Topshot Braid to mono knot

Been trying to rig a Topshot of 20 lb. mono to 30 lb. braid using a double uni knot. Problem is the mono part of the knot doesn't go thru rod guides smoothly -- yielding a "professional overrun" most casts.

Am planning on running a bobber and eggs setup from river bank for fall salmon.

Simplest solution would be to not use a Topshot and just run the mainline to a swivel & attach the leader to the other end of the swivel.

Would prefer to use the topshot method but need better way to to join it to the braid mainline.

Been stuck in San Diego fer 20 odd years -- finally made it home in 2018.

Did very little fishin in San Diego. Last year borrowed a beater vintage lami fiberglass w/a beater Shimano spinning reel and managed to hook 4 or 5 pinks, landing 2 ( the first one was as bigga rush as the 42 lber I landed in the Sole Duc 30 sum years ago!!). Also managed to hook a coupla Kings but practiced my patented "long distance release" on both.

Recently picked up a Shimano Clarus CSC86M2D rod and was planning on putting an old Bantam Black Manum 101 on it but even after cleaning and lube it was still unserviceable...picked up a Quantum Accurist baitcaster on OfferUp for cheap and went to the Kalama and the Nisqually a coupla times to practice casting n "knock summa da rust off.

Started out getting backlashes every 2 outta three casts but after a few hours very few if any backlashes and casting distance was good.

Tied on a float and went fishin and back to backlashing every 2 outta 3 casts. Went home and cleaned the egg juice, sand, and old grease out of it n lubed the reel, removed a wind knot, hooked line to immovable object and reeled maself in...still not getting much distance and backlashing. Only thing I kin think of is that the aforementioned knot is the cause.

Any help or advice would be wonderful and greatly appreciated.

Thanx fer takin the time to read and, hopefully, reply

Take care, stay safe n tight lines
Roger
P.s. While the quantum is ok I'm planning on getting sumthin a lil more suitable in a left-hander. Lookin to spend up to bout $200 max. Would appreciate any advice. I mainly fish rivers fer salmon & steelhead using jigs, bait, floats and spinners/spoons.

Get a Daiwa Tatula SV TW for under 2 bills. Nix the top shot. Keep it simple. You will never backlash again.

There is no reason to use a topshot to bobber fish eggs. Just skip it and make things simpler.

I agree with the others in that you don't need a topshot when float fishing.

However, if you ever do need to go braid to mono the two go-to knots are the Albright and FG knot. Albright is simple and clean through the guides. FG is complicated but slimmest knot there is and also the strongest. Albright will suffice for any kind of salmon fishing we do around here though.

Uni to uni.... sucks!

I agree completely but you're understating the fun of the FG knot by just saying it is complicated. Anyone tying one for the first time really believes there are three consonants and two vowels missing in the name.

I fish 30lb braid to anything between 10 - 20lb mono and have no problems with uni to uni knot. Maybe adjust your magnetic brake or give it some more thumb. The Albright is an upgrade for sure though.

For fall salmon I go straight from braid to lead weight and leader and don't seem to have problems, even in very clear low water for Kings/Coho.

Thanx everyone fer the valuable info, truly appreciated!

Why do people use topshots? I'm guessin it's when they use lures? I wuz kinda thinking bout a hole I fished last year that had a big mess o braid in it and thought the topshot might help prevent me from addin to that kinda pollution.

Also braid seems to abrade a lil worse than mono...but then you've got an extra knot and the power pro I've been using seems pretty tough so I guess it's a six of one half doz of the other kinda thing.

The mono I wuz usin was awfully thick -- pulled off of a spool of twenty some year old stren (yeah, I know ya shouldn't use line that old but it was unopened and sitting in a storage unit), think that wuz mosta the problem. Had been using some 12 lb as a top shot and the uni knot slid thru the guides just fine.

Spent some time on my casting today and after fiddlin w/the reel's brake and friction controls I was able to eliminate the backlashes (kinda new to baitcasting, and haven't fished much the since the mid to late 90s so that's probably the primary source of ma troubles). Another reason I wuz having trouble was the light weight and the aerodynamics, i.e. would shoot off the reel just fine and then put on the brakes mid-cast.

Sure is great to get back on the rivers in our great PNW!!

Sorry, tend to ramble on.

Thanx again fer the replies

Take care,
Roger

Other than for fishing tuna in order to get bit,beats me.

I use a crazy alberto knot for braid to mono as a topshot, 40 lb. braid to 40 lb. mono, small diameter knot, passes through eyelets easily and that's with 40 lb.! Keeps the line in the clip for downrigger fishing. Nice to see that high vis mono coming in, feels better when the knot comes in. Braid is just to small for putting in a clip. That being said, for freshwater action the line is straight 15 lb. braid, keeps in the clips just fine. Smaller diameter line I just use uni to uni knot. Neither knot has ever let me down.

For down rigger trolling I use a mono topshot all the time as it sticks much better in the Scotty release clips than braid (especially for deep down rigger use).

We still use wire on our downriggers. Of course there are other fisheries where a mono topshot is desirable,but boober fishing for salmonids is overkill. I dunno. Do whatever.

braid in clips can be a PITA, thats one reason that people will run top shots, also for the stretch, like with Kokanee fishing, braid is too stiff and the fish will rip the hooks out of their mouths sometimes.. some will then use a snubber, but i feel the dodgers lose action with snubbers...

for river fishing, i run braid on everything, just put a swivel and then a leader...

Evo knows.

40# Mono shots over 65# braid for the riggers. Send it.

Best is to use hollow braid & thread the mono. I like this served connection:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NI-wPwmgmzg

I built a clamp station from plywood, carraiage bolts with twin rubber backed washers on each bolt to clamp the line.

Why not use crimps,the good ones ,and go big or go home? You could also use fly line dressing for that greased line effect on your flourocarbon leader,get that drag free drift! Better use 20 split shot in varying sizes to account for the complex currents underwater.

40lb mono holds better in my downrigger clips.

lol you guys are funny. This guy isn't asking about downrigging. He is talking about float fishing .

The orig. poster asked about the best knot to connect braid to mono. Or can't you read anything except your own crap. If the thread started going in another direction B.F.D. Go back to the dark side where no-one actually catches fish anymore ,just engages in pointless bullsh*t. What DO you contribute to this forum much less contribute in a positive way to anything? F.U. in advance of your pointless post, I'm done with this thread since you've arrived.

"Am planning on running a bobber and eggs setup from river bank for fall salmon. "-OP

"Get a Daiwa Tatula SV TW for under 2 bills. Nix the top shot. Keep it simple. You will never backlash again." -ME

That's what I contributed. Sounds like you got triggered.

Most of my steelhead float rods fishing small streams I use a top shot. Fishing a fixed float like right now for summers I use 30lb braid to 12lb Seagar blue label attached with crazy Alberto knot. fishing bait with a slip float i don't use a top shot. never really seen a necessity too especially for salmon.

You know, you're right. You contributed a insightful answer to the O.P.s question. My apologies. Bobr

It's all good bobr.

Float fishing for salmon:

30-60lb braind main to an inline weight. Braid is tied to one end of the eight. 25LB mono leader to the other end. Sliding float setup, etc. 4/0 hooks. Kings sucking down UEC eggs are *never* leader or hook shy.

Hucking spinners/jigs. I used to just use straight mono (8-12), but if you're fishing the Duc, you will need lighter lines as the water clears up. Some days 12 might work, but other's 8 is needed. So, I started running 30lb braid and a 20' topshot leader. Uni knots seem to work ok and casting isn't an issue. For the most part. The weight of the jig or the spinner should negate an ill effect of that small double unit knot hitting a smooth guide on your rod.

Downrigger. I prefer wire on the riggers and 25lb. mono on the reel. No braid. I crimp *everything* in the salt and B10 fishing. Crimping is the only way to go for heavy mono shock leaders (60-100lb) and work great for the 40lb spoon leaders and 60lb. AceHi leaders. Just check your crimps to make sure you are actually making the crimp correctly, else your crimps will fail.

Floating fishing for steelhead. 30lb brad. inline weight, 8-10lb leader.

Drift fishing for steelhead: 12-15 mono all the way.

Boondogging/side drifting. Mono only.

Flydogging/Bobberdogging: Use your float rod setup.

Swinging spoons: I still prefer straight 12lb mono over braid.

I will keep it short, in addition to all the above, I always use the Alberto knot to tie braid to mono/flouro.

I just caught half a dozen bluefin tuna up to 70 pounds with that knot connecting my braid to my leader...no troubles at all. It's easy to tie and ends up tiny and smooth and goes thru your guides almost like it's not even there.

Fish on...

Todd

That Alberto knot is a winner. Was gonna try that for a more seamless connection when surf plugging for stripers but I am a creature of habit. I do think braid in the surf is superior ,I run 20 to 30 depending on the size of the fish around and 40 lb flouro for the abrasion resistance. Swivel connects the 2,75 lb spro and a tactical anglers clip for easy lure changes. In case anyone was interested lol.

Gonna answer my own Q (why use mono Topshot). From an article in Salmon & Steelhead Journal, titled Spoon and Spinner Fishing with SuperLines for Salmon and Steelhead, by Bill Herzog:

When you’re attaching lures, avoid the Cardinal sin of tying your lure directly to your mainline. The reasons are many, starting with snagging up.

...when cutting the line is your only option and leaving a section of floating line (that never goes away) ruining a pool for other anglers is the ultimate sin. An 8- to 10-foot section “shock tippet” or “top shot” of mono is the best and only option for river fishing.

...why adding this length of mono is not an option. Hang-ups are simpler to remedy, as the tippet is somewhat lighter than the mainline. What ends up getting lost is the lure, or at worst the tippet and lure. Mono sinks, unlike the floating super line, so revolving lures can be presented at depth faster and at “normal” attitude. It’s called shock tippet for good reason — the stretch of the short length of mono provides a cushion, so to speak, when a hot fish strikes ferociously or makes lightning swift changes of direction without fear of hook(s) ripping free. The rubber band effect of mono shock tippet also prevents a determined head shaker from easily throwing a barbless hook. Lastly, super lines are opaque. While most aggressive salmonids would strike a lure tied directly to a bright yellow line (or an opaque natural toned one), just as many or more turn away at the last second. Numbers of the strikes go way up when a section of camouflaged natural toned translucent mono is tied to the lure. Mono knots don’t slip out and are far easier to tie to the lure.

If I inadvertantly, thru ignorance, violated any copyright laws, or pissed off the publisher, his son or the author -- please delete this post and accept my deepest apologies.

Sincerely,
Roger R

What is happening?

Good question. I still use mono when I swing spoons,but if the General says otherwise I have been blowing it!!

Double uni-knot. 6'-8' mono leader.
30 seconds or under to tie. If you can tie and cut clean you should have no problem with it running through your guides.

Spoons, spinners, senkos, chatterbaits, hell, any type of reaction bait. You're gonna want a mono leader to get that stretch which buries that hook a little deeper when a fish crushes your lure.

Herzog nailed it.

For float fishing a stream, the advantage of the mono topshot is that if your float is set to slip, it will slip faster and your presentation will set up faster. Floats will slide slower on the braid, especially as it ages.

I personally go braid to swivel and keep it simple.

BEEZER FTW!!! lol

problem with floats and mono that ive gathered, is that mono will chaffe with bobbers, friction is friction, might just be me, im OCD about this sh!t...

brayd fo lyfe...

I tried that fireline crystal 08 for float fishing and really liked it. But it's white so I can see why folks might want to darken a few feet of it,or add a top shot.

Anyone else have this issue? I don't have any problems with a few different styles of knots connecting braid to mono, but when I have to break off on a snag, I usually lose the mono (so the braid/mono knot breaks, not mono/lure knot). The connection is plenty strong and seems to only break when the appropriate force is applied (i.e. what feels like the right pull needed to snap 12 or 15 pound mono).

Normally not a big deal to occasionally re-tie a top shot, but it becomes more of a pain in the ass when I'm fishing real woody coho water and sending twitching jigs into dark places. Break offs become more frequent, and retying the top shot is more of an ordeal than quickly grabbing another jig out of your pocket. Actually, it's only a pain when your buddy keeps peppering casts into a hot pod of fish.

Just curious if others have the issue of breaking off at the line to line connection vs. line to lure.

If I were breaking off that much I would just use a palomar to a swivel,leader with an improved clinch.

If you're using a Uni to Uni the knot likely isn't as strong as the knot tied to your jig. Learn the FG knot and it'll never break where the lines are tied together.

A few years ago the dash point dock was on fire for kings. Most of the guys were fishing straight braid to a jig. I watched guys horse them in an effort to avoid the seals, only to have the fish start to thrash at the dock, popping out the jig hook. One guy lost at least three ,in an about a 2 hour stretch, all right at the dock. With no stretch, these hot fish were able to rip the hook out at least 50% or more of the time. I was fishing straight mono, 10LB, and while the fight was a little longer, I was not having the same problem.