Rockfish, striper, linesider.
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SICK
OF LOSING YOUR SINKERS WHEN CASTING?
A
knot that's a few wraps down is well insulated from the stress
of the cast, A shock leader protects the leader/line knot
from the load of the cast by keeping it on the spool, which
is far more punishing to the knot then anything a fish might
do.
A
shock leader is just a piece of heavier fishing line that is tied
to a smaller line and handles the weight of the sinker during
the cast. The shock leader absorbs the load weight of a heavier
sinker and allows you to throw safely with more force getting
greater distance and accuracy with each cast. If your going to
be throwing the weight hard figure 10 pounds for every ounce your
casting, for normal surf casting a 50 pound test line for the
shock leader will be enough. The length of the shock leader will
depend on the rod, usually the shock leader is from 9 to 15 feet
long, just make sure it goes around the reel spool about 5 times.
This is to insulate the line from the stress of the cast. (More
than 20 feet disqualifies you from an IGFA record). Everybody
has their own favorite knots to join the shock leader to the running
line. If you need a knot that won't break make an 8 to 12 inch
loop in your smaller running line with Bimini Twist and use the
loop as a doubled running line to attach it to the shock leader
with a back to back Uni-Knot
or Improved Blood
Knot. You can use a Uni-Knot
to tie on your swivel.
.
A way to tie on a shock leader is to use the albright
knot. Or you can use the following method. I've not had this
knot fail on me.
Shockleader
knot to use when joining large diameter line to a thin diameter
line
.
Step
1: Tie an overhand (Granny) knot in the heavy trace material and
pass your lighter main line through.
Step 2: Pull the overhand knot in the heavy line tightly closed.
Take four or five turns around the heavy line with the light.
Step 3: Pass the light line back through the first loop as shown.
Lubricate with saliva and pull tight. Trim end to about 2mm.
Use a length of heavier nylon at the working end of your main
line. The shock leader should be about 2 to 2 and half times the
length of your rod. The weight of shock leader line should generally
be two or three times the breaking strain of your main line.
We use what is called a "tapered" shock leader which
is approximately 20 lb at one end (which attaches to the main
line) and about 40 to 70 lb at the sinker end. This allows for
smoother travel through the guides on your rod.
