Heavy leader dropper loop/knot question

[fishsmith]

Hi Gang,
I just put together 6 cod rigs,
80lb leader
5/0 octopus hooks
2/0 snap swivel
150 lb swivel

2 questions:
1. when I make the dropper loop, is there a trick to tightening up the knots where they slide to meet at the center of the loop along the main line (I need a digital camera).

2. I'm using the fishermans knot for the swivel and snap swivel, is there a better knot for heavy line.

I do wet the line prior to tightening, but these rings on my fingers/hand from tighting the line are deep.

This setup has worked fine in the past, I'd just like to see if there is a better mousetrap out there

Thanks in advance - Jim