FG knot weakening

[MassYak85]

7 hours ago, portiabrat said:

Just wanted to follow up.  I followed MassYak85's advice about tying a bunch of extra overhand knots at the end, and everything's worked perfectly.  I've had dozens of bad snags where I had to break the line and caught a bunch of good sized bass and some big pike and sheepshead, and the FG knot's never broken.

Glad it's working for you man

[Joshua Vandamm]

On 5/24/2016 at 3:40 PM, S. Sass said:

I know it's like talking to the wind but if you quit making that mess with a extra knot and just tie a Palomar Knot on your lure all the problems and questions you just asked will be answered. Including  re-ties.

Of course some are fanatics and think that fish just can't keep their eye off your line... hint hint many of us catch fish just fine strait braid. If that fish doesn't bite because of your line she wasn't biting anyway because she can see the steel hook too.   duh

Absolutely. Only use for leaders is protect the knot/line fraying on rocks. 

[S-T-R-I-K-E-R]

im new to braids but from what i see n hear.. braids absorb water. after a while wouldnt the absorbed water affect the knot strength?

[Further North]

On 5/24/2016 at 2:40 PM, S. Sass said:

hint hint many of us catch fish just fine strait braid. If that fish doesn't bite because of your line she wasn't biting anyway because she can see the steel hook too.

I don't use a leader because I'm worried about fish seeing the line...I use a leader because a fluoro leader is a lot more durable than straight braid through rocks and other rough cover.

 

About half my leaders aren't fluoro...they are tieable steel leaders to stop the pike and muskies from stealing my lures...

[Team9nine]

9 hours ago, S-T-R-I-K-E-R said:

im new to braids but from what i see n hear.. braids absorb water. after a while wouldnt the absorbed water affect the knot strength?

 

The material braid is made from (Spectra, Dyneema) is nearly impervious to water absorption, so no effect on knot strength. What is actually happening is the coating, texture or spacing of the braid is dragging water on to  the spooled line. It's really only ever an issue in freezing weather, though it can have a slight affect on casting distance, and the degree varies between brands and line condition.

[Scrapiron]

I do about 20 wraps then one half hitch, tighten, then two half hitches over the tags, trim tag ends, another three half hitches. I haven't had any problems with the knot coming undone. 

 

That was a good video and I might try that fancy knot at the end.

[Further North]

On 5/26/2016 at 1:12 PM, aquaholik said:

5. Build a ramp to ease the leader back in past the tip guide.

Great advice - curious how you build your ramp?

[Further North]

On 5/26/2016 at 3:50 PM, Mike L said:

My advise for what its worth, is to tie what you have confidence in. If you lose that pick another, there are a dozen line to line knots to choose from. Tie it right and you're good. 

Sometimes the old tried and true is better than all this "new and improved" way to do the same thing with the same results.

 

Mike 

Mike, that's good advice.

 

I like the FG, find it easy to tie...but completely understand why some people don't care to tie it.

 

I struggle with a couple knots...one of which is the Palomar* and I tend to avoid them regardless of how well I think they hold or what their break strength is.

 

*Don't ask me why.  I feel like I need an extra hand.  I can tie a Trilene knot or an improve clinch in my sleep.  Can't explain it...

[OkobojiEagle]

You guys should check out Redheart.com ... there are some really useful macrame knots over there.

 

 

oe

[NHBull]

I have gotten into the habit of tying the FG when on land and the Alberto when on the water.

when finished properly, the FG is hard to beat and worth mastering.  Instead of half hitches at the end, my buddy makes a small ( 5 wrap) uni

[aquaholik]

11 hours ago, Further North said:

Great advice - curious how you build your ramp?

A ramp is nothing more than a series of half hitches to double the thickness of the braid in front of the trimmed mono/fluro leader. But a ramp is useless if you don't have the confidence to trim your leader tag end very short. A ramp is not needed with leader under 25 lbs, IMHO.

[Paul Roberts]

I've not had any issues with the FG. Not had one leggo yet. Got to tie them well, keeping tension on the leader end in particular. I use three half hitches at the end, trim the leader butt, then three more half hitches. Then I apply superglue. I can have one ready to go in minutes. 

[Further North]

5 hours ago, aquaholik said:

A ramp is nothing more than a series of half hitches to double the thickness of the braid in front of the trimmed mono/fluro leader. But a ramp is useless if you don't have the confidence to trim your leader tag end very short. A ramp is not needed with leader under 25 lbs, IMHO.

Thanks - that's what I've been doing.

[MickD]

On 5/26/2016 at 2:12 PM, aquaholik said:

If you are going to invest the time to do the knot then here's my suggestion for doing it correctly. You can use any method to do your weave of the braid over the mono.

1. Exactly ONE locking half hitch.

2. Glove tightened and you will see the color change on the braid.

3. Add a centimeter or two of insurance with alternating half hitches

4. Trim mono flush

5. Build a ramp to ease the leader back in past the tip guide.

 

Skip 5 if you don't reel the leader past the tip guide.

Please clarify what you mean by a locking half hitch?  How does it differ from the others?  thanks

[aquaholik]

2 hours ago, MickD said:

Please clarify what you mean by a locking half hitch?  How does it differ from the others?  thanks

 

It is just the first half hitch that locks the wrap in. After that half hitch is made, glove tighten and it will lock the braid onto the mono. You can see this visibily when the braid turns dark or translucent depending on the line. The next series of alternating half hitches add insurance against slippage on the mono. The mono could slip a tiny bit past the flush tagged end and the knot will still hold as long as the mono do not slip past the very first half hitch that locks the knot in.

[Further North]

13 hours ago, NHBull said:

I have gotten into the habit of tying the FG when on land and the Alberto when on the water.

when finished properly, the FG is hard to beat and worth mastering.  Instead of half hitches at the end, my buddy makes a small ( 5 wrap) uni

That makes a lot of sense...I can see an FG being a PITA to tie on the water on a lot of boats.  I've got the rom to make it work...and I really like that loop-around-the-handle idea from the video...might make it even easier.

[S-T-R-I-K-E-R]

On 4/20/2017 at 9:10 PM, Team9nine said:

 

The material braid is made from (Spectra, Dyneema) is nearly impervious to water absorption, so no effect on knot strength. What is actually happening is the coating, texture or spacing of the braid is dragging water on to  the spooled line. It's really only ever an issue in freezing weather, though it can have a slight affect on casting distance, and the degree varies between brands and line condition.

 

sir Im not saying you are wrong on this, maybe you have an idea why my white braid lines end up with the same color as the waters i fish in.

[NHBull]

3 hours ago, S-T-R-I-K-E-R said:

 

sir Im not saying you are wrong on this, maybe you have an idea why my white braid lines end up with the same color as the waters i fish in.

Stain is different than water absorption,,,,,white line, stains

[Team9nine]

Pretty much this ^^

 

If your water has a color to it, it's because it has stuff in it, as pure water is clear. Could be plankton, suspended solids, tannins, contaminated, etc. Depending on particle size, this stuff ends up coating your line, even embedding itself into the tiny spaces between the braids and filaments comprising them, thereby eventually giving your white line the color of your water to some degree.

[livin2fish]

I also was having the problem with the FG knot coming unraveled after several hours of use.  Sometimes the half hitches would even separate from the finger trap portion of the knot.  After watching the video, and learning the Rizutto finish to the knot, it appears the problem is solved. 

On my spinning reels they are all spooled with 12# Nanofil or 15# Fins Windtamer, with an 8# copolymer leader or a 8# fluor leader. 

About half my time is spent fishing out of a boat and the other half from the bank.  The spinning gear is mostly used from the bank. 

As to why a leader is used.  For me it is simple.  To keep from breaking off long sections of braid.  Float fishing one day in the river, I snagged a long piece of lost braid.  Had a hold on it with my hand trying to get it out of the river but had to let go as it was cutting my hand.  Later another fisherman found it, with the prop of his motor.  There was so much wrapped around his prop shaft that it stopped his motor.  Appeared that his day was done until he could get on land and remove the prop. 

I do not fish tournaments, so a lost fish is one that was going right back in the water anyway.  If it breaks off, let it be the leader, so he is dragging a 2 to 5 foot leader, not 20 to 30 feet of braid.  Seems like most of my fish are on the early release system, they don't have to bother to break anything.