The ALBRIGHT vs The ALBERTO vs The FG Knot [Strength Test]
By: Luke Simonds on September 24, 2015
Found In:
Braid to Leader • Fishing Knots • Fishing Tips • Knot Contest
It’s “KNOT OFF” Time!
After posting our first braid to leader fishing knot contest in which the FG knot was the surprise winner, many readers have asked for us to test out more of their favorites…
And the two most commonly requested knots were hands down the “Albright Knot” and the “Alberto Knot“.
These two knots are actually very similar so I was curious to see which one was the strongest of the two… and I was even more curious to see how that stronger one did against the FG knot (our current reigning braid to leader champion)
So this post is going to cover exactly that… first, we’ll put the Albright knot against the Alberto knot.
And then we’ll put the winner up of that “Knot Off” against the reigning champion, the FG knot.
Albright Knot vs. Alberto Knot
These two knots are extremely similar. Both of them start and end the exact same way, but the style of line wraps in the middle section of these knots are what separates them.
And for this contest, our core focus is to determine which style provides the strongest connection.
So we’re going to make sure to use the same amount of wraps for each one in order to see which one is best.
Note: All tests are using the same spools of line (10 lb PowerPro to 30 lb Ande fluorocarbon).
How to Tie the Albright Knot
The Albright knot is known for its ability to connect two lines of different sizes including braid to fluorocarbon.
In most tutorials, the albright knot is taught using 10 wraps but I increased it to 14 in order to match the total of 14 wraps from the alberto knot.
Here’s a video showing exactly how to tie the albright knot:
How to Tie the Alberto Knot
The Alberto knot is becoming an extremely popular knot for connecting braided line to a fluorocarbon leader. Its popularity is due to this knots ability to be tied to pretty much any type of line with varying differences in diameters.
And as you’ll see below, the Alberto knot is very similar to the Albright knot given that its beginning and end are identical.
However, the line wraps in the middle are what makes this knot unique. Its premise is that making 7 wraps out, and then 7 wraps back will create a continually squeezing system similar to a Chinese finger trap.
Here’s a video showing how to tie the Alberto knot:
Strength Test – Albright vs Alberto
To test the breaking strengths of these two knots, I tied each of them to a single strand of line and then applied steady pressure until the weaker of the two broke (and I did this a total of 5 times to have a decent sample of results).
Given that the similarities of these two knots, I was assuming that they would be fairly close and this test confirmed that assumption… here’s how it went.
- Albright knot pulled out @ 7.2 lbs of tension
- Albright knot broke @ 11.3 lbs of tension
- Albright knot broke @ 9.4 lbs of tension
- Alberto knot broke @ 15.6 lbs of tension
- Alberto knot broke @ 9.2 lbs of tension
In case you want to see how the test was performed, here’s a quick video showing the breaks.
Conclusion – Albright vs. Alberto
Given that these two knots are pretty much identical in terms tying time and their knot size, the strength factor between these two knots should decide which one is best for braid to fluorocarbon.
And the Alberto knot proved to have the higher average breaking strength in this knot test.
ROUND 2
FG Knot vs. Alberto Knot
Since the FG knot was the winner in our previous braid to fluorocarbon leader knot contests, we now need to check to see if this very popular Alberto knot can unseat the reigning champ.
So I used the exact same test consisting of 5 bouts between these two knots tied on a single strand of line using the exact same spools for consistency.
Here’s how it went:
- Alberto knot broke @ 10.4 lbs
- Alberto knot broke @ 14.6 lbs
- Alberto knot broke @ 13.9 lbs
- Alberto knot broke @ 9.3 lbs
- Alberto knot broke @ 8.7 lbs
This video shows the breaks.
Conclusion
The unique line twists of the Alberto knot proved to increase the breaking strength of the traditional Albright knot when using a light braided line to connect to a heavier fluorocarbon leader.
However, the FG knot proved to have the higher breaking strength once again for this very important connection.
So my earlier recommendation of the FG knot still stands…
The FG knot has once again proven to be the strongest direct braid to fluoro connection while having the added bonus of being the slimmest of them all since the leader line never doubles over.
Although the FG knot takes slightly longer to tie, it has proven to be well over 30% stronger than the Alberto knot when used to connect 10 lb PowerPro braid to 30 lb Ande fluorocarbon so that added strength is well worth the added tying time.
Note: Different line brands/sizes could alter results, so I recommend testing these knots out to see which one is best for the lines that you prefer to use (just make sure to anchor the lines down well and wear glasses to protect your eyes from flying line parts).
If you have a knot that you’d like me to test out, please either leave a comment below or send us an email and we’ll be happy to check it out.
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Fish On!
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Don’t let the biggest fish of the day get off with your lure/hook!
Check out the post linked below which shows the rankings of the best knots of all time.
Best Fishing Knots Of All Time (Ranked Strongest To Weakest)
Can u please test the “springer knot” vs palamor n SD jam knot
Please test relix knit strength
Great job!
Have you ever done a strenght test between Alberto and Tony Pena knot?
I have not tested those two together. My assumption is that they would be extremely close in strength since the only difference is the stopper. I’d personally go with the Alberto because it is thinner and I never had any issues of the braid slipping off of the turned over leader when testing it or using it out on the water.
Hi Luke. I just joined Salt Strong and am getting into your videos. Nice stuff. Always something to learn. I’ve been using the FG knot to connect floro leaders to my braid with great success. No issues.
Currently I’m setting up a 12wt fly combo with 65lb braid backing for big tarpon. I’ve considered tying my fly line to the braid with the FG knot rather than an Alberto. But wonder if the braid will dig into the fly line in a similar way to Braid to floro.
Any thoughts ?
Thanks
Mike
I have not yet tried the FG knot to connect braid to fly line. My guess is that it will not work as good as it does with mono/fluoro. I’ll dig up some fly line to test it out sometime soon.
Luke have you done any tests in the modified albright knot?
I have always finished off my braid side of alberto and FG knots with UV knot sense to protect the end as reeled in the guides and the distal (heavy mono) side for protecting the end going out. Have you seen any issues with that?
I do not like to use any sort of glue on my knots for 2 reasons: 1) I don’t want to have to wait for it to dry to start fishing, and 2) there is often more risk than reward when glue gets involved because many types of glue will crack when under pressure leaving sharp edges of glue that can end up damaging the line as the knot constricts under pressure.
Note: I have no idea if the UV knot sense is a hard-bodied material that is prone to cracking or not, so that may not be an issue in this case.
Thank you , Very Interesting
I have had lots of problems with FG knot slipping, especially in heavier weights. Example, 50# braid to 65# flouro (seaguar), catch a big skipjack no problem on a top popper, 4-5 minutes to bring him in with rod bent over. Two casts later, FG knot slips. Someone showed me an addition. You tie is same as shown here, but the double half hitch just braid, double half hitch just flour, then double half hitch just both (I do a couple extra after snipping end of fluoro as Luke showed too. Haven’t had any slip since. I’ll admit that, in smaller strength test (20# or 30#), I also add in a single half hitch of fluoro onto the braid after doing the above sets of doubles using the braid and then add a few more doubles using the braid for good measure. Makes the knot SLIGHTLY bigger but completely eliminates slippage on the tougher fluoro when the braid has difficulty biting in well. Would love to hear if others try this and what they think.
Just to be more clear, here it is again with some additional verbiage and no autocorrect errors!
You tie it same as shown here, but then, using the braid, double half hitch just braid, double half hitch just fluoro, then double half hitch both (I do a couple extra after snipping end of fluoro as Luke showed too. Haven’t had any slip since. I’ll admit that, in smaller strength test (20# or 30#), I also add in a single half hitch of fluoro onto the braid after doing the above sets of doubles using the braid and then add a few more doubles using the braid for good measure. Haven’t tried adding in this last step in heavier strength for worry of knot size but will go there if have any slippages even with the above modification.
Hey John, the issue of the FG knot slipping you described most likely is due to the first coil of the knot (closest to the lure) hitting your rod guides during a cast. Given that you’re using a braid that is fairly thick relative to the leader, there is a risk of that first coil hitting the rod guides with enough force to loosen up that first coil… and if that happens, the entire knot will slide off.
The easiest fix is to simply not cast the FG knot through the rod guides (that’s what I do). Otherwise, I’ve heard of some people who put glue on it to protect that first coil from the impact.
Assuming that is the issue, there is no amount of added hitch knots or any other knot at the back end that will make a difference (those hitches are simply to make sure that the FG coils that provide the strength don’t unravel from the back-side)
Thank you that’s very helpful! What you describe makes good sense. Love the fg knot but hate losing my lure right at wrong moment. Do you know what type of glue others have used? I think there are some from the fly fishing world that might work? I will try using shorter leader, just always seems like a bit more to get the braid further away from the lure could never hurt!!
I have tried to tie FG about 3 times and it was always pulled off mono leader with almost no tension at all. I tightened it with all force I have, but without possitive result. Everything was done exactly like in the video. Maybe the reason is braid, spiderwire ultimate braid, which is extremely smooth. On the other side, it was impossible to break alberto knot with the same 70lb braid and 60 lb mono leader.
It sounds like the issue you’re having with the FG knot is due to the thickness of the braid relative to the leader… the FG knot is specifically designed for protecting a weaker braid when connected to a stronger leader, so the line diameter of the braid needs to be smaller relative to the leader for the coils to be able to dig in the needed grooves to lock the knot into place.
I’ve seen others and have myself used the “blood knot”… I use it quite a bit tying heavier braided line to a lighter liter (mostly floro) if I’m in a hurry and don’t want to take the time to tie the FG. I haven’t seen any reviews on your site regarding this knot….? Any recommendations on the blood knot?
I have done some testing on the blood knot, and it seems to be best for mono to mono connections when the line diameters are close to the same. For braid to mono/fluoro connections, the FG has proven to be considerably stronger.
Thank you!
On your “Albright” knot, which is exactly how wes tie it and use it, only since I was 5yo (43 yes ago) and since my Pops was a kid.. (+70yrs ago), we’ve all know it as the “Weaver’s Knot or The Loom Knot”!
However, the ONLY difference is that we wet the knot and then pull it “SNUG”, just SNUG! We are also talking about catching 38″+ Bull Reds, 30 -90# Drum, Huge Tarpon, Snapper, Gator Gar, 3-1/2 to 5 1/2ft Shark.. etc.. So by leaving the knots “JUST SNUG”, It acts like a bit of a SPRING, if you will, as it allows a BIGGER FISH, HEAVIER STRIKE to get to the end of the line and that little 1/16″ of spring left in there gives you that VERY LAST “Umph” of reaction time to keep that fish from breaking your line, and gives you time to save your catch.
The Albright/Weaver’s/Loom knot is certainly a great knot that is capable of catching very big and strong fish. Please give this FG knot a try and test out the relative breaking strengths… it has proven to have a significantly higher breaking point and I believe that you will be surprised like I was after seeing its strength firsthand.
A properly set drag will ensure that whichever knot is being used can catch big fish… the big difference comes when having to yank a fish(or snagged lure) out of structure where its all about standing up to the tension load (FG has a 20%+ advantage for all of the lines I’ve tested it out with so far).
a comparison between fg knot vs tony peña knot
Hi Luke
I really appreciate the videos and reports and all the work that goes into them – really gives the rest of us a good base to try and find what will work best in the situations we face.
I fish a whole host of spots with the the same gear (all for largemouth bass) and don’t have the time to change my main lines spooled onto my reels – and so I spool varying strengths of (generally quite heavy) braid onto my different reels and just use leaders. My biggest challenge has been trying to get my heavy cover rods which are spooled with 60lb braid to be useable in open water situations where the water is crystal clear I.e I need to have 6/8lbs flouro tied to my lure. I’ve resigned myself to probably having to tie to a thicker flouro/mono and then tying in the thin stuff (unless you think there is something else I could try?) but in your opinion, what is the smallest mono/flouro you think I could get away with and which of the knots would be best suited?
If you’re wanting to connect a strong braid to a lighter leader, then do not use any of these knots because they are designed to protect the braid from breaking assuming that the leader is stronger than the main line.
Instead, use the 6 turn surgeon knot which does a great job at protecting a weaker leader line.
I find it odd to use 10 pound braid with a 30 pound leader. Braid is so thin I don’t understand why in most situations you wouldn’t use heavier braid if you feel the need for a 30 pound leader. I feel that fg not wouldn’t work with more common braid to leader combo’s such as 15 pound braid to 6 or 8 lb flouro. Or 60 pound braid to 50 lb flouro. But I haven’t tried it. I feel like an easy to tie knot is most important so you tie it well and often. I switch my leader knot every 200 or so casts anyway.
This knot contest was made for inshore saltwater anglers who most often use light braid for maximized casting distance with stronger leader to withstand the sharp/rough mouths of our target species (snook, seatrout, redfish, tarpon, flounder, etc.).
Yes, this FG knot would not be suited for a 15 lb braid to an 8 lb fluoro because it’s design is specifically to protect a braided line from breaking when tied to a stronger leader. For that connection, I’d recommend a 6 Turn Surgeon’s knot because it does a great job at protecting both lines.
Note: Since braid has a much higher actual breaking strength over its listed strength compared to fluoro, I highly recommend going lighter on your braid because you’ll get longer casts and better feel during your retrieve (less wind/water drag) without losing any overall line strength… weakest link will still be the fluoro knot.
For example, when targeting trout and redfish, which often require a minimum of 20 lb fluoro, I’ll use a rod with 10 lb braid. And when I get stuck on the bottom and have to break off, the break almost always occurs at the loop knot at the end of my fluoro since it’s breaking strength is lower than the lighter braid.
Dead on accurate , very smart guy .
I have surf fished with nothing but 10 pound braid for close to 20 years and always use either 20 or 30 pound flouro for leaders , FG knot is perfect for this although i haven’t had any issues before i found out about it .
The overwhelming majority of anglers fish with much much much heavier braid than necessary , i have whipped fish 40 + pounds and didn’t have to play them for long periods of time either . Light braid (If using good connection knots) has a much higher braking strength that 25 pound mono .
People always use the excuse of abrasion resistance to have an excuse not to use it , i remember being cut off one time in over 20 years fishing the Oyster encrusted beaches of N.C and S.C .
Skilled anglers have no issues but if not so skilled it probably is best to use heavier line , your rod/reel won’t perform nearly as well as every increase in diameter of the line even if small has a negative impact on your rod performance.
What do you think of tying a half hitch or tie with the braid tag end to finish off the alberto?
In my testing of the Alberto, it never once pulled out (always broke inside the knot) so tying half hitches at the very end probably won’t add any strength to the knot. That being said, they won’t take away any strength so doing them won’t do any harm.
Luke…this fairly new FG knot is pretty cool and look forward to trying it out. Thank you for sharing it and the testing. I have been running the modified Albright(Alberto) for several years now. It’s been my experience with Fluoro that the terminal knot will break before a properly tied connector. While using a 20/6 braid and a 6-10# Fluoro leader(smallmouth), I can only remember the connector breaking(on a hang up) a few times before the terminal double San Diego. Having also snapped a few leaders on hook set, I have see the leader snap just below the Albright but never pull loose or actually fail.
I would love to see you perform this same testing with smaller diameter leader. Just to see if the FG would be a good option for lighter spinning applications. I would predict that a little longer wrap might be needed to spread the load on the smaller line.
Also, on our Alberto’s, we do a 10/10 wrap instead of a 7/7. Not sure if this would change things but it might. Last thing would be to have a littler bigger sample, because the wide gap breaking points would lean to a little variation in tying proficiency.
Luke,
I fish 3-4 times per week in Pine Island Sound and have been tying and using the Alberto Knot to join 15 lb braid to 20 and 25 lb flourocarbon for the past 3 years. I have had great success with this knot, but will have to examine the alternatives, given these test results.
I just joined Salt Strong, and I love the Salt Strong Manifesto, and am learning a great deal from your program/ tips to take my inshore game up a notch. Thanks for a great focus on light tackle with artificials for inshore species, Mark
Red Phillips Knot for braid to fluoro should be tested. Especially handy knot when using heavy fluoro leaders. And as Ronald mentioned below the figure 8 loop knot; have been using this one for many years.
Hey Capt. Bob, thanks for sharing your knot tips. I’ll be sure to give the Red Phillips a try soon… I just looked it up and it looks very promising (similar to a double uni but much easier to tie). I’ll be testing it with 10 wraps of the braid side unless you specify a different count.
Luke, I have really enjoyed ( and learned a lot from) your knot tests. I have been using the “tarpon figure 8 loop knot” for attaching leaders to flies. I wonder how well it would compete against other loop knots….? It is easy to tie but the tag end does stick out a bit thus catching weeds if fishing in a salad.
Hey Ronald, thanks for submitting the new knot idea. I just checked out that figure 8 loop knot and my first impression is that it’ll be a bit stronger than the kreh loop knot and probably even the Rapala loop knot too since it doubles up on overhand knot at the beginning (that is typically the point where the Kreh and Rapala give way so the added support should help).
I’ll test it out soon… just wanted to say a quick thanks for the great suggestion. Fish On!
I watched the video on the Albright Special Knot and I like to tie knots, but it seemed to me that the knot was not cinched down as far as I go – and that might account for your wide variation in test results. Just my observation.
Hey Ken, thanks for making time to leave a comment. Yes, I’m sure that there is some variation in results due to tying/cinching methods… and another big factor is different line sizes/brands. My recommendation is to give the FG knot a try using the tension method (http://v2.saltstrong.com/articles/fg-knot) to see which connection is the strongest for the lines you’re using.
I enjoy watching your “how to” videos and knot comparison tests. I have a suggestion for another test. In a nail knot tying video I watched on YouTube, one connection they recommended was using two overlapping, three turn nail knots to connect tippet to leader, or to join two lines. I wonder how these would compare in knot strength to the traditional blood knot? If they are strong enough, I would consider using nail knots when building tapered salt water leaders for bonefish or Permit. Thanks, ETB
Hey Thatcher, thanks for the suggestion for the nail knot. I’ll add it to my list of knots to test out and I’ll report the findings in a future post.