This may be a dumb question, but does anyone have problems with connection knots going through micro guides? I have tried different knots, but they all seem to catch a little causing shorter casting, or backlash problems. I have this problem on my BFS setup. The rod has micro guides and seems to cause the problem even with very light lines. I may just have to go with a straight line, mono or braid with no connection knot. Anyone?

I don’t like connecting knots going through my guides . Straight mono is what I prefer to use. 

If you want leaders, then knots are part of the game.

 

I am sure some knot expert will say no problem! But if you keep having problems, then change one or the other, or both.

 

To me a leader is a weak link. When people with leaders lose fish, a LOT of the time it is those pesky leaders.

I have one rod with microguides, a St Croix Axid X ML/XF. Because I am using light line, the connecting knot passes right through no problems.

 

I would probably buy a casting rod with microguides at all but if I did I’d run straight fluorocarbon or mono

my Icon BFS rods are my only micro guide setups, I run straight mono/fluoro on both.

I suspect an FG knot with ultra light line would pass through the guides but I see no reason to try.

On all micro-guide rods, I use fluoro leader mainly for shock tolerance, and tie my Allbright knot so it stays outside of the rod tip.  I use paper clips, micro-snap swivels, and micro-swivel bite traces to attach lures.  

 

Difference is rods with full-size guides that glide my leader knot, and where I'll fish a longer leader.  

For me it's a no go for mono and straight braid on BFS gear. I've tried both and didn't have the best of luck. Mono didn't hold up and with straight braid, I was loosing fish, bending out hooks, and knot strength, for whatever reason, was not good. So I mainly use fluorocarbon and I have braid to leader on one setup. My favorite BFS line is Sunline Invisible in 5llb and 6lb depending on the setup. I brought in a 6lb Smallmouth with 6lb. For braid, I used a variety of lines from YGK, Varivas, and Sunline. My favorite is YGK Upgrade in green. I use 8-10lb leader. My go to leader materials are Seaguar Gold Label and Grand Max. 

 

As far as micro guides go, I believe all of my rods have them and it can be a pain with braid to leader but I have found the carrot knot works great and holds up. For me, it's not only important to make a good knot but the two lines in question have to mend together properly. It sounds weird but as many lines as I have tried some leader material and braid just don't seem to bond as well. My current favorite braid that holds leader knots better than anything I have seen is Varivas Avani X9. It may be my go to line in future but after a year of using it on spinning gear, I may stop experimenting and just stay with this line for BFS and spinning braid. It checks all the boxes. 

 

My advice, if braid to leader is becoming a pain that can't be fixed, I would go to 6lb fluorocarbon. Like I mentioned, Sunline Invisible is my favorite but Seaguar Invizx is a good place to start. 

15 minutes ago, FishTank said:

....with straight braid, I was losing fish, bending out hooks, and knot strength, for whatever reason, was not good.

 

Wow! I disagree. Its NOT the braid.

 

Braid line does not jump out there and DO those things on its own.

 

I use braid exclusively for about 30 years, and I've never seen braid jump out there and bend a hook or lose a fish.

5 hours ago, rboat said:

This may be a dumb question, but does anyone have problems with connection knots going through micro guides? I have tried different knots, but they all seem to catch a little causing shorter casting, or backlash problems. I have this problem on my BFS setup. The rod has micro guides and seems to cause the problem even with very light lines. I may just have to go with a straight line, mono or braid with no connection knot. Anyone?

 

Make sure you're cutting the leader material tag end absolutely flush.  After tying an alberto, I add two half hitches and then cut so there is no leader tag showing at all.  You can add another half hitch to fill the step up from braid to leader also.

I have a couple with those micro eyelets.  I haven’t found any knot that will “slide” through them.  So I have gone to straight fluorocarbon in either 8 or 10 # test.  Problem solved for me.

Leader line is very much optional in bass fishing.  Less people use leader than those who do.  

I avoid micro-guides on any rod I know will see a leader. 

Yeah I too have learned to avoid connecting knots. I now fish CXX 10# on my BFS set up without issue.

Like Glenn states, probably more folks fish straight lines over a connector leader to main line.

I only use a leader on spinning rods, on the one I have with micro guides, 8lb braid/8lb FC leader goes right through with an Alberto knot. 

There is a good download from SunLine that has a ton of different knots. I’ve had it on my phone as a favorite for a handful of years now. Comes in handy. I’m pretty sure it is still available from them. 

10 hours ago, rboat said:

This may be a dumb question, but does anyone have problems with connection knots going through micro guides? I have tried different knots, but they all seem to catch a little causing shorter casting, or backlash problems. I have this problem on my BFS setup. The rod has micro guides and seems to cause the problem even with very light lines. I may just have to go with a straight line, mono or braid with no connection knot. Anyone?

What kind of line/leader and knot do you use?

The only rods I use leaders on are spinning reels so the eye size isn't really an issue.  I have casting rods with micro guides that I'm sure would cause problems with braid to leader knots.

I use the Red Phillips knot and the goes through the micro guides easily. Also the knot is good on my BFS rods.

https://www.instagram.com/reel/CxBGImWrW8n/?utm_source=ig_web_copy_link&igshid=MzRlODBiNWFlZA%3D%3D

18 hours ago, GetFishorDieTryin said:

What kind of line/leader and knot do you use?

I am using 6# suffix 131 main line to 8lb maxima mono leader. I have tried the alberto, uni to uni, and the yucatan knot. All seem to catch the microguides to some extent. The rod is a cashion BFS with very small microguides. 

I believe I am going to use the straight braid. We have alot of grass and the braid can cut through if needed. If that does not work out, I will go to straight mono. I have never really liked FC lines.

Thanks for everyones input.

11 hours ago, rboat said:

I am using 6# suffix 131 main line to 8lb maxima mono leader. I have tried the alberto, uni to uni, and the yucatan knot. All seem to catch the microguides to some extent. The rod is a cashion BFS with very small microguides. 

I believe I am going to use the straight braid. We have alot of grass and the braid can cut through if needed. If that does not work out, I will go to straight mono. I have never really liked FC lines.

Thanks for everyones input.

Im not familiar with 131, but in any case I couldnt imagine using straight braid on a finesse outfit.  Ive heard 131 floats, suspends and sinks, so I dont which one to beleive.  IMO a leader, particulary a FC leader helps keep those super light baits down with floating braid and gives a more natural look to the bait.

I use really light (#8 and #10 X9) and somewhat delicate PE for jigging tog on jettys. Without a FC or mono leader, that super thin light braid gets damaged very easily by barnacles, mussels and rocks.  It also helps the spool of braid last long as you aren't cutting it every time you swap a bait.

There are a couple important things that don't get mentioned too much.  If youre using a long enough leader that your connection knot is buried in the spool while casting that is going to cause an issue.  The mono coming off the spool will form wider archs than the braid.  Once you get to the braid the mono drags the first few inches of braid into a wider loop than the braid following it.  At best it hurts casting distance, worst case is a blow by knot, which is a nightmare on a casting reel. 

What I like to do, even with spinning gear, is to have my knot in between the stripper guide and spool.  That way there's no deviation in loop size and little deviation in velocity, which= a smooth cast.

If I were you I would try keeping the knot between the spool and stripper. (first guide) The 2 knots I recomend are old, but they have accounted for taking so many large hard fighting fish in current with very light tippet, there isn o question that they are plenty strong enough.  

The obvious knot is the Albright.  You have to double the leader though.  You could try #6 blue label or #6 yo zuri HD carbon.  The blue label is thinner than mono, with a hard surface and the HD carbon is another high quality FC, but it has a soft outer layer, which is great for knots and giving the bait a natural look. You just have to remember to trim the tag absolutely flush.

As good as the Albright is, the nail knot IMO is the way to go.  It doesn't rely on forming a bend or loop with the leader or mainline.  You just wrap the mainline around the nail or hollow tube perpendicular with the mainline, and using the nail or loop, run the tag end back through the gap caused by the nail(or through the tube) so that mainline tag is running towards the bait.  You can use half hitches to lockdown the tag and protect it from damage when you cut all of tag away from the knot.  I bet you if you downsize the leader dia,, tie, seat and trim the knot correctly so that its compact and smooth, it should flow through the guides with no issues.

If I were you I would give this knot a try before you go straight braid.  

I made the nail knot sound harder than it was. Hope it helps, good luck.

Nail Knot | Fishing Knots | Animated Knots by Grog 

 

Even the FG knot (the slimmest of the leader knots I'm aware of) will get clunky on the smallest micro guides if you're using a heavy mainline... but on BFS, you're using light line anyways, so I don't think you'll have much of an issue. 

 

If you do, well, you'll have to go straight mono or fluoro.