Quick advice needed

[trowpa]

Ok- to be safe, gonna pick up some heavier mono for rub leader than the 100lb i have now...300 or 400 lb test - only reason I'd go lower than 400 is if it starts getting awkward to cast, fit through a fishfinder rig, or tie...

I have no crimping materials - was able to tie good knots with the 100lb..

Any opinions from those who cast for sharks on whether 300lb or 400lb can be knotted? or does it need to be crimped? Also - is 300lb more managable to cast? Or should I go with 400 for its abrasion resistance? Gonna order today to be ready for the fling....

Thanks!

[Sam]

I think 100 should be fine for a rub leader.

[fish-aholic]

You think Sam?? I had 150 shredded in no time at all....And a crimp tool is a good investment if you're going to stay involved in fishing period. I can't tell you how much money I save a year by buying my own components and making everything instead of buying them premade. You can get a set of good crimpers for $35.99 most places. Then all you need are the sleeves.

[trowpa]

Sam - i thought it was plenty fine too, until I heard of people with 150 and 300 (jeff and ben) that had their rubs abraided pretty good - never caught any shark other than that one 4 1/2 foot sandbar....and that was with not even a shock leader - bare 17lb line and 80lb bite leader lol

Guess you never know.

Sam - are you saying its fine for casting to sharks too? I know you use a LOT long lenght of wire when yakking ...so maybe rub leaders are more important when casting with 1-2 feet of wire versus yakking with 5 feet?

[eklutna]

In a article posted in sportsman magazine Peter B. Wright 2002 wrote an article on crimps. The article stated that after extensive testing Mono leaders that were secured by experts with crimps broke at the crimp at only forty percent line strength (average). CRIMPS SHOULD NOT BE USED ON SHOCK LEADERS OR ON TERMINLA RIGS FOR SURF CASTING RODS. If you use a fifty pound line you will only end up with twenty pound line strength because of the degradation of the line caused by the crimp. This is an accident waiting to happen. I would love to post the article but it is referenced from a Gulf shark fishing site. I think it would fine to use crimps on very large mono when you kayak out your bait.

[trowpa]

So for a 100lb rub leader (minimum i'm considering), it would fail at 40lb test? I guess for fighting the fish that would be fine - just that the people helping me land the shark should be aware of that!

Wondering if it is possible to tie a good palomar knot in 300lb test....