Not everyone chooses to use a Bimini twist. Some anglers, for various reasons, prefer to tie their main line either directly to a hook or lure (no leader) or tie their main line to a swivel and attach a leader thereto. The palomar knot is reputed to be one of the best choices for braids (and a good mono knot) by many experts, including some of those who manufacture braided lines. But the most significant conclusion I came away with is that, for braids particularly, I'll keep using a Bimini-and-Bristol system - and that if I should need to connect my main line to a swivel, I'll first create a double line with a Bimini: That double line should make any knot I tie at the swivel far stronger.
Monofilaments for which palomar knots broke at 100 percent or more of the line's actual strength
? Ande Premium (108 percent)
? Platypus Pre-Test (101)
? Shakespeare Cajun Red Lightnin' (100)
Monofilaments for which palomar knots broke at less than 70 percent of the line's actual strength
? Triple Fish Fluorocarbon (69 percent)
? Momoi Hi-Catch (68)
? Berkley Vanish Fluorocarbon (65)
? Pradco Silver Thread Fluorocarbon (65)
? Berkley Trilene XL (61)
? Berkley Vanish Transition (43)
Test Results
| Brand | Line |
% of Actual Strength |
Range of Actual Breaks |
Standard Deviation |
| Monofilament Lines | ||||
| Ande | Premium | 108 |
27.0 - 27.1
|
0.1
|
| Platypus | Pre-Test | 101 |
21.5 - 21.8
|
0.2 |
| Shakespeare | Cajun Red Lightnin' | 100 |
21.7 - 23.0
|
0.6 |
| Berkley | Big Game IGFA | 98 |
17.7 - 18.4
|
0.4 |
| Platypus | Platinum | 97 |
22.0 - 23.5
|
0.8 |
| Stren | Super Knot | 95 |
24.5 - 26.2
|
0.9 |
| Maxima | IGFA Class Line | 95 |
17.3 - 17.8
|
0.4 |
| Triple Fish | X-rated | 94 |
20.7 - 21.3
|
0.3 |
| Hi-Seas | Grand Slam | 93 |
25.0 - 26.8
|
1 |
| Stren | Original | 93 |
25.0 - 25.7
|
0.4 |
| Berkley | Trilene XT | 93 |
29.1 - 38.9
|
5.5 |
| Triple Fish | Ultra Viz Perlon | 92 |
22.0 - 24.0
|
1.1 |
| Sufix | Tritanium Plus | 92 |
26.8 - 27.2
|
0.2 |
| Penn | Professional | 92 |
27.3 - 29.5
|
1.1 |
| Maxima | Crystal Ivory | 91 |
19.7 - 21.2
|
0.8 |
| Sufix | Elite | 91 |
24.2 - 25.7
|
0.8 |
| izorline | XXX Super Co-Polymer | 91 |
26.2 - 31.7
|
3 |
| Hi-Seas | Red Devil | 91 |
25.3 - 26.7
|
0.8 |
| Hi-Seas | Quattro Plus | 90 |
23.6 - 24.7
|
0.6 |
| Platypus | Super-100 | 89 |
16.7 - 19.3
|
1.2 |
| Platypus | Classic | 89 |
20.2 - 22.9
|
1.4 |
| Hi-Seas | White Lightning | 88 |
16.9 - 20.8
|
2 |
| Bass Pro Shops | Bass Pro Shops Excel | 87 |
20.0 - 21.8
|
0.9 |
| Sufix | Key Lime IGFA | 87 |
18.4 - 19.5
|
0.6 |
| Shakespeare | Cajun Red Cast | 87 |
20.9 - 21.8
|
0.5 |
| Yo-Zuri | Hybrid (Fluoro/Mono) | 87 |
25.6 - 28.6
|
1.5 |
| izorline | First String | 87 |
24.8 - 29.1
|
2.7 |
| Pradco | Super Silver Thread | 86 |
19.9 - 25.6
|
3.2 |
| Stren | DuraTuf | 86 |
25.1 - 29.4
|
2.2 |
| Triple Fish | Camo-Escent (Perlon) | 86 |
23.0 - 27.1
|
2.3 |
| Penn | Premium | 86 |
20.0 - 21.2
|
0.6 |
| Triple Fish | Rx Spinning | 84 |
20.4 - 22.1
|
1 |
| Hi-Seas | Black Widow | 83 |
13.8 - 20.0
|
3.1 |
| izorline | Platinum | 83 |
25.9 - 26.8
|
0.5 |
| Pradco | Silver Thread Salt Water | 83 |
21.6 - 24.9
|
1.8 |
| Berkley | Big Game | 83 |
23.4 - 25.1
|
0.9 |
| Platypus | Lo-Stretch | 82 |
16.6 - 17.8
|
0.7 |
| Berkley | Big Game Supreme | 79 |
24.7 - 32.6
|
4 |
| Pradco | Silver Thread Excalibur | 79 |
18.6 - 23.5
|
2.5 |
| Offshore Angler | Tight Line | 79 |
17.4 - 18.7
|
0.7 |
| Sufix | Siege | 78 |
24.2 - 24.9
|
0.4 |
| Triple Fish | Armor Tough | 78 |
19.6 - 21.5
|
1 |
| SpiderWire | Super Mono XXX | 78 |
21.5 - 23.0
|
0.8 |
| Pradco | Silver Thread AN40 | 76 |
17.8 - 20.0
|
1.6 |
| Mustad | Thor | 76 |
19.0 - 23.5
|
2.3 |
| Cortland | Endurance Super Premium | 75 |
19.6 - 20.8
|
0.6 |
| Shakespeare | Cajun Advantage | 74 |
21.6 - 23.0
|
0.7 |
| Stren | High Impact | 74 |
21.2 - 24.3
|
1.6 |
| Berkley | Big Game Hi-Test | 72 |
21.8 - 22.3
|
0.3 |
| Triple Fish | Fluorocarbon | 69 |
13.9 - 15.4
|
0.7 |
| Momoi | Hi-Catch | 68 |
24.2 - 31.9
|
7.6 |
| Berkley | Vanish Fluorocarbon | 65 |
14.4 - 16.8
|
1.3 |
| Pradco | Silver Thread Fluoro | 65 |
15.4 - 17.7
|
1.3 |
| Berkley | Trilene XL | 61 |
13.5 - 17.3
|
2.1 |
| Berkley | Vanish Transition | 43 |
7.8 - 10.0
|
1.3 |
| Braided Lines | ||||
| Western Filament | TUF-Line | 72 |
18.1 - 20.0
|
1.2 |
| Western Filament | TUF-Line XP | 72 |
14.9 - 15.4
|
0.3 |
| Stren | Sinking Braid | 68 |
14.3 - 15.1
|
0.4 |
| Sufix | Performance Braid | 65 |
20.0 - 20.9
|
0.5 |
| Ande | Braid | 64 |
19.2 - 19.7
|
0.6 |
| Shakespeare | Ugly Braid | 62 |
14.6 - 17.5
|
1.6 |
| Daiwa | Saltiga Surf | 60 |
12.3 - 13.4
|
0.5 |
| Cortland | Spectron | 58 |
18.6 - 20.2
|
0.8 |
| PowerPro | Superline | 57 |
19.9 - 21.2
|
0.7 |
| Stren | Super Braid | 56 |
14.3 - 15.1
|
0.6 |
| Offshore Angler | Magibraid | 55 |
14.6 - 16.9
|
1.3 |
| izorline | Brutally Strong | 52 |
13.7 - 14.4
|
0.3 |
| Platypus | Super-Braid | 50 |
17.3 - 19.9
|
1.3 |
| SpiderWire | Stealth | 49 |
18.8 - 20.1
|
0.7 |
| SpiderWire | Ultracast | 49 |
25.0 - 27.0
|
1.1 |
| Berkley | Big Game Braid | 47 |
17.1 - 18.4
|
0.2 |
| Triple Fish | Bully Braid | 47 |
23.5 - 24.0
|
1.6 |
| Berkley | FireLine Crystal | 44 |
20.9 - 22.1
|
2.2 |
Discussion
In braided lines, the results for a palomar proved uniformly mediocre, breaking from the mid 40s to the low 70s. Simply put, no braid tested well with a palomar, at least for me; for you, maybe it would test differently. However, the palomar is a pretty straightforward knot. (In fact, that is reflected in the very low standard deviation among most monofilaments tied with the palomar.) On the other hand, in monofilament, the palomar showed a great range of strength, from 43 to 108 percent. If tying palomar knots is a regular part of your fishing, these results may be worth keeping in mind when you purchase line.
