We have always used a standard Carolina rig when we bottom fish for reds. Small circle hook, fluoro leader and 20 or 30 pound braid main line, depending on what size we were targeting. Lately it’s been bothering how the fluoro tends to get kinked up when I tighten my knots. Does anyone know a good way to combat this? Thinking of trying a different leader line.
Tie your knot with more finesse and cinch it up easily. Wet your line and you don’t have to pull your knot super hard, just enough to make sure it sets. I use to pull my knots way harder then necessary and stress and stretch my line, knots and leaders. Most plastic lines begin to stress at about a third of it’s strength. Also your line could be old or a bad batch.
If I am thinking of your problem correctly when you tighten your knot try to use the tag end as much as possible as the kinks you may be seeing are coming from pulling the running end through the knot while tightening.
I generally use palomar knots on the floro when connecting the swivel and the hook. Wet it well. Then a double 14 wrap uni for the braid to the swivel then several half hitches to protect the uni from the weight. Not perfect but it works for me
A tip on these rigs: use a 6-8” piece of significantly heavier leader between the braid and your swivel to put your weight/beads on then use your regular leader from swivel to hook. This way or you get hung up and break off rarely do you use your whole rig and just need to put a new hook and leader on.
I generally like to snell my hooks and i try to be careful to always lubricate my knots, but i guess i’ll just have to be more careful. I do tend to pull them a little too snug sometimes. Thanks for the input, guys. Tight lines to all of you.
“Only a fool thinks he knows it all.”