Windknots...

[Bux]

Ok, so I'm not going to be the one to tell you how to prevent it as I'm looking for some answers myself.

I'm using 30lb fireline on a spheros 5000fb and also 20lb power pro on a stradic 2000 and on both setups I'm getting serious windknots at times. Sometimes they so bad, I have to cut the line (a good 5 m) while the lure is in the water and tie a new knot (most of it in allmost complete darkness). I know it happens because of my variable retrieves and they sometimes happen out of the blue.

What is the best way to prevent it from happening? Maybe every few casts retrieve your line with a constant pressure? What do you do or think? 

 

[Enigma]

It's because the braid doesn't stretch.  With mono stretching  the coils compress on the reel (ever so slightly) and then the coils hold themself in place

The braid doesn't coil and then the top loops are formed by line retrieved under very little tension.  These loops lay loosely on the reel and when you next cast the loops hook a loop below them pulling a couple of loops off simultaneously, forming the infamous wind knot.

2 ways to prevent windknots.  1st is to keep tension on the braid while retrieving with either a bigger lure or by feathering the line.  No always possible or feasible with many different retrieves

The easiest way is to under spool your reels and keep about 1mm from the top of the line to the edge of the spool.  This helps to prevent the loops pulling over the edge and releases the line without w wind knot.

Since witching to the second option I've never had recurrence of the wind knots

 

[ignoblis]

Check out this link about wind knots

http://www.offthechart.co.za/basil-attenborough/perfecting-spinning-with-brad/

ignoblis

 

[Mike D]

From a simple question, so much is learnt. Thanks Bux and well done guys!

 

[Bux]

I just checked my spools and both of them are actually pretty full especially with the leaders wound on. will sort this out when I return form my holidays. Thanks alot Enigma.

 

[FREE THE FIGHTER]

Overfilled spool a prime suspect  as well as line twist - not a bad idea somewhere in the terminal rig to have a good quality swivel - usually just in front of lure.

Also the intial spooling up of the reel done in a way to have minimal line twist.

 

[Bux]

The spooling was very real problem in the very beginning but has since been overcome and understood.

I allways have a small swivel somewhere as I never go without wire (the barracuda overhere you know).

 

[The Moose]

Just my quick 2cents, I'm using 20lb Kingfisher Casting Braid on a Slade 4000. I put just about all 300m on and theres a 2 to 3mm gap still left. So its not too full yet still sufficient line capacity. Check the line diameter of the fireline, I find it to be a lot thicker than some other Braids.

 

[Bux]

I only once found that capacity is a problem after I hooked into a 7kg horse eye jack from the boat with my little stradic 2000 loaded with plenty 20lb powerpro. I recon I was 10 m from being spooled when I managed to turn the fish but man that fish didnt want to stop. But that was really my own fault for taking a knife to a gun fight...but one of my most memorable fights ever.

but caught plenty other barracuda, jacks and snapper from the side with that setup and never had a problem with capacity.

 

[Burtie]

The Moose wrote:

Just my quick 2cents, I'm using 20lb Kingfisher Casting Braid on a Slade 4000. I put just about all 300m on and theres a 2 to 3mm gap still left. So its not too full yet still sufficient line capacity. Check the line diameter of the fireline, I find it to be a lot thicker than some other Braids.

Kingfisher casting braid has lots of memory and I believe this helps prevent wind knots. You can test braid memory by twisting it around your finger a couple of times and the better the curls stay after removing your finger, the better the memory. I took off my kingfisher casting braid off one of my spinning reels and put a cheaper brand on. I found this was a mistake as I am casting more wind knots. My choice for n cheaper brand turned out to be a costly mistake...

 

[neilg]

This has been discussed a few times in great detail many times

Like Enigma said, over filling a grinder with braid is a big mistake! Windknot galore

I fish fireline, stren and mustad without any problems on 6 different grinders ranging from cheap to fairly expensive reels and from 6lb to 50lb.

I have had big windknot problems with kingfisher casting braid, line is apparently much better now (but i'm not buying it again to find out)

I just dont overfill my reels

Except for not overfilling i dont do anything special, just check that your grinder spreads the line evenly accross the spool

I did cover this in part1 of the articles i wrote on sealine