What connection for copper to backing or leader?

[landingzone]

I imagine it was discussed here somewhere but I can't find it.....

I'm setting up a couple copper rigs and need to know the best connection techniques. I have a spool of Howie copper and it shows using a "Howie" knot. I also have an Atommik spool and it shows an Albright knot. Others have told me to use small Spro swivels. I am using 50# Power Pro for backing and 20# fluorocarbon for leader. If using swivels, how do you knot the copper to them?

[Yankee Troller]

Go through the swivel with about a 1 inch tag end. Then just wrap the copper up itself as tight as you can. As for a knot.....use the albright knot.

[Get-A-Way]

Yankee gave you the answer. If you have a problem, call me.Dane

[A-TOM-MIK]

The Albright knot or the use of an inline swivel/hay wire twist are both very good connections, some minor pros and cons with each but each will suffice and are favored to the personal preferences who use each one.

IMO the haywire twist and inline swivel is becoming more popular as copper concepts are becoming a normal presentation. Mainly due to the fact some anglers just can not master the Albright knot, but when tied properly does work very well.

You mentioned using a 20# leader off the copper, some of the seasoned guys we cater to running copper now days prefer the use of a SPRO swivel over a knot when using a 20# leader. We rig our commercial rigs with 30# Seaguar and use the Albright.

Good Luck

Tom

[emtystringer]

question,why can't you tie your backing or leader dierectly to a small loop in that hay wire trist and don't use any swivel?

[A-TOM-MIK]

Have never tried it, but read on the internet anglers have done that with success, so it must work for some

[Fishtails]

I use a small spro barrel swival instead of the albright knot. Have for over a year and never had even one problem that I can remember. The albright knot really isn't that hard to tie though. I used it on the 600 rig this year just for the heck of it and it's held up fine............so far.

Tom.....during the Niagara pre fish, we had a fish ripping on the 500 copper.... into the 50lb power pro and then.....everything was gone :shock: fish, lure, copper and some backer.

The power pro broke in the water. I use the hi-vis yellow power pro. It was not the knot, it was a clean break and it was beyond the knot anyway. We had the backer attached to the board clip with a rubber band.....can that weaken the power pro? We were at a loss as to what happened ??

Was it just a freak thing, or have you heard of that happen before ?

Thanks

[A-TOM-MIK]

We always half-hitch (2) 1/16" bands to the copper itself, about 6" from the backer/copper connection. Then place the bands into a shower curtain ring, reason being we have had issues with the thinner backers severing the bands which creates a false release.

I would not think your connection from the band on the backer would weaken it. First thought that comes to mind is if there was a chance the backer itself was weakened due to any type hang up with the backer on your release (What do you use to connect your band to your planer line?) When your backer hangs up on your planer line at times and gets somewhat "hung" up on your release there may be a possibility of an issue there, then when a King hits and breaks the band the backer may have been weakened if it was entangled from the release in anyway? Had issues like that a few seasons ago with Laurvick releases and the gator clip on the backside, it gets rusty and will wear almost anything if it comes in contact with it

Outside of that from time to time while I am winding bulk spools of Fireline and Power Pro I have noticed frays in each brand right smack in the middle of a bulk spool, certainly no great amount of them but even 1 is too many obviously. I think I have noticed about 3 or 4 in the last few years

Tom

[Fishtails]

Tom,

I use the Laurvick releases, but only the rubberband was in the release. I do recall that it did not release properly. As I recall....we had to pop it manually. I guess I'll never know exactly what happened, but it was worth bringing up cause I like the whole shower curtain clip idea. Think I'll switch over before my next trip......thanks!

[line dancin fishing team]

if you twist the line on the barrel swivel do you use any heat shrink over it. i was told if you didn't it wouldn't hold. I used the albright knot before it works fine as far as strenght, just with the okuma reels i have a hard time getting the knot through the line guide so i am playing with using the spro swivels.

[GAMBLER]

Fishtails,

I pulled all of my copper off my reels and added 6' of 50 lb. Seagar Floro between the copper and the backing. It has worked great and it holds in regular plainer releases a lot better.

[mudflat]

Line Dance

The spro swivel is larger diameter than an albright know so it won't work with an Okuma unless you modify the line guide. You can try a haywire twist without a swivel and tie your leader to the loop, so far that has worked ok for me but I still put some heat shrink on the copper so it flows through the guides easier. Seems to be a little smaller than an albright knot.

mudflat