ULTIMATE ANGLING - the Ultimate SA Fishing website
OFFSHORE ANGLING => Jigging and Popping => Topic started by: REEFMAN on June 26, 2010, 03:28:12 PM
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Make your own Twisted leaders
Twisted Leaders were invented a long time ago, probably in the early 80's by guys fishing for BlueFin Tuna. The technique in making them has been adapted over the years and I learnt this method from Luke Wyrsta of GTPopping.com.
The theory is that the initial shock of a big GT taking a Popper often led to break offs, so these were designed to add stretch to the leader, providing amazing shock absorption.
Twisty's are expensive to make. Normally, for a 4m Fluorocarbon Leader, one would need 8m of Fluoro, because essentially, the leader is doubled. This provides a twisted doubled leader, which provides incredible stretch and abrasion resistance. We used these on a trip to Kilwa and amongst 4 anglers fishing for 9 days non-stop, we never had a single failure...
There are a number of ways to make a TWISTY, most involve at least 2 people; however this is a method that you can use all on your own...
(http://africanaquatics.co.za/FISHING/Fishing%20stuff/TWISTED%20LEADERS/TWISTY1.jpg)
(http://africanaquatics.co.za/FISHING/Fishing%20stuff/TWISTED%20LEADERS/TWISTY2.jpg)
(http://africanaquatics.co.za/FISHING/Fishing%20stuff/TWISTED%20LEADERS/TWISTY3.jpg)
(http://africanaquatics.co.za/FISHING/Fishing%20stuff/TWISTED%20LEADERS/TWISTY4.jpg)
(http://africanaquatics.co.za/FISHING/Fishing%20stuff/TWISTED%20LEADERS/TWISTY5.jpg)
(http://africanaquatics.co.za/FISHING/Fishing%20stuff/TWISTED%20LEADERS/TWISTY6.jpg)
(http://africanaquatics.co.za/FISHING/Fishing%20stuff/TWISTED%20LEADERS/TWISTY7.jpg)
(http://africanaquatics.co.za/FISHING/Fishing%20stuff/TWISTED%20LEADERS/TWISTY8.jpg)
(http://africanaquatics.co.za/FISHING/Fishing%20stuff/TWISTED%20LEADERS/TWISTY9.jpg)
(http://africanaquatics.co.za/FISHING/Fishing%20stuff/TWISTED%20LEADERS/TWISTY10.jpg)
(http://africanaquatics.co.za/FISHING/Fishing%20stuff/TWISTED%20LEADERS/TWISTY11.jpg)
(http://africanaquatics.co.za/FISHING/Fishing%20stuff/TWISTED%20LEADERS/TWISTY12.jpg)
(http://africanaquatics.co.za/FISHING/Fishing%20stuff/TWISTED%20LEADERS/TWISTY13.jpg)
(http://africanaquatics.co.za/FISHING/Fishing%20stuff/TWISTED%20LEADERS/TWISTY14.jpg)
(http://africanaquatics.co.za/FISHING/Fishing%20stuff/TWISTED%20LEADERS/TWISTY15.jpg)
(http://africanaquatics.co.za/FISHING/Fishing%20stuff/TWISTED%20LEADERS/TWISTY16.jpg)
(http://africanaquatics.co.za/FISHING/Fishing%20stuff/TWISTED%20LEADERS/TWISTY17.jpg)
(http://africanaquatics.co.za/FISHING/Fishing%20stuff/TWISTED%20LEADERS/TWISTY18.jpg)
(http://africanaquatics.co.za/FISHING/Fishing%20stuff/TWISTED%20LEADERS/TWISTY19.jpg)
The preferred method of joining a Twisty to Braid mainline would be the MODIFIED CATS PAW KNOT (http://www.ultimateangling.co.za/index.php/topic,3638.0.html) -
Make a doubled loop in the Braid with a Braid Stitch or Bimini, and join the twisty with the Modified Cats Paw.
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Have not tried this yet Reefs, but I reckon I will be giving it a go!! me likes,thanks for sharing.
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If you like, I can do a demo at the Social on 14th? Let me know so I can bring the stuff with...
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very nice Reefs, but i take the use of the twisted leader is mainly for boating
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For Popping off the boat, targetting BIG GT's and Doggie's.
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If you like, I can do a demo at the Social on 14th? Let me know so I can bring the stuff with...
:pray: :pray: please do, i would love to see it done. whats the thickest mono/fluoro you have used this with?
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Thickest is 1.5mm Sufix Zippy...
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Very nice Tony!
afew questions...
Have you casted them off heavy rock and surf tackle before? reason i ask is i think this could work very well for sharks... :sml:
Do you like the suffix zippy? how do you find its abrasion risistance? i found the 1mm to work nicely but the abrasion risistance was not great and the thicker diameters where VERY expensive R2 per meter for 1.2mm!!! then i tried perlon in any diameter over 1mm and it is the best line in my opinion for thickier diameters as it has great abrasion risistance,cheap at R40 for 100m,knots easilly and low visibility!
thanks
steve
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Great post REEFS thanks for sharing. Some of my questions will be the same so will await the answers.
Thanks again.
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Very nice Tony!
afew questions...
Have you casted them off heavy rock and surf tackle before? reason i ask is i think this could work very well for sharks... :sml:
Do you like the suffix zippy? how do you find its abrasion risistance? i found the 1mm to work nicely but the abrasion risistance was not great and the thicker diameters where VERY expensive R2 per meter for 1.2mm!!! then i tried perlon in any diameter over 1mm and it is the best line in my opinion for thickier diameters as it has great abrasion risistance,cheap at R40 for 100m,knots easilly and low visibility!
thanks
steve
I've never got round to using them for R/S, reason being to make a 9m leader, you would need to use 18m of nylon... works out quite expensive!
I love Suffix Zippy, because of it's suppleness. But over 1.2mm I will use Berkley Big game... very expensive, but also soft and supple for good knots, the best leader imo. Then also we use Shogun leaders in the 1.2mm-1.8mm range for wind-ons - good value for money and has landed many big sharks - Most of the Gauteng league anglers use it.
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Reefs I used Twisties extensively on my recent trip, I made them the easy way, with two people and a cordless drill!! :-)
I used 100lb Zippy and made mine pretty short, about 1.5 metres, and then used a 240lb Bite Trace leader of about 80cm to a 100cm....
Attached with the Cairns quickie, and really loved them... even the super short ones, casted like a dream, and when I got hit right in the shorebreak by that Cuda, lots of perfect shock absorbtion...
Go the Twisties
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Nepps on your recent trip? Report? Where? Fishing from the shore?!
I love twisties too, but I can't seem to get around casting with my finger on braid... just don't dig it. So all my leaders will fit onto the reel - just much more comfortable and you can hit a cast so much harder with finger on nylon, rather than braid. But then I'm often a bit of a spazz with my ideas... :cnfzd
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Hey Reefman, once again an outstanding tut. Even though I will probably never use it as I R&S edibles, your tuts are always well explained and pics are great.
(clap) (clap)
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Reefz, this is truly an excellent tutorial. You have really great way of explaining things and making them simple. I spent many hours checking out Aussie sites for simple twisty workshops and you have got it spot on. I am a huge fan of the twisty leader, particularly for popping for GT's and Doggies.
I put an article into the current Ski-Boat mag about twistys, but did do nearly as good a job with regards to how to make them as you have done here!
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Cheque's in the post Tommo! w;k
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Reefs - Yip, casting off the beach mate... I did a full harcore camp out mission with Earl Strydom and Bertus J v Rensburg for 5 days on the sand spits off Linene.. was more like 4 days of missioning, and 1 day of fishing, but had an absolute blast...
Very little fishing done, but managed a big Sea Spike in the surf ( think its posted somewhere here )
Typically the day after I left the boys hooked up with some mates, moved into some plush accommodation, and prioceeded to HAMMER the GT's with 2 x 35 kilos, and 1 of 38 kilos included in the mix, all on Sticks and poppers.... Earl got 2 x 30 kilo class fish on back to back casts... the okes were busy tagging his first one and he shot a cast out and nailed the second!!! :-)
I've got the pics, and video to come...
Unfortunately I missed out on the action as I had to come back to work, but had a superb trip, any time spent in those boys company is sublime, and 3 GT nuts like Earl, Bertus and myself camped on a deserted sandspit island, hiding from the powers that be cause we weren't supposed to be there, playing countless games of sh*thead, drinking plenty of gin and tonic ( with no ice!! ) buggering around with mountains of tackle, talking fishing an k@k 24/7, is just plain amazing...
we've already commited to a yearly trip, the 3 of us... next time I get the first 3 casts though!! :-)
Reefs I was popping with PE 10 Braid mate, and gloves, so don't have any trouble with hooking my finger on the braid, and I really like not having the leader come off the spool as I think this is where the most issues occur with wind/casting knots... Having the leader to braid connection somwhere between the reel and the second guide is optimum for me, and my casting action...but that being said, thats what suits my casting action...
Gloves are a must for sure though in my opinion...
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Sounds awesome Nepps, that Linene area is one of my favourite parts of Africa when it comes to casting poppers! Earl is also a cool guy to be out there with.
I am hoping to be spending a fair bit of time this summer fishing for those GT's off the spits and over the reefs at Linene!
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Tommo - I'm hoping to be back up there with Earl sometime in December, perhaps we'll get a chance to bash some Geets together... it truly is a spectacular part of the planet, can't wait to get back!
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I like this leader, I use short ones now for light vertical jigging and they really absorb the shock when you geta hit.
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Reefs I used Twisties extensively on my recent trip, I made them the easy way, with two people and a cordless drill!! :-)
I used 100lb Zippy and made mine pretty short, about 1.5 metres, and then used a 240lb Bite Trace leader of about 80cm to a 100cm....
Attached with the Cairns quickie, and really loved them... even the super short ones, casted like a dream, and when I got hit right in the shorebreak by that Cuda, lots of perfect shock absorbtion...
Go the Twisties
nepps do you attach the twisty to the bite trace by a simple uni? and do you ensure that this knot is outside your guides when casting?
Nice constructive post guys :tkx:
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Ianzo, I have found that the best way to join the twisty to the main line is to make a loop in the braid, either a 70 turn Bimini twist, or using a braid stitch. Then use Reefz modified cats paw knot (http://www.ultimateangling.co.za/index.php/topic,3638.0.html), simple yet 100% effective!
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Tommo I think Ian was referring to the Twisty to Bite Trace connection rather than trhe braid to twisty....
Ian - Yip, simple 3 or 4 turn Double Uni, depending on your Bite Trace thickness.... I was using 240lb FISHERMAN STEALTH leader ( go big or go home ) so I defintely needed to keep this join OUTSIDE the tip guide!!
I basically had a drop of about 1.2 or 1.4 metres from the rod tip, and the join between the barid and the twisty was halfway between the reel and the first guide to give you an idea of my leader length in total...
I use the Braid stitch for loops in solid strand braid like Varivas, YGK Ultra, Suffix, Daiwa Saltiga Boat Braid etc, as I've lost faith in the bimini in Braid, buth otherwise using Jerry Brown Hollowcore which is hollw, so splicable and its awesome for creating loops on the end by splicing... you want the smallest possible loop you can get away with to prevent having a large loop at the join when casting as this can get hung up on your first guide and potentially destroy your guides...
I've bent my stripper guide FLAT on a cast with a wind knot that got wrapped on the first guide... when you are casting 180 gram plus lures, with another 40 grams plus worth of hooks hanging off them, thats ALOT of force and can damage your guides and destroy a good rod, or at least put it out of action in a hurry!!
Thankfully my guides were top notch, and I was able to bend it back, and carry on fishing.... now that rods first guide just has some funky kinks in it... adds to her character! w;k
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He, he, you are right Andre, Sorry Ian, my typing fingers were going faster than my brain...
I am with you on that Jerry Brown, man that stuff is fantastic to make loops with, join lines etc! I have fallen in love with it... Also spot on with the small loop in the braid, Jeez I have seen some mayhem from braid wrapping around the stripping guide (rods going overboard, guides being torn off etc)
The braid stitch works well on solid lines, but I do like to redo them every evening, Which can be a chore when you are camping or staying at lodges where there is no bright light.
Hopefully we will get a chance to chase some of those GT's together sometime!
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We actually discussed this round the camp fire on the recent Vidal social , whether u could use the twistys for R/S spinning ,but making twistys with smaller diameter leader like .60 and even smaller as when its twisted its actually double and because of the nature of the twists goes thru the rod guides easier + the catspaw connection is also less resistance.... i'll get around to experimenting with some various smaller diameter twisted leaders and see if they work ... :dunno:
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I used this to make a twisted leader for my fly fishing kit.
But I used a double line of 12 lbs line to create a 4 strand twisted leader at 6ft I made a water knot after the knot cut the strand another 10 inches another water knot and then a single 12 lbs where I made a perfection loop.
The perfection loop in the tippet material then tippet to leader with loop to loop connection.
Will test this leader later in 2011 on Large mouth Yellows in the Vaal... w;k
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Reefs,
Just wanted to say THANK YOU
Today I did my own twisted leaders and reading your post made it so simple and easy the spin reel trick is just amazing.
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Reefs,
Just wanted to say THANK YOU
Today I did my own twisted leaders and reading your post made it so simple and easy the spin reel trick is just amazing.
Coming from a man of your calibre, that's a great compliment... thanks Fedu!
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One more question, do you guys use a bite leader between the twisted and the lure ?
Pros & Cons ?
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Only time I would use a bite leader is if I was targetting Doggies.
By the way Fedu... what knot are you using to attach your Twisty? Have you seen the Reefz special? The Modified Cats Paw... so easy and works like a bomb!
http://www.ultimateangling.co.za/index.php/topic,3638.0.html (http://www.ultimateangling.co.za/index.php/topic,3638.0.html)
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I am using this one easy and really looks nice, but have not made any "scientific" test on it just fished it last weekend
attaching a twisted leader to braid mainline (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=a4zp3mBwFOk#)
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Ok... thanks. It looks quite interesting... very similar concept to the Modified Cats Paw, just much more difficult!
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Ok... thanks. It looks quite interesting... very similar concept to the Modified Cats Paw, just much more difficult!
hahahahahahaha
Will try your Modified Cats Paw.
P.S. - Actually very easy if you forget the hook and just use your hands I did it at the boat and I have two left hands :-)
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Trust me... you will be pleasantly surprised! This knot has never failed me, (and MANY other much more serious anglers) whether Jigging/Popping or Shark fishing with Wind-ons...! And very easy to do.
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Trust me... you will be pleasantly surprised! This knot has never failed me, (and MANY other much more serious anglers) whether Jigging/Popping or Shark fishing with Wind-ons...! And very easy to do.
It is all I use unless I need to get some specialised leader on that is not already a windon, then PR knot.
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Did a new Tut for the Join to braid...
http://www.ultimateangling.co.za/index.php/topic,3638.0.html (http://www.ultimateangling.co.za/index.php/topic,3638.0.html)
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Thanks for the tip of the twisted leader line - I used a stretching Knot line again for casting - working very effective for heavy sinkers
It's similar as the twisted leader line - Where the difference is the line is 3 times - This trace is not that long - one person can do it easily -
Fold the line in 2
Hold the 2 lines in-between your hand - Start to twist the line with your hand between 10 - 15 times - Hold the line tight - Put the edge of the line in-between your feet- Hold the line straight, now take one of the lines and take it down with the twisted line - this line will twist itself together with the other lines. When the bottom is reached - make a half itch
on one line then go to the other side do the same - then you can tie all the line together - you can cut of the last piece on the edge - now tie this line to your leader line and do your self a test - take the line and stretched it with your hands !! You will actually see how it is stretching
22 Okt Saturday I'm going to Tugela mouth for a week - Any fishing tips for that area ??