Fishing School
Knots
Braid to Leader: FG Knot
Leader to Lure: Non-Slip Loop Knot
Braid to Leader (2nd Choice): Crazy Alberto
Some members have reported issues with tying the FG knot, so here’s the next best option based on its strength to diameter ratio:
Excellent tutorial on knots. The Crazy Alberto is a great knot to tie wire to mono for things like Spanish Mackerel. I use the FG to tie mono to my braid then the Alberto to connect a short piece of wire, the knot works better than swivels or snaps because the Spanish in a frenzy will actually bite the swivel off.
Thanks for sharing your findings John!
I was skeptical at first because I tied this and it wasn’t catching—missed the part where you said to wrap the braid around your hand and pull the dickens out of it. Definitely synched up and holding firm now. As a tree climber in the past we always use half hitches with everything, knot tying comes easy to me! I appreciate the info, Luke!
Glad to see that you enjoyed these tutorials. Yes, the tightening of the FG coils to the point of locking them into place is a crucial step.
If I have a weak spot and I do, it’s note tying. This helps and I need to try it.
Great videos!
Question: Loop or swivel?
Some people prefer swivel and some loop knot.
I am not a fan of swivels (or snaps) because they are not necessary and often do more harm than good given that they weigh the line down which pulls is lower in the water column which puts it more at risk of getting roughed up on sharp objects along the bottom and/or hitting the back of a fish before the fish eats the lure.
That being said, they of course can still be used.
So I actually found a tool on Temu that is meant to help you tie the FG knot. Not that I had a problem tying it, but I always had to get myself into an awkward position with the rod and everything keeping the lines tight. I promise you that tool is a game changer, I just ordered second one to keep on my boat. So many different changing leader size and it makes it very simple.
Which item on Temu? Is it the one that looks almost like an archer’s bow?
Hey Luke,
The sailor in me wants to know why not just use a bowline?
That knot is tougher to tie with fishing lines, and it doesn’t seem to hold well with lines that are as slick as fishing line.
I would add that bowlines also reduce strength by a lot.
How do you feel about using a clip instead of the non-slip loop knot?
I am not a fan of clips because I like to keep hardware to an absolute minimum, and I feel that switching lures is rarely the answer for not getting strikes (it’s almost always better to switch spots).
Also, those who use clips will rarely replace the last couple inches of the leader, and that will result in weak points in the line from that last section getting abrasions by bumping into sharp shells, barnacles, etc. on the bottom.
Hi Salt Strong folks. I was a dedicated Kayak angler and, and all this information is very useful if you have a boat/kayak. Due to some knee issues I returned to surf fishing. Unfortunately very little of this lesson applies.
Please don’t leave out the surf anglers.
This took me a few tries to get what I believe is correct. Definitely helped starting with a much heavier leader (I started with 80lb mono) to get the feel for the knot and wraps.
My question is this – when moving down to a 15lb main braid and 25lb fluro leader my knot looks good, no crossed wraps, etc., but slightly different in regards to the spacing between the wraps. On the larger leader line you could see space between the wraps and visually see it cutting/biting into the leader line. On the smaller, 25lb leader, the wraps are so close together/touching and I wanted to know if there should be similar larger spacing between the wraps similar to when using the thicker leader. I want to ensure that I’m getting the “bite” into the line that I am supposed to on the smaller line. Thanks!
For the smaller line, you likely won’t see much gap in between the wraps. To make sure it tightens down properly, I make sure that I see the color of the braid change when I am tightening it down… needs to change all the way throughout the coils up to the first one.
Great Video Luke – Where do I find the PDF’s you mentioned?
I found them by clicking the Menu in the upper right corner of the screen (desktop version) then clicking “cheat sheets” near the bottom of the list. Hope that helps!