Bimini twist

Joe, make sure you do a half-hitch on each leg of the loop followed by the 6or 7 wrap cinch.. Nice meeting you and Maria..

Bret

 

Folks,

Although I have not used the Bimini extensively with Spectra lines, I used it a lot with mono flyline leaders, and I have done a lot of tying and tinkering with it and a lot of research. What I learned (just theory mind you, as far as I am concerned) is that a 20 turn Bimini will typically slip in Spectra--regardless of how you finish it.

So, I found on somebody's website several months ago a reference to the effect that you have to tie it with 40 turns when using it with Superlines. I did so successfully with 50 and 65 pound Spectra, and had a little trouble getting the line to cover the original twists without petering out toward the end and leaving some twists uncovered with the secondary wrap (if that makes any sense.) It almost seemed like I was not drawing the original 40 twists down far enough before turning the line to a 90 degree angle to begin the secondary wrap. However, no matter how hard I pulled, it wouldn't compress down. When finished and glued, it seemed to work fine, but that was on big redfish--not exactly tuna--and I didn't test it beyond that.

Now the other day, I tried a 40, and then a 30 turn with 100 pound Powerpro, and the results were disastrous--knots I would never trust.

What's a mother to do?

Russ

 

Avoid power pro, I've been seeing more failures in this line than I like.
Switch to JB Spectra and use loop to loop connections.

 

Is anyone using a twelve turn bimini (seen in Sport Fishing Magazine, aug 06 )
?
MO

 

not me. it was only tested in 30 and 50lb spectre. i use 65lb and greater and i haven't had any issues with the 40 twist bimini in the higher test spectre...rick

 

Mo, we did a test at Seadogs house on july 4th weekend. We had several failures on the 12 turn bimini. So I am back to the 30-40twist for spectra.
Now that yucatan knot for connecting the mono/flouro seems just fine.

 

Rick and Bret:

Do you gentlemen have any problem with the heavier stuff (65 and above) getting the secondary wraps to draw down evenly over the 30-40 turns? I am having real trouble making an even, pretty knot. It seems, as I said above, like I need to get the first series of turns to draw down tighter, but if I try, it just starts to roll over itself. The first half covers great, but then begins to show gaps, exposing the turns below.

I'm not certain whether this weakens the knot or not. Opinions?

As to the 12 turn, have never used it, but in theory, with spectra especially, isn't the whole reason for going above 20 turns the fact that the material is so slippery?

Also, how big a loop do you guys use for the various applications: jigging, casting, and chunking?

Russ

 

Most of my biminis are not pretty... I can get the mono to come down and wrap over itself and look pretty. but beauty doesnt seem to make a difference in knot strength. I have to manually pull the knot down a good portion of the time. Sometimes you just cant get enough spit on it to make it do right. When we tried the 12 turn it always broke just above the knot.. For trolling I like to use a larger loop, but for connecting my topshot I prefer a small one.. Large enough to put a couple of hands through..

 

powerpro sucks. wouldnt even perch fish with it! Loop to Loop connections ROCK!

 

Rick and Bret:

Do you gentlemen have any problem with the heavier stuff (65 and above) getting the secondary wraps to draw down evenly over the 30-40 turns? I am having real trouble making an even, pretty knot. Russ

Just buy a 100 yard spool of 80-100# spectra and start practicing. When the spool is gone you'll be able to tie one in your sleep.

A couple of helpful hints:
1. After putting 30-50 twists in the spectra loop, put the loop over a stationary object -- I use 2 screwdriver handles that are stuck in my workbench.
2. keep a tension on the running line while holding the tag end at a right angle to the twists and pulling on the inside of the loop (the V on the twists on the inside of the loop) which will cause the line to roll over on itself forming the bimini.
3. Put a two wrap clove hitch (i think that the real name of the knot) to secure both legs of the bimini instead of the overhand knot.
4. Finish it with a 4-5 wrap clove hitch.

Btw, I usually use a 50 turn bimini.

km

 

uncle russ
take the spectre and make a big loop and hold the tag end and the spectre with your left hand about 3 ft above where the loop will be centered. take your right hand and put it on the center of the loop and do your 40 or whatever twists. after you have completed your twists and still continue holding the spectre and tag end in your left hand and use your right hand to open the center of the loop and put the loop over both your feet with shoes on. take the tag end and pull it out to the side giving you some line to make your twists back down and to tie you half hitches with. this will bring the twists down closer to your feet. holding the tag end out to the side and pulling slightly downward start to spead your feet apart. this will cause to spectre to go back over the top of your up twists. pull your feet apart until the spectre twists back to the bottom of your original twists. keeping tension on the knot tie your half hitch in the leg on the right side of the loop then one of the left side of the loop then back to the right side of the loop then back to the left side of the loop. that makes 4 half hitches. 2 in the left leg and 2 in the right leg. then i tie about 8 to 10 more half hitches going over the twists and making sure that i don't catch the top of the twists with my half hitches. i then cut off the tag end. i could have tied several in the time it took me to type this. i think the key is using my feet to get the spectre to reverse itself and come back down to the loop. it takes very little time to do it this way.....rick

 

seadog and Mcgolf:

I will try your methods. What they both have in common is the spreading of the loop to aid in the rolling up over the twists. All my life I have just put the loop (almost always mono) over my big toe, but never had the wherewithal to spread out the loop. It worked OK with the mono and the lighter braid, but I can see what you guys are saying. Thanks for the help.

And thanks for the advice on PowerPro, Skeeter.

It's funny some folks prefer the hollow braid even for the basic line and others the solid. Go figure.

Russ

 

If tying a long loop, put both feet in like Rick says, then pull the loop up over (around) both knees. Spread you knees and pull on the standing line and the tag line will wrap nicely around the initial wraps. You can also take your index finger of the hand holding the tad end (right hand for most people) and use it to pull the inside of the twists up instead of spreading the knees. The old Mark Sosin/Left Kreh knot book shows this method in great detail.

 

Thanks, David. Actually, when I was younger, I didn't use my big toe to hold the loop, but as I got older, I had to switch to that method!

Russ