FG Knot Issues

[Further North]

On 1/20/2018 at 4:52 PM, WRB said:

If you can't tie a knot under fishing conditions why use it? FC offers nothing for bass fishing as a leader.

Tom

Sure it does.

1. It is the smallest leader to mainline knot, period.
2. I have never had one come undone.

...and I can tie them in the boat, all day, every day.  It's not hard at all.

[WRB]

FC is fluorocarbon not FG knot.

Braid, I only use braid for 2 reasons; 1. Added line capacity for salt water big game fishing 300-400 yds backing and 2) for freshwater fish in heavy cover and don't use a leader with braid for bass fishing in heavy cover.

I like to tie knots and give the FG a try simply to learn another knot and it is a difficult knot to tie effectively under any circumstances. This thread has several replies stating how difficult a knot it is to tie effectively. If you can tie this knot under fishing conditions in a moving boat, wind and rain you are in a very exclusive club.

Tom

 

[Preytorien]

On 1/20/2018 at 12:14 PM, LionHeart said:

I use the FG a lot.  Here is the secret.  You have to pull the knot tight, and I mean real tight before you trim the tag end of your leader.  Just grabbing the line and leader and pulling hard with your hands ain't enough.  

Before I trim the tag end of my main line or leader line, I measure out the length I want my leader to be and tie on a lure with a heavy hook.  At this point I'm all done except the tag ends have not been cut.  Now I hook the lure around something heavy in my garage and walk to my driveway with the rod.  I then wrap some of my braid main line around a screw driver handle or something that the braid won't shred, and give a good solid pull.  

 

Whatever you want the knot breaking strength to be, that's how hard you need to pull before you cut the tag ends.  This knot slips as it cinches down. Make sure to wet the knot first also.  This method takes a few extra minutes but is absolutely worth it in my experience.  I hope this made sense.  I probably made it sound more confusing than it is.  

 

Bottom line is, pull the knot super tight before you trim the tags.  My 5 foot leader will stretch to nearly 6 feet after I'm finished pulling.  But the knot will be solid.  I've been using J Braid 4 strand 50 lb. And Seagur Red Label 20 lb.

This pretty much sums up any advice I’d have, especially pulling unbelievably tight before trimming

As much as I love this knot, I haven’t yet had it effectively work for Gliss or YGK

[Further North]

41 minutes ago, WRB said:

FC is fluorocarbon not FG knot.

Ah, that makes more sense!

 

42 minutes ago, WRB said:

I like to tie knots and give the FG a try simply to learn another knot and it is a difficult knot to tie effectively under any circumstances. This thread has several replies stating how difficult a knot it is to tie effectively. If you can tie this knot under fishing conditions in a moving boat, wind and rain you are in a very exclusive club.

Could be, but I'm doubting that...no one knows me would think me anymore than average in terms of coordination.

 

I've tried two ways of tying the FG:

1. Rod leaning away to provide tension on the line
2. Line looped around something (I used the reel handle, because it's adjustable) to provide tension.

I prefer the first method, but both work. 

 

Just saw these for a third way I'll try that might make it even easier to tie on the boat:

 

 

 

 

...Part 3 wearing gloves kinda seals the deal in terms of how easy it might be, for me.

[tonka_blue]

On 1/20/2018 at 4:52 PM, WRB said:

If you can't tie a knot under fishing conditions why use it? FC offers nothing for bass fishing as a leader.

Tom

I've tied it in 20+mpH winds still running the trolling motor. It's not that hard once you learn it

6 hours ago, Further North said:

Sure it does.

1. It is the smallest leader to mainline knot, period.
2. I have never had one come undone.

...and I can tie them in the boat, all day, every day.  It's not hard at all.

I agree 100% and I'm the same way I can tie them in all conditions. Having winter here in MN I spent all last winter learning it and doing it faster

[Further North]

9 hours ago, tonka_blue said:

I agree 100% and I'm the same way I can tie them in all conditions. Having winter here in MN I spent all last winter learning it and doing it faster

I'm about 120 miles due east of you...and same thing: Practice, practice, practice!

 

What else are we gonna do this time of year?  I hope this storm misses you guys, looks like we might be right in its crosshairs...

[J Francho]

Th FG knot has really been more of a pain, and not worth all the hassle over tying a simple Alberto.  Sometimes for lighter spinning applications, I just use a triple surgeon's knot - even simpler!

[tonka_blue]

4 hours ago, Further North said:

I'm about 120 miles due east of you...and same thing: Practice, practice, practice!

 

What else are we gonna do this time of year?  I hope this storm misses you guys, looks like we might be right in its crosshairs...

Haha exactly there isn't much else to do in the winter. I hope we are on the 3in of snow side of the storm and not the 10in but who knows I'm sure you're like everyone else who listens to the weather man we will believe it when we see it. 

[Further North]

9 hours ago, J Francho said:

Th FG knot has really been more of a pain, and not worth all the hassle over tying a simple Alberto.  Sometimes for lighter spinning applications, I just use a triple surgeon's knot - even simpler!

Maybe...sometimes.  Probably depends if you find tying it a pain.  I don't.

 

But then I think tying a Uni-to-uni is a pain...too many loose ends to keep track of...for me.

4 hours ago, tonka_blue said:

Haha exactly there isn't much else to do in the winter. I hope we are on the 3in of snow side of the storm and not the 10in but who knows I'm sure you're like everyone else who listens to the weather man we will believe it when we see it. 

If I had to guess, I'd say 10" +/- 2", here.

 

Since I refuse to watch TV, I'll have to wait for the "official" total.

[Notorious B.E.N.]

So after a good amount of travel for work, I had a chance to sit down and try increasing the number of wraps I did with the FG knot.  I went from 20 wraps to 40 and my knots didn't give on the pull test.

 

I was also able to get out and attempt to put it to the test on Friday.  I only caught one that was about 2.25 lbs. but the knot held up good.  

 

Also I am not sure where the wound on the fish came from.  To my knowledge it did not get any stumps or anything when I was landing it but I was in an area with scattered timber.  I landed quickly, put the bass on my fish grips while I got the camera ready, dipped the trough in water before measuring, and it was released in great condition.  It didn't hesitate after I placed it back in the water to swim off.  The lake I was on has a regulation of not allowing possession of bass between 14 and 24 inches.

[FishDewd]

I can kinda do the FG on heavier mono line, but I have issues getting it to work for more standard sized lines, especially if it's FC. I'm not much on FC anyway, but I did try it once and the cinching down part was painful to say the least. Until I have a need for really long leaders that reel up into the spool and have to go through eyelets, I don't have a need for this FG knot to attach lines. I like the J knot for mono-mono (or copolymer-copolymer) and the Alberto for CP or mono to braid. These are easy enough to tie that it doesn't matter if the lines break and I need to make a new leader now and then while fishing. I can do both in a reasonable amount of time. If I could find a way to attach 12-15 lb copolymer to braid with the FG I might use it, but when I try that, every wrap of the braid tries to travel away from the knot rather than coming into it where my fingers are clinching the lines. Just a pain really... I did try the tackle advisor's method of doing it but no worky for me.