Quick-change connection?
- Thread starter nottskev
- Start date
John Keane
Well-known member
Just looked at those Cralusso things and, to be frank, I’d be more worried using them, than the Guru ones since the latch hook is just an open loop, unlike the Guru, which has a kink in it to help prevent the nylon slipping out. I am skeptical about their safety.
John Keane
Well-known member
That’s just the Cralusso one, as produced by good old Preston Imitations!
mikench
Well-known member
I fail to see how a large fish pulling hard on the line and thus the loop on the hooklength inside the loop on the swivel, is going to come adrift. Impossible I'd say. The swivel breaking or coming apart is another matter but the same can be said about the rod tip, the line, the reel even the angler
Also,the Bulgarian guy doing the testing with weights is very different to actually fishing,even if the fish was about to be netted,the length of line,the bend of the rod,the angler actually giving the rod towards the fish takes the pressure away from individual items of tackle,I cannot imagine a swivel being under 3/4 kilos of pressure at any stage,not even shock loading,I haven't opened any of my swivels,or had a catastrophic failure of any kind...
It's true that it's hard to imagine a loop coming back off a slightly open hook on the swivel. But impossible? I wouldn't have believed you could throw a feeder 40 yards into 10' of water, and come back with a bream - hooked and lost by someone else, with my hook through the eye of the micro-swivel at the end of their hooklength. Or that you could cast a float into the river - and find you have hooked a fat angry dragonfly in the head on the way out. Both happened to me, and I think sod's law can push the boundaries of the possible
John Keane
Well-known member
It's true that it's hard to imagine a loop coming back off a slightly open hook on the swivel. But impossible? I wouldn't have believed you could throw a feeder 40 yards into 10' of water, and come back with a bream - hooked and lost by someone else, with my hook through the eye of the micro-swivel at the end of their hooklength. Or that you could cast a float into the river - and find you have hooked a fat angry dragonfly in the head on the way out. Both happened to me, and I think sod's law can push the boundaries of the possible
Using the Guru Speed Connectors I had a good scrap with a carp that got into lilies and I bullied it out. After rebaiting I cast out and had no action for nearly 15 minutes when it had previously been a fish a chuck. On reeling in I found I had no hooklength. The scrap in the lilies must have pushed the bead up off the crook and somehow the hooklength had slipped off on impact with the water. Stranger things happen! Anyway I am currently reviewing how I secure my hooklength when Bomb fishing to use something foolproof. I don’t think it’s those Cralusso/Preston thingies but I have some ideas.
Last edited:
John Keane
Well-known member
I went back into HDYGO and found a previous post which illustrates what happened to that Guru Speed Connector after its encounter with the lilies. I didn’t realise it at the time but the photo clearly shows how the Buffer Bead/Shield on the connector had come adrift causing the crook to be exposed. I am going to look for an alternative - watch this space!
John Keane
Well-known member
Stuff I have in my Bits Box: left to right
Guru Speed Connector
Korum Kwik Change Bead
How I rig my Method/Banjo Feeders
Improved Connector for Bomb fishing.
The little split rings with the spur are great to tie your hooklength on to by making a loop and just sliding it, keyring style, onto the ring. I like this method as it’s neat and I don’t like gubbins like beads sticking out of the front of my feeders (been doing it like this for at least 3 years, never let me down yet)
Logically, using the same swivel link with a Drennan buffer bead (far right) will be more secure when fishing the bomb, so I’ll give this a trial.
Anyone that’s bothered about the hooklength loop getting damaged by sliding it onto the “keyring” can overcome this by tying the hooklength loop actually onto the “keyring” before tying to the mainline. I’ve had no breakages when simply threading it on though.
Korum Kwik Change beads are secure but no built in swivel so probably won’t use them for anything.
Guru Speed Connector
Korum Kwik Change Bead
How I rig my Method/Banjo Feeders
Improved Connector for Bomb fishing.
The little split rings with the spur are great to tie your hooklength on to by making a loop and just sliding it, keyring style, onto the ring. I like this method as it’s neat and I don’t like gubbins like beads sticking out of the front of my feeders (been doing it like this for at least 3 years, never let me down yet)
Logically, using the same swivel link with a Drennan buffer bead (far right) will be more secure when fishing the bomb, so I’ll give this a trial.
Anyone that’s bothered about the hooklength loop getting damaged by sliding it onto the “keyring” can overcome this by tying the hooklength loop actually onto the “keyring” before tying to the mainline. I’ve had no breakages when simply threading it on though.
Korum Kwik Change beads are secure but no built in swivel so probably won’t use them for anything.
I have started using the Drennan quick snap swivels on still and running water there less twist on the hook length, the rubber sleeve pushes over and covers the hook link attachment
They are sold in sizes 12, 14, 16 and 18
http://[url=https://postimages.org/][/URL]
http://[url=https://postimages.org/][/URL]
I have had the problem of the hook lenght loop suddenly coming of a a handful of times now, mainly after netting big carp.
Why it happens only with big fish I have no idea, I have resolved the problem by replacing the standard way of tying a loop on the hook lengths. By tying the loop in a sliding version effectively makes the connection very secure and it has not happend since I came up with the idea. This is the method I now use . Slip Knot - How to tie a Slip Knot
John Keane
Well-known member
That knot is a Half Grinner (Uni Knot) using only 2 turns. I’d personally use at least 3 or possibly 4 turns for security.
This is a better one without the hook
Grinner Knot | Ultima UK
Grinner Knot | Ultima UK
I am surprised so many people are happy to use a loop knot on their hooklink. Maybe its a consequence of the type of fishing I do but the only time I use loops if when float fishing for small fish and I want to use say a 1.7lb hooklink to 3.2lb line etc. If I am after larger fish like Barbel then I would much prefer a Palomar or more normal knot.
As for quick change links what about just a bog standard snap link ? ...they basically never come undone and if your worried about tangles you could always sleeve the link part in a bit of silicon.
Retying rigs is a pain but one thing I have started to do recently is to use pellet bands from companies like Enterprise which have a tag end you push the hookpoint through. The advantage being you can swap from "hair" to bare hook and back to hair again without having to break anything down.
As for quick change links what about just a bog standard snap link ? ...they basically never come undone and if your worried about tangles you could always sleeve the link part in a bit of silicon.
Retying rigs is a pain but one thing I have started to do recently is to use pellet bands from companies like Enterprise which have a tag end you push the hookpoint through. The advantage being you can swap from "hair" to bare hook and back to hair again without having to break anything down.
John Keane
Well-known member
Strictly speaking that’s not a Grinner, it’s a Half Grinner. The great **** Walker invented the Grinner Knot for joining two lengths of line.
I believe there are some big differences in strength and reliability between different knots for hooks, swivels etc. But I can say I've yet to have a breakage on a loop knot or loop to loop connection in a lifetime's fishing.
BTW does anyone remember Roy Marlow's - he was a bit of a knot guru alongside his other talents - loop knot? I remember reading ages ago about one he claimed was massively stronger, but can't remember it exactly. For all I know, I might be using it.
BTW does anyone remember Roy Marlow's - he was a bit of a knot guru alongside his other talents - loop knot? I remember reading ages ago about one he claimed was massively stronger, but can't remember it exactly. For all I know, I might be using it.
wetthrough
Well-known member
Possibly this one Ultimate Knots – KRYSTON It seems to perform better with fluorocarbon but when I tried it on low diameter nylon it was six of one and half a dozen of the other.
Interesting that you've never had a loop knot fail Kev. On the bench the (figure of eight) loop knot always fails first. Using fluorocarbon when bench testing swivel to eyed hook it can break at either end. If they survive the day I test them and they always break at the hook. Just for information - I frequently put No10 shot, sometimes No8s on the fluorocarbon hooklength and I've never had one break where the shot has been on the retest.
Interesting that you've never had a loop knot fail Kev. On the bench the (figure of eight) loop knot always fails first. Using fluorocarbon when bench testing swivel to eyed hook it can break at either end. If they survive the day I test them and they always break at the hook. Just for information - I frequently put No10 shot, sometimes No8s on the fluorocarbon hooklength and I've never had one break where the shot has been on the retest.
Last edited:
I've not had them fail either and I play fish pretty hard at times,but I use a loop knot I've used for years,in fact all my fishing life,all I do is form a loop,wrap it round my finger once and pass it through where my finger was,within a short while I was tying them 6/7mm,even smaller with effort,the most important thing imo is setting the knot and ensuring the knot is tight,I do this with a baiting needle,or the hook part of a hook tyer,please try it,I can tie loops of similar size with ten pound line...
Jeff Woodhouse
Moaning Marlow Meldrew
Oh John, you'll get into a bit of an argument with that comment. First of there are claims that **** Walker didn't invent it at all and to be honest, I've never found any reference in his writings that mention he did or claimed that, I could be wrong though. In the USA it is known as the Uni Knot and may well have originated there, the grinner term may well be Walker's and is said to be named after his nephew (citation req'd?) who was always grinning.
That's by the by, it can be used for tying two lines together and Walker did swear by that, but it's primary purpose is to tie the hook on. As I understand. With practice you can tie it in pitch blackness.