Do You Make This Mistake Tying The FG Knot?
- By: Luke Simonds
- on
- Found In: Braid to Leader, Fishing Knots, Fishing Secrets, Fishing Tips
Ever been in this situation while fighting a fish?
POP!!!
Your line just snapped.
Your Fish is Gone.
Your Lure is Gone.
You are ANGRY…
And as you reel your slack line back in to check to see where the line snapped, you get sick to your stomach as you realize it was the knot you tied where the braid meets the leader…
In other words, it was your fault.
Well, this blog and video should prevent that from happening every again if you are tying the FG knot for your braid to leader connections.
Note: If you aren’t using the FG Knot yet, then click here to see how it continues to outperform all other braid to leader knots in our ongoing knot contest.
The #1 Mistake Tying The FG Knot
The most common mistake I’ve heard from the first video we did about the FG knot has been caused by a very important (but easy to forget) step in the tying process…
It’s the part where the knot gets tightened before the tag end of the leader it cut.
Because without tightening the line, the braid coils don’t dig their grooves into the outer layer of the leader which is what allows the coils to lock into place for good.
And when waiting until after cutting the tag end of the leader before locking in the coils, there is risk of the knot completely sliding off.
Essentially, the FG knot is made up of the following 4 tasks (all of which must be done):
- Thread the leader onto the braid while under tension (16 to 20 wraps)
- Tie 2+ hitch knots to keep coils from unraveling
- Apply tension to main line and leader to lock coils into place BEFORE you cut the tag ends off (This is the step I am continually hearing anglers are leaving out. The braid needs to be so tight at this point that it will be literally digging into the outer layer of the mono – see video and pics below)
- Cut tag ends of leader and braid (note: adding a couple hitch knots with the braid after the leader is cut is a common practice to help make the knot more streamlined)
Before & After (FG Knot)
I took a couple of screenshot of what the FG knot should look like before and after you apply the final tension.
Here is the “Before” pic.
Notice how the braid is certainly tight on the mono leader, but it doesn’t appear to be digging into the outer layer of the mono just yet.
And here is the “After” tension picture.
Notice how incredibly tightly wound this is on the mono line, and notice how the braided line has even turned a slightly darker color because it is in there so tight.
This is how you want it to look before you cut the tag end off.
You will know when the knot is done correctly.
When locked into place correctly, it will be gripping on to the leader line so tight that you would have serious trouble getting it unraveled.
It kind of acts like the old “Chinese Finger Trap”, so once you get even more tension (like fighting a fish), this knot might as well be cemented on there…
Here is the video showing it all below.
The FG Knot “Mistake” [Video]
Note: My testing with this knot has primarily been with PowerPro braid and mono/fluoro leaders. Results of course vary depending on line type. I’ve heard from some that it is prone to slip when using braid that is made to be slick so be sure to test out the knot before fishing with it.
Conclusion
When done properly, this FG knot is very effective, and quite arguably the overall best and strongest braid to leader knot to date.
There is a reason pro anglers like Blair Wiggins of Addictive Fishing and Tom Rowland of Saltwater Experience (who have tried and tested every knot known to man over the past 30 years) are using and talking about this knot.
In my personal testing, the FG knot has consistently outperformed very popular knots like the double uni, Albright special, crazy Alberto, and others by significant margins (20%+).
I’ve been using it for about a year, and have landed nice fish on lighter line that I thought possible… this tarpon was landed on 10 lb line in less than 20 minutes:
So if you’re using braided line with a thicker leader and are open to try a new knot, then I would highly recommend giving this FG knot a try because its has certainly surprised me in how strong it is as well as how easy it is to tie using this tension method.
Go To Our Knot Testing Homepage [Full Knot Rankings]
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Don’t know if this post is too old to respond to, but i’m struggling with pulling the leader and braid. I keep breaking my braid after I get done with all my wraps, but it’s not changing color all the way down to the first coil, which my understanding is, is the most important one. any tips? I had line pullers too it just feels like it requires more tension, than the braid can take, to get the wraps to sink in.
Please help!
It seems like you’re making too many coils then… I use 18 coils, and that amount seems to be enough to never fail while ensuring that the line doesn’t break before the coils all get set.
I use 20, i’ll dial back to 18. Do you think the 2 coils would make a big difference? I would love for that to be the easy fix 🙂
thanks for the quick reply.
What lines are you using? If 18 doesn’t fix it, then try 16.
10 lb braid, 30 pound fluro
Tried this on 2 different set ups and I think fewer wraps was the ticket. Thanks for the advice Luke!
It appears you are using a heavier leader than the 8# I’m using on light braid. Is heavier leader easier to tie?
my knot kept slipping. took me four tries, but i finally got it right and the braid dug in! WOOHOOO!!!
I lost a $30, handmade lure yesterday. I wanted to cry. FG just unraveled. My fault.
So sorry to hear about your lure.
I am guilt of this mistake, I lost 2 leaders the first time out. Apparently I though that the knot didn’t have enough “F” in it because I sure made up for that. Now I’ve got it right.
any problem w/putting a drop of super glue on knot after tying
Some glue can end up cracking when the knot gets put under pressure which can end up creating sharp edges that can compromise the line, so I don’t recommend putting glue on knots.
Have a look at the Aquaseal glue
Hey found it – tho you switched to 39# Ande – might you try testing the FG w/a Ruzzutto finish, per a recent thread at Stripers On Line
Some people feel that the basic hitch knots at the end aren’t reliable enough so go with the ruzzutto finish. The pull strength of the FG knot is due to its coils with very little to no impact of the finishing method.
Go with whichever one you feel more comfortable with. I personally stick with the basic 4 hitch knots to lock the FG coils into place over the ruzzutto because I can tie the hitches much quicker and they have never come undone.
You all used 10# Power Pro & 30# Trilene to do tests on the 6 Turn Surgeons, what line sizes did you use in the FG comparisons ???
I’ve tested the Surgeon knot again the FG knot multiple times. All with 10 lb PowerPro connected to 20 lb to 30 lb mono/fluoro. The results were consistently showing the FG knot as the stronger option.
Do u have to wet the braid coils 1st b4 u tighten it all up.
No, you do not have to wet the braid coils before tightening it all up. I don’t bother wetting them when I tie it and it has performed great for me for years.
Thanks for your time sharing this knot. I like it!