Florocarbon Leader home brew

I want to try and make my own leaders for pike. I bought Seaguars 50 LP leader material based on the forums input. I’ve seen a variety of setups on the web.

Some advise to tie the leader to your main line directly using a uni to uni knot or blood knot. My main line will be something between 14 to 20 pound test. Others use a barrel swivel or ball bearing swivel to connect the 2 lines together. However could that produce some spin in a Rapala Rap type lure while casting? Any preferences?

Then many of these leaders are terminated in a snap, perhaps a Duolock Snap?

It’s suggested to tie this snap to the leader with clinch or improved clinch knot.
I tried these knots” clinch or improved clinch knot” and they seemed to tie an alright knot. My attempts to tie Palomar and Loop knots looked like junk. Any suggestions here as well?

Hate to find out the hard way.

Tight lines and thank you

Its not very easy tying 50# test. I would highly recomend using connector sleeves. Try these:
http://www.amazon.com/Berkley-B4-Connector-Sleeves-60-80-Pound/dp/B003ZZC3KW/ref=sr_1_3?s=sporting-goods&ie=UTF8&qid=1391744801&sr=1-3&keywords=connector+sleeve

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Its not very easy tying 50# test. I would highly recomend using connector sleeves. Try these:
http://www.amazon.com/Berkley-B4-Connector-Sleeves-60-80-Pound/dp/B003ZZC3KW/ref=sr_1_3?s=sporting-goods&ie=UTF8&qid=1391744801&sr=1-3&keywords=connector+sleeve

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x2

This is what you want http://www.muskyshop.com/modules/cart/products.php/nav_id/11/page/1/id/2314/name/HiSeasFluorocarbonHardMonoLeaderSleeves

Those wire leader crimps will smash and cut the flouro. A good crimpers or swaging tool with a wide bite is essential too so you don’t smash the material and weaken it. You can also use a nail knot to tie leader to swivel or snap. http://www.muskyshop.com/modules/cart/products.php/nav_id/11/page/2/id/354/name/DuBroProSeriesNailKnotterTool

You will feel absolutely sick if you break off at the crimp on a big fish so try to do it right.

Will your main line be braid? If it is attach the leader section using a modified albright knot. It was developed by saltwater anglers for attaching flouro leader to braid. Easy to tie you will not be putting a knot in the 50 lb. I have been using it for several years and it has never broken. The uni to uni will knot be easy to tie with that weight flouro as it is so stiff and it must be perfect or it will fail. Everyone I have showed the modified albright to has not gone back to the uni to uni. Many you tube on how to tie or look up in saltwater articles.

Mwal

Thank you for the tip about the crimps (sleeves). I put some on order along with a crimp tool (only $7) from Berkley. Since the tool was made for wire do you go gentler on the crimping, since you’re crimping Fluorocarbon to Forocarbon?
Yes my main line will be brain so I will try this Albright knot. There is a web site that shows how to tie many knots.

http://www.animatedknots.com/indexfishing.php

Thank you kindly!

Thank you all, Fancaster I was a bit concerned about the sleeve. I talked to the folks at the Muskie Shop and they had one designed specifically for Fluorocarbon, Thanks again all. Now to try that Alright knot.

Fancaster has it right on with those sleves and tool to crimp. One additional thing i do is put a dab of Gorilla Glue on the crimp just in case. I know plenty of people tying flouro leaders directly to their main braid, but for the most part I use a high quality ballbearing swivel on that end and tie the line to the swivel with a palomar knot. For ligther weight flouro i use the Albright knot that was mentioned above to tie directly to the braid.

I got the high test Fluorocarbon, the swagger style crimp tool and appropriate sized sleeves “based on a member’s recommendations”. I also fooled around with knots. The basic clinch knot seems to hold up very well and it basic. I actually felt I was going to stretch the line before this knot would give. The knot was tied to a duo type snap which was screwed down to a work bench which helped facilitate the tightening of the knot. Personally I don’t know which is stronger the clinch knot or the crimped sleeve, while giving them basic pull test. I felt like the line was starting to stretch, so I eased up. It seems this high test Fluorocarbon line has a very small stretch vs braid which has no stretch vs mono which can have more stretch.

Thanks for all the input, it will be interesting to see if this produces more strikes this spring over the 80# Power Pro I’ve used for last ~ 8 years. Which frayed with pike but if monitored allowed for good lure control in finesse situations. Oh and it was visable.