Tying some rigs for bluefish. Heavy mono have 40-80 pound leader.
1/0 - 4/0 circle hooks. These will be for bait soaking
I can tie a good Snell knot. Also have and am good with crimps. Last time I was into blues had a couple of Snell knots get cut by teeth using 30 pnd leader and 1/0 hooks. Was catching 15-20 inch blues like crazy.
Any sugestions? I really like the way a snell knot holds the circle hook. But dont like bite offs.
It could have been sharks as well had a couple of good tussles with them that day.
If i know blues are the main event I use crimped wire. Otherwise snelled is how I tie them. I have also used a uni-knot and don’t recall issues with blues biting them off. I mostly use mono when stripers are the quarry. Biggest issue with blues is they can sometimes swallow the bait leaving the leader exposed to teeth. Have had blues bite through wire to but usually they just shred the leader after a couple fish.
If i know blues are the main event I use crimped wire. Otherwise snelled is how I tie them. I have also used a uni-knot and don’t recall issues with blues biting them off. I mostly use mono when stripers are the quarry. Biggest issue with blues is they can sometimes swallow the bait leaving the leader exposed to teeth. Have had blues bite through wire to but usually they just shred the leader after a couple fish.
Do u just crimp the wire with a single loop through the eyes of the hook so it swings free? Or pass through the eye twice so the hook is cocked forward?
I use a palomar knot any time I attach something to the end of a line. Easy, quick and strong.
Can’t help on wire vs. heavy mono as we used trolled surgical hose eels, bucktails, and spoons back in the dim dark past.
For that LB rating I'd be more inclined to snell the hook. Bite offs are just the way of life. Short of wire anything can bite thru mono. We've have some decent fights with sharks on 130lb with crimps...got them to the boat...they get that last bit of burst in them...cut the line.
80 lb berkley trileen big game w a Uni knot. As a charter mate we always tied it w a clinch but you need a solid anchor and gloves if your hands are not used to doing it every day to get the knot to set. Also must be moist on the pull down or mono will burn. Uni will set easier and tighten as you fight the fish. Snell will also work. But some big blues will always win by getting lucky with the sharpness of their teeth.
Mono for the entire charter fleet. Back in the days of umbrella rigs.
80 pound mono? I would skip the knot and crimp it.
Uni knot. If your using 80lb mono you should be able to catch several before having to cut back the frayed line by the hook and re tie. They will bite mono a lot better than wire. I would try 60lb mono if the fish are small.
One foot of 27 pound single strand wire tied straight to the mainline and twisted and rolled to the hook
Depends on the eye of the hook. If you direct tie to a hook meant for a snell you will hurt it's hooking ability. The hooks meant for snell knots have a bent up hook eye.
Direct tie have a standard hook eye.
80lb mono should help with bite-offs, heavier would be even better
60-80# leader wire, tied with haywire twists. albright on the other end.
300# mono with a crimp. Better yet use gangion line and soak it in herring oil before use.
I've never had a uni knot come undone because of the knot itself.
I'd do a short wire to mono connection if I had to soak bait for Blues.
Last time I fished for Blues, I was casting iron and my buddy was using a soft plastic swimbait.
The soft plastic was getting shredded but my Luhr Jensen Crocodile with single hook just worked, trouble free.
I think the Croc size was 3-1/4" x 1 oz genuine silver plate.
Action was 1' - 2' below the surface.....see 'em, cast beyond them and run through them.
Old Saybrook area.
I like San Diego jam knott or a uni . Big line I crimp it which takes some technique.