Which leader knot do you use ?

[SIXFOOTSTEVE]

Cheers lads ,some great advice ,going to try the bimini in five minutes if I don\'t post again I will probably be trying to bite my way through my front door frame lol.

[Edited on 29/11/2005 by SIXFOOTSTEVE]

[gogs]

Mike are you holding the tag end 90degrees to the main line when you move it down towards the loop,also make sure you have plenty tension at all times till you lock the knot of after the first stage.as Bri says its better if you are shown,i was only shown how to tie it once and just practiced a few times after that and once you have done it right its a piece of **** m8.
Steve if you bite through your door frame do you wanted it repaired before xmas as i might be able to squeeze it in

[SIXFOOTSTEVE]

Bimini twist ,I\'ve seen it tied on a fishing programme once and thought hmmm that looks a bit tricky ,I tried it tonight and errrr I might need another couple of practice runs before \" going live \" lol.....
Jeez it\'s a bugger.

[Ian_D]

Yep, bimini for me as well. When you\'re snagged, you\'ll not believe how strong the knot is.

It\'s too strong sometimes.
I always use the Bimini when I\'m fishing the Holderness beaches. but that\'s because when you get snagged it\'s usually because you\'re caught up in a clay ridge and a steady pull will get you clear nearly every time.
When I\'m fishing a really rough beach with a lot of patches of rock I don\'t like the Bimini as if the lead\'s really wedged you never know where the line will break, except it won\'t be the knot. So I tend to use a weaker knot so if I have to pull for a break I don\'t lose half my main line.
I suppose the answer would be a Bimini, but use a rotten bottom lead link, but I\'ve never been too happy casting with this set -up, apart from fairly gentle lobs.

[Big_Spence]

I use the spider hitch to form the loop in the mailine and then a knot similar to the albright for the leader

[Ian]

Mike, If you\'re having trouble with the twists - Put the mainline line around the sole of your shoe and loop it around itself 20 times. Pull your hands apart (~90 degrees) to ensure that this 20 turn spiral is reasonably short (about 2\"). This is the photo next to Steps 1/2 in the link above. Now, while keeping the mainline tensioned straight at you in your left-hand, move your right hand down (keeping tension) so that the tag-end of the line is now pointing down to the floor (say at an angle of 45 from the vertical). This makes the 20 turn spiral twist back on itself (the step 3 photo shows the hand too high in my opinion). You\'ve now got the ~2\" double twist shock absorber part of the knot sorted. Overhand knots around each of the lines going around your foot and one over them both, finishes it off. Now tie the boot loop onto a leader line (I use a uni-knot) and trim off.

As t\'other Ian above says, if you haven\'t got a wrotten bottom, or use a hook you can\'t straighten, then the disadvantage of this knot it that your line can break anywhere on a pull to break. Sods Law, it\'s nearer you than the snag.

It does rattle through the rings at times, but I\'ve had no problems power casting this knot.

Steve, Assuming you\'re using 5-6oz leads, I would step up to 60lb leader to be on the safe side. More abrasive resistant too.

Hope this helps (doddle if it\'s shown to you !).

Ian.