Terminal-Tackle Knot Strength and Maximum Drag

[pametfisher]

There are always a lot of questions in these forums about the "best" knot. Sometimes it's about how to connect braid to mono/fluoro and sometimes about connecting mono/fluoro to terminal tackle. After a lot of testing of various knots to tie mono/fluoro to lures, swivels and solid rings, I've concluded that the best knot is the one that a fisherman can tie with the greatest precision under pressure. The reason I say that is every knot, other than the Bimini Twist, has very sharp turns inside it that results in a loss of about 40% of the line's true strength. Or saying it another way, terminal tackle knots are about 60% strong--whether it's a Uni, Palomar, Clinch, No-Name, or etc.

If you believe (and you should) that the initial drag you carefully set increases as you let line out on a deep drop, or as a fish pulls line (or both). In the tables below, I've listed some critical numbers for terminal-tackle mono/fluoro knots. (I've used the CODE function to get the data into table form, which doesn't work quite as well here as other sites, suggestions?)

Definitions:

• Line Strength: What's marked on the box
• Actual Strength: What the breaking strength is assuming a 20% overtest (you should check yours if you're into performance fishing
• Knotted Strength: The force at which a 60% knot would break
• Max Drag: Highest drag level that you want your knot to experience. I've assumed 2/3 of the knot strength.
• Initial Drag: Greatest drag you should set with a full spool if you don't want to exceed Max Drag with about half the line out.
• Min Initial Drag: Greatest drag you should set with a full spool if you don't want to exceed Max Drag with all the line out. (2.5:1 full to empty ratio)

In the two tables below, I've run the numbers for ordinary knots and then again for leaders with a mini Bimini Twist as the terminal knot, (tied in 80# mono in the attached photo). Notice how the 50# leader with a regular knot performs, then see how the 80# regular knot compares to a 50# leader with a Bimini for sheer strength.

Line       Actual       Knotted       Max         Initial     Min Initial
Strength   Strength     Strength      Drag        Drag          Drag
--------   --------     --------      -------     --------     -------
   50#      60 lbs.      36 lbs.      24 lbs.     16 lbs.       10 lbs.
   60#      72 lbs.      43 lbs.      28 lbs.     18 lbs.       11 lbs.
   80#      96 lbs.      58 lbs.      39 lbs.     26 lbs.       16 lbs.
  100#     120 lbs.      72 lbs.      48 lbs.     32 lbs.       19 lbs.
  130#     156 lbs.      94 lbs.      63 lbs.     42 lbs.       25 lbs.

Line       Actual     Bimini Twist    Max         Initial     Min Initial
Strength   Strength     Strength      Drag        Drag          Drag
--------   --------     --------      -------     --------     -------
   50#      60 lbs.      60 lbs.      40 lbs.     27 lbs.       16 lbs.
   60#      72 lbs.      72 lbs.      48 lbs.     32 lbs.       19 lbs.
   80#      96 lbs.      96 lbs.      64 lbs.     43 lbs.       25 lbs.
  100#     120 lbs.     120 lbs.      80 lbs.     53 lbs.       32 lbs.
  130#     156 lbs.     156 lbs.     104 lbs.     69 lbs.       42 lbs.

Lastly, the mini Bimini Twist was made by first twisting the mono enough to make about an inch of tight twists, and then hand-wrapping the top layer from the top of the knot down to the loop and securing it in the usual way. (The normal method of expanding the loop to create the top wraps requires that you start with a lot more twists and leads to a much larger loop.)

[Sea Draggin]

Biminis are great and easy to tie.

[d-a]

Biminis are great and easy to tie.

Jim didn't you make a video where you made a small bimini off of 2 nails.

d-a

[BretABaker]

biminis are fine but since lots of guys are tying triple surgeons and catching big big fish........those are easier and smaller going through the guides. i made both a couple times and didnt notice a difference.

[gman]

biminis are fine but since lots of guys are tying triple surgeons and catching big big fish........those are easier and smaller going through the guides. i made both a couple times and didnt notice a difference.

all my fish this season were on that knot LOL

[pametfisher]

biminis are fine but since lots of guys are tying triple surgeons and catching big big fish........those are easier and smaller going through the guides. i made both a couple times and didnt notice a difference.

Yes but I'm not talking about the knot to make a loop in your braid. (Although if you wanted to catch a record fish I would use a Bimini or a spliced End-Loop in hollow-weave.)

Let's say that you were using 80# braid and a 50# leader.

The difference here is that the Bimini is in the mono/fluoro so that you don't end up with a weak terminal tackle knot on a 50# leader.

The purpose of my post was not so much to compare terminal tackle knots as it was to talk about the Max Drag you can initially set IF you want to be able to fight a fish all the way to the bottom of the spool. Someone going after a record fish may want to be able to do that--or someone who hooks a record fish when they didn't expect to.

Looking at the table, if you set 12 lbs. drag on a 50# leader, you would be likely to break off before you got to the bottom of the spool if you used one of the usual terminal tackle knots.

[Sea Draggin]

(Although if you wanted to catch a record fish I would use a Bimini or a spliced End-Loop in hollow-weave.)

I agree 100%. That being said in reference to d-a comment above my standard rig is a combo of a bimini and overhand. Its not the strongest. But like Gman has confidence in the triple surgeons, I have confidence in it. At the end of the day, that goes a very long way.

[pametfisher]

I agree 100%. That being said in reference to d-a comment above my standard rig is a combo of a bimini and overhand. Its not the strongest. But like Gman has confidence in the triple surgeons, I have confidence in it. At the end of the day, that goes a very long way.

Again, here we're talking about the mainline loop, not the original subject of the thread:

Your combo of a Bimini and an Overhand knot is 100% strong if you tie the Bimini with enough twists. Because the tension in the line that forms the loop is HALF the tension (your Bimini doubled the line) of the mainline, it doesn't matter that the Overhand knot is 50-60%. Even if the Overhand is at the low end of that range 50%, since the line there is carrying half the tension, your system is still 100% strong.

Out of curiosity, why do you add the Overhand knot to the Bimini?

[Sea Draggin]

Out of curiosity, why do you add the Overhand knot to the Bimini?

I had one slip one time. Now this was using 200lb solid on a downrigger pulling a #32 planer.

So slightly different tension that a standup fish fighting. A #32 generates some unforgiving amount of pull. My guess is well over 70lbs, since a #24 will make an 80 creep with 50lbs of drag.

So I added the overhand knot and it became habit.

[BretABaker]

ah yes, thus the subject "terminal knot" lol.