Knot thread

[Sea Draggin]

I have used the SIG knot some over the past year and really like it. Its nice and fast to tie with no tools needed. No failures. Strong like bull. Its still a knot and not a windon, but you need to know a few. Key to this is fast, no tools needed and its reliable.

SIG Knot:
1) Insert the leader into the PE loop. Please take the center of the loop.


2) Holding the cross section of leader and loop, nit the loop over the leader using two fingers in the loop. Twist the loop and lay it over the leader, and do the same till the number you need.


　

3) The best number of braids is about 10 for coated PE line , 14 for non-coated PE line. Picture shows 7 braids. (*1 see below.

With the best number of braids, braided part will hold 95% of knot strength, and the rest of 5% will relies on the stop knot.


4) Stop the end of leader with double uni-knot. Moisten the braided column and fasten the knot tightly. Use towel or gloves to prevent injury with PE line. With good knot, the braided PE column will shrink and look darker.

Cut the end leader as short as possible. 1/16 inch is enough.

If you are not confident with double uni-knot, make it triple, but surely it will reduce casting range.



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Has anyone used the Red Phillips? I think I am going to tie and test this one tonight.

[pametfisher]

The SIG is a great knot. You've got to tie a Bimini and the SIG but it is strong. There's a link with some more photos at the bottom of this page that will add some detail: SIG Knot Steps.

IMO, the Red Philips has the strength of an ordinary knot (60%), unlike SIG, PR, Bimini which are 100%.

[Sea Draggin]

Yeah, that link to the thread back in 2008 was when I first tried it. It worked well for me all year, so I thought I would put it up as a proven method.

I only used a single overhand knot and never had it slip with 100lb jinkai. However with other leader materials, I would have to test it first. I think for flouro a double knot like you showed or the lock knot shown above would be needed.

[jig42na]

Is the SIG stronger than a No Name? It kinda reminded me of it where your passing the mono through the braid loop. I used the no-name knot for years. I use more now for connecting knotable wire to leaders.

[Sea Draggin]

I think the SIG is stronger, because I have not experienced mystery break offs with it. I'll leave the technical reasons/explanations to pamet.

[pametfisher]

I think the SIG is stronger, because I have not experienced mystery break offs with it. I'll leave the technical reasons/explanations to pamet.

Okay, I'll bite. The SIG starts with a Bimini in the braid which has a very gentle bend of the line--good for strength. For the braid to mono connection, it is also a gentle bend and it's design is like a double PR knot in that both legs of the Bimini wrap the mono/fluoro.

If you tie the no-name (there are many, I'm speaking of Reverse Albright) with a Bimini in the braid, it is strong too. but I've notice that the wraps in the mono are not 100% stable and if the knot takes a side force when fighting a fish, it can open. Also, the knot in the mono takes a very sharp bend so the SIG ends up better. Still, it's not a bad knot.

Of the two, the SIG is an exceptional knot. It's main drawback is the Stop Knot which can get large as the mono strength goes up. It's very good up to 50# mono, then like the Slim Beauty, it starts to "put on weight".

All that said, for strength, durability and casting performance, neither knot beats a short-splice wind-on. But you'd expect me to say that.

[Sea Draggin]

I did some tieing and testing on the red phillips knot. That knot really sucks. If its 50% I would be surprised.

Pamet, glad you brought up the slim beauty. Thats another one I use as a backup.

I know that I will never use knots that take tools, so I like to rechallenge myself occasionally on this stuff.

Right now its still windons, SIG or Slim Beauty (all connected to a bimini in the braid)

[pametfisher]

I did some tieing and testing on the red phillips knot. That knot really sucks. If its 50% I would be surprised.

Pamet, glad you brought up the slim beauty. Thats another one I use as a backup.

I know that I will never use knots that take tools, so I like to rechallenge myself occasionally on this stuff.

Right now its still windons, SIG or Slim Beauty (all connected to a bimini in the braid)

IMO, you've chosen three winners. The SIG/Bimini was the first high performance knot I learned to tie. Someone loaded a reel with 30# braid and told me it was 50#. I kept trying to find a knot that would get to 80% of the 50#.

Eventually, the SIG/Bimini got me to 40 lbs. which, of course was 100% of the ABS (actual breaking strength) of the 30#. Caught four 120 lb. tuna before I figured out after the season that it was 30# line.

[Sea Draggin]

The one thing I like about the SIG over the SB is that it is not quite as fat. Sometimes it seems the SB is not so slim. More like a fat beauty. The SiG has a smaller overall diameter.