wind-on/topshot/hollow core?

[thoward]

I just got 2 Avet lx 6:1 and had them spooled with 40# JB and 30# momoi topshot. This is for dead bait trolling.

1) How long would you sugest for the topshot?
2) Would you do a wind-on?
3) If so, you would you connect it? Mono to mono/loop to loop/JB sleeve

[Auguste]

You will have to use a knot to connect the 40lb JB to the topshot because the 40 lb JB is too small in diameter to feed mono into it

My gear uses much heavier JB so I can't tell you what would be the best way to attach top shot

I use a loop to loop connection to connect my windons to my JB . . . I do not use topshots as I go direct windons to my JB

[Basil]

40lb JB is not spliceable, so you'll need a knot to connect the topshot. Try a back-to-back uniknot. 50-100 yards of topshot should be plenty. Tie a bimini or aussie plait at the end of the topshot and do a a 4-5 turn loop-to-loop connection to an 80, 100 or 130lb wind-on. I have spooled those reels with 60lb hollow spectra which allows for knotless connections between the spectra and topshot.

[RiskTaker]

Originally Posted by thoward

I just got 2 Avet lx 6:1 and had them spooled with 40# JB and 30# momoi topshot. This is for dead bait trolling.
1) How long would you sugest for the topshot?
2) Would you do a wind-on?
3) If so, you would you connect it? Mono to mono/loop to loop/JB sleeve

THoward:
Basil seems to know his combinational interconnections well: probably because he is one of the pioneers in the braid business, and still on top of the game to date. I don't know him but I have never seen any advice that I would disagree with based upon my shorter time of experience in this subject matter.

I have a few 30# class reels, (Torsa 30), that I chose to spool to the top with 60# JBHC. I concur, that this is indeed spliceable, for a knotless double line, but it is a bit more challenging to do than the 130# and 200# hollow cores that I have had previous experience making mono to sprectra connections, as well as wind-on connections using the loop-to-loop technique. (So for 40# HC, I can only imagine that it is even more challenging, if not impossible. But that brings up a question, where is the trade-off between the solid core spectras and the hollow core spectras? My guess is right here at the 30-50 lb. range.) For loop-to-loop connections, I have only done 3 loops, whereas Basil suggested to you, to do 4-5 loops. Perhaps there is a lesson for me too, but my preference is 3 so I can change out a wind-on, on the fly without too much work involved. But I can tell you that if you have a sharp bend under pressure or friction in the spectra line, that is where the braided line will break. So the twists seem to distribute the load a little more evenly without concentrating all the forces on a particular bend. A single loop-to-loop is where you start: after that I think it is your style that will dictate how many more loops are needed.

My wind-on connection length is whatever I want to make it: 25-100 ft. is fine for me; although, 25-40 ft. is easier to manage when you interchange.

For a wind-on leader, the lowest lb. monofilament I have used to date is 80# Momoi Diamond into 130# JBHC. Even at this size, I cannot push the mono into a hollow needle that will feed through braid: so I must slice the end of mono with a razor and jam it into a hollow needle, in order to feed it through the expanded braid. Smaller than that I do not know yet. So for example, I have 60# JBHC on my reel with a spliced loop, 9-12 inches for each inter splice, for a total of 24": this may be a bit over-kill from the comments I have received before, but it works for me. This loop connects to another loop of 130# JBHC, which is the wind-on leader for the 80# monofilament that finishes the connection. Terminal gear usually involves a crimp connection. At the end of the day, there is not a single knot, from the base of the spool to the hook at the other end: some people may prefer this minimalist interconnection scheme. For others, it does not matter so much with multiple knots. I like the double Uni knot for mono to mono connections.

Good luck with the Avets. I am curious to know if the Torsas are that much better, or not, compared to Avet, plus the price spread makes a big difference. I would think that the Avet is by far the better value; although, I did get the Shimanos on E-bay, at a good 25% below list price.