line would come off the spool and "knot up" but by taking my time.......got all the knots out.

I have Power Pro also, think they have the market share, cause they were one of the first. Stren worked better for me!!!!!!!


"Worse day sport fishing, still better than the best day working"

Forgot to mention.......used the "improved clinch" knot or what I call the double clinch knot. Never had any problems with this......and I use the to tie:

1. braid to regular backing line

2. braid to swivels

Well its the knot I use 100 % of the time.

Works for me, if I get the tag end thur both loops, wet the line, and slowly pull it tight.

"worse day sport fishing, still better than the best day work"

FYI, just for clarification, the uni-knot and nail-knot are one and the same. The nail-method may have come first, but the uni-method is far more clever and much easier to tie.

The guy who invented it must have dropped his nail into the river...WOOPS!

i use to work at a sporting shop and all we used was a uni to uni and these guys where fish marlin tuna and everything in blue water and not once did we have a person come in and say that the not failed but we also put a little super glue on the not when finished for that way there was no way to come undone