I’ve definitely had my fair share of wind knots and headaches with leader connections. I know some guys run straight braid, others swear by braid-to-fluoro, and some still stick with good ol’ mono for certain situations. What’s been working best for you under heavy wind conditions?
What is a “wind knot”? I’ve seen the term used in fly fishing, and in that case it’s a result of over powering the cast and has nothing to do with wind. Is your line maybe twisted? That could lead to kinks and snarls.
SR
I never have problems with braid even in windy conditions. If you are, you either have too much on the spool or you’re looping your casts.
Almost every rod I have is suffix 832 with a fluoro leader. Typically 6 or 8# braid.
Edited,I thought you were having problems at the reel.
I never have problems with braid even in windy conditions. If you are, you either have too much on the spool or you’re looping your casts.
Almost every rod I have is suffix 832 with a fluoro leader. Typically 6 or 8# braid.
I’m with Matt on this one. I run 83w on all but a few rods. 832 to a fluoro leader. Both spinning and baitcasting set ups. Anything from 8 to 50lbs set ups. I never have that issue.
Maybe you over spoiled the reel, or looping casts, also have lots of slack in the spool that’ll cause issues with any line. If it’s knotting I’d guess there’s slack or reel a ton against the drag.
If what you mean by wind knots are when the braid knots itself around your rod blank and then you have to slide it over the tip top, yes, I have those problems as well. Have had them with every braid I’ve tried. Some old river rat once told me that when you get them, apply chap stick to the tip top, it makes it easier to slide the knot over the top guide, so I do that and it’s worked good. My main lines are Suffix 832, Power Pro, and Fireline Crystal 3/8. All have done it. If it is from over casting, I wouldn’t be surprised, I do make bomber casts and use light jigs.
If what you mean by wind knots are when the braid knots itself around your rod blank and then you have to slide it over the tip top, yes, I have those problems as well. Have had them with every braid I’ve tried. Some old river rat once told me that when you get them, apply chap stick to the tip top, it makes it easier to slide the knot over the top guide, so I do that and it’s worked good. My main lines are Suffix 832, Power Pro, and Fireline Crystal 3/8. All have done it. If it is from over casting, I wouldn’t be surprised, I do make bomber casts and use light jigs.
Bombing casts with light jigs will do it. You need to keep some tension between the tip and the lure. Those light jigs start to float and the line wraps. Smaller eyelets and longer rods can help.
Add me to the list of guys never having a “wind knot” Someone needs to take a pic and show me what it looks like….
-J.
You could also call it a line tangle or tip wrap. It’s kinda like a backlash, but on a spinning rod. The term is a misnomer because it’s usually not caused by wind, rather it’s caused by braid+spinning rod=twisted line.
Yep, happens often, especially since I’m in the braid to swivel to flouro leader category. Too make it worse I usually have a rubber bead between the braid and swivel to protect my rod tips from the swivel getting reeled into it. Price of poker, I guess
Depends on the make of the Braid used.
Some braided lines just do not work well with spinning gear, I have tried a dozen or so makes, only ever liked a few.
One of those is Suffix 832 and I am sponsored by them – so I use 832 – and find the 8lb up to 30lb work well with spinning gear.
Often line twist causes issues with spinning reels – if your in a boat, cut the last couple feet off the line and let almost all the line out behind the boat – troll the line fast enough to put a large bend on the rod so the drag from the water pulls the twists out for a few minutes, reel in while line is under tension.
Line twist will be totally gone.
Reelpro.ca
There are braids out there that claim to help prevent wind knots . Some are saying its how the braid is made and the stiffness of the braid itself . I run 832 and once saturated it has no body whatso ever . Just ordered some X braid 8 to try . They claim the weaving process is so that the angles its woven create a stiffer line . We shall see . I know exactly what your talking about the limp braid wrapping around the rod tip . Also bought Suffix Revolve made from IZANAS fibers supposed to have more body to help eliminate wind knots
Yep, happens often, especially since I’m in the braid to swivel to flouro leader category. Too make it worse I usually have a rubber bead between the braid and swivel to protect my rod tips from the swivel getting reeled into it. Price of poker, I guess
You need to tie direct…that’s too many failure points and too much stuff to manage.
Don’t use super glue on your wind knots 
You need to tie direct…that’s too many failure points and too much stuff to manage.
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Tiny spro swivel, eliminates line twist. You’re not wrong, though, knots are opportunities for failure….but I’ve caught a lot of fish with this setup
I get wind knots with my braid pretty often fishing floats direct into the wind or up current in the river. Generally if your in a boat you can cast with the wind but from shore you have less choices. A heavy float helps, and checking it when its being retrieved. Catch it before the next cast and its much easier to get out. Keep the slack out of the line. I go direct braid to flouro, and the knot really depends on my line thickness. I have to do a pretty elaborate knot on thin line ( 2-6 lb dia).
If what you mean by wind knots are when the braid knots itself around your rod blank and then you have to slide it over the tip top, yes, I have those problems as well. Have had them with every braid I’ve tried. Some old river rat once told me that when you get them, apply chap stick to the tip top, it makes it easier to slide the knot over the top guide, so I do that and it’s worked good. My main lines are Suffix 832, Power Pro, and Fireline Crystal 3/8. All have done it. If it is from over casting, I wouldn’t be surprised, I do make bomber casts and use light jigs.
Yeah, that sounds all too familiar. Wind knots are brutal, especially when bombing long casts with lighter jigs. I’ve had the same thing happen with a few different braids too, even some of the well-known ones. It’s interesting you mentioned Power Pro, there’s actually a deeper dive into how it stacks up under those kinds of conditions that sheds some light on why it might be happening more often than expected.
I like high vis line too. Chartreuse 10 lb. test Daiwa J-Braid with a 8 to 10 foot 8 lb. fluorocarbon leader connected by a double uni knot is my favorite jigging setup.
Straight braid, 8-10lb. Fish mostly river but even when the water is extremely clear the walleyes and smallies don’t seem to care.
Suffix 832 hi-vis yellow or chartreuse.
This is absolutely not true. For finesse presentations on the river, when the water is clear, a leader makes a huge difference. I’ve seen it matter at least a half dozen times where the guy with the leader out fishes those without.
It doesn’t matter burning cranks but it does when finessing plastics or live bait.
I use suffix 832 and powerpro V2 in the 8-15lb range on my spinning gear and have experienced some wind knots or line twist but never to the point of it being a constant issue that I need to try and solve. I am a bass fisherman so I’m not using light jigs but I do prefer spinning gear over baitcasters and everyone of them has braid to fluro leader. Am I just lucky or is the lighter braid and jigs more the issue?
My setup is the exact same as Matt and Bearcat.
I take care to tie the braid to the fluoro and make the knot as perfect and small as I can.
I occasionally have problems casting into the wind with light lures or am not paying attention and get into trouble but generally speaking those issues are few and far between and always on my effort, not the line.
when the braid wraps around your tip, have had it happen many times, frustrating
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