Has anyone else stopped using the FG Knot?

[Junk Fisherman]

Oh I know the FG Knot is the smallest, thinnest easy-to-cast knot and I still use it for 50 lb braid on baitcasting with a 15-17 lb leader.  But for my 10 and 15 lb braid to an 8 lb leader, I had too much slippage and lost fish even though I thought I was tying it perfectly.  I went back to the improved Albright for my spinning gear and have not had a single problem this spring.  I messed around with the Rizzuto finish and a couple other ways to finish the FG but I just decided to go with what is proven for me.  Just thought I would throw this out there to see if anyone has experienced something similar.  

[Team9nine]

I don’t use any braid over 20# where I would need a leader, but use a ton of 3-14 lb. braid with 4-8 lb leaders, and primarily use FG with them these days. Never had an issue that wasn’t my fault to begin with, and those have been few and far between.

[king fisher]

 I have been most successful with FG for heavy braid to leader, Alberto for light braid to leader, Uni to Uni, or blood knot for connections without braid.  Uni to Uni for braid to braid.    This is what I currently use, always subject to change.  I am always trying and testing different knots, line, and applications.

[livin2fish]

I gave up on it a couple of times, but have gone back for spinning, 15# braid to 8# leader (hybrid line).  Practice has improved my ability to tie the FG knot.  Some say slight pressure on both lines while tying is necessary, others say not.  For me pressure on both lines works best.  

[Junk Fisherman]

8 minutes ago, livin2fish said:

I gave up on it a couple of times, but have gone back for spinning, 15# braid to 8# leader (hybrid line).  Practice has improved my ability to tie the FG knot.  Some say slight pressure on both lines while tying is necessary, others say not.  For me pressure on both lines works best.  

I just don't know why I have no issues with the FG Knot with heavier braid and fluoro but slippage with lighter weights.  I am tying it the same way.  At this point, I don't see myself going back.  Never had an issue with the improved Albright.  And while I haven't done anything differently this year I used to get the line connection knot around the first guide a couple times every outing.  That hasn't happened at all this year.  

[basser27]

Never used it. Been using an Albright or Alberto forever 

[ike8120]

I been using the Alberto

 

[Heartland]

1 hour ago, basser27 said:

Never used it. Been using an Albright or Alberto forever 

X2

[roadwarrior]

1 hour ago, basser27 said:

Never used it. Been using an Albright or Alberto forever 

Maybe the FG is a great knot for salt, but you don't need this for bass fishing,

 

 

[Teal]

I tried it...and it was hard.  So I went back to what's been working for me for 10 plus years. I'm sure it's all its cracked up to be but theres definately a learning curve to it and I cannot do it quickly.  

 

I've tried them all but double uni works fine.   I've broke off plenty of fish at the lure, but I've never in 10 plus years of fishing with braid and leader, broken off at the leader/braid knot. It's just knot been a problem. PUN INTENDED.

[MickD]

Don't worry about it, use what works best.  For lighter leaders the FG has no real advantage anyway; all the popular knots with light leaders will pass through the smallest micros.  And most if not all take less time to tie.

 

[basser27]

1 hour ago, roadwarrior said:

Maybe the FG is a great knot for salt, but you don't need this for bass fishing,

 

 

I catch 20-40lb stripers and 10-15lb bluefish with an Alberto knot. If it works for them it will work for largemouth and smallmouth 

[FryDog62]

I used the FG exclusively for a year thinking it would be the knot I would settle on indefinitely.  

Even though it was a bit harder to tie, I got used to it.  One of the reasons I wanted to use it was because it’s smaller.  Well, it is - until you tie it off with hitch knots.  The hitch knots actually make it slightly larger than an Alberto knot and the hitch knots really “tick” through the guides.  The only time I’ve ever had a leader knot get fouled up in micro guides was an FG. 
 

Given the larger size of the FG knot and the fact it takes longer to tie, I switched back to the Alberto knot.  As long as you tie the Alberto correctly (the line must go back through the loop the SAME way it came in) it has never failed me.  Plus the braid wraps around the more brittle fluorocarbon which protects it going in/out the guides each cast.  

[MGF]

I like the FG but it's not the most convenient to tie. So, I use it sometimes but I often use a blood knot.

 

I really don't have any complaints about the blood knot but I've tied a few "practice" alberto's and I'll probably give that a try also.

[BoatSquirrel]

I am with you Junkman.  FG for heavy line, Alberto for light line.

[king fisher]

FG knot works best and has a big advantage in size, when using leaders that are significantly larger diameter than the mainline braid.(Mainly salt water use)  An example would be 100 Lbs. leader with 80 lbs. braid.  The crossing action of the smaller braid can can get a good bite on a larger leader, where it is more difficult to get it to bite in to the leader the closer the lines are to the  same diameter.  An Alberto can be used with both light, and heavy line, but is not quite as strong, or as small as an FG.  However it is a very good knot,and the one I prefer for bass fishing.  Uni to Uni is a great knot that I used for years but now prefer the Alberto.   Disadvantage of the uni is it is larger, because you have to tie a knot in the leader instead of just a fold like with the Alberto.   With heavy line, Uni to Uni is not really an option.  Try and tie a uni to uni with 100 lbs. floro and you will see what I mean.  A doubled over uni to uni is a great knot for connecting braid to braid.  The only knot better that I have found for braid to braid is loops made with bimmini twists, then connect loops together with a cats paw.  Way to much trouble for bass fishing.  I can't even think of a time bass fishing when I would want to connect braid to braid anyway.  I know there are people that can tie an FG well with light line used for bass fishing, I'm just not one of them.

[waymont]

FG definitely works best when the leader is a larger diameter than the braid. If it’s close in diameter between lines use some other knot. Alberto is a good one

I use 8lb braid to 8 lb FC and it’s fantastic. The 8lb braid is super thin.

[Delaware Valley Tackle]

Stopped before I started. 

[Junk Fisherman]

Turns out the I am using the modified, modified Albright which is when you double the braid when you wrap it and you go 5 wraps up and 5 wraps back down.  Seth Feider was promoting that one a couple years ago but now he does the FG.   I couldn't follow the way he finished his FG with all the half hitches and burning the tag.  Just seemed like too much for me.   

[MN Fisher]

17 minutes ago, Delaware Valley Tackle said:

Stopped before I started. 

I'm with you there - it's a bit finicky for this 'one-eyed wonder', so I just stick with a double-uni for all my line joins.

[plawren53202]

I just made the switch to braid within the last week. After doing my research I concluded that I should use the FG knot. Watching YouTube videos where they're tying 60-80 lb. braid and leader made it look not bad; tying 10 lb. braid to the 6 lb. mono leader for my spinning setup was something entirely different. And after all that, I had two of them slip out (both times from the increased pressure when I was snagged.) I'm certain it was due to "user error," but still, not the easiest knot to learn for me.

 

When the last one slipped out, I remembered how to tie a double uni knot from my flyfishing days and so I went with that one, no problems the rest of the day. Not saying the double uni is a better knot; I just happened to remember it enough from fly fishing to be able to tie it better. I read a lot about one big advantage of the FG being small knot size, but for 10 lb. braid/6 lb. mono leader, the double uni was plenty small enough to slip through my micro guides with no problem.

 

Just switched to braid on my baitcaster this afternoon, didn't even attempt the FG. Just went straight to the double uni.

[Junk Fisherman]

2 hours ago, plawren53202 said:

I just made the switch to braid within the last week. After doing my research I concluded that I should use the FG knot. Watching YouTube videos where they're tying 60-80 lb. braid and leader made it look not bad; tying 10 lb. braid to the 6 lb. mono leader for my spinning setup was something entirely different. And after all that, I had two of them slip out (both times from the increased pressure when I was snagged.) I'm certain it was due to "user error," but still, not the easiest knot to learn for me.

 

When the last one slipped out, I remembered how to tie a double uni knot from my flyfishing days and so I went with that one, no problems the rest of the day. Not saying the double uni is a better knot; I just happened to remember it enough from fly fishing to be able to tie it better. I read a lot about one big advantage of the FG being small knot size, but for 10 lb. braid/6 lb. mono leader, the double uni was plenty small enough to slip through my micro guides with no problem.

 

Just switched to braid on my baitcaster this afternoon, didn't even attempt the FG. Just went straight to the double uni.

Try this one.  

 

 

[ckherring92]

i just about always use the FG, but i have never had the knot fail when tied properly. the only time they have failed it has been user error and i have cought it when tighting the knot during tying. 

 

its definately my prefered knot due to its size and strength, i wish it was faster to tie, but i can typically tie it once a day when fishing unless im changing baits a ton and eat up my leader material 

 

one thing ive noticed is that if your using a stiffer florocarbon it makes it harder to get a good FG when your using lighter braid. example being Seaguar Invizx vs Sunline FC leader.  Sunline FC leader is much stiffer then the Invizx and i have stopped using sunlines designated "leader" material 

[JediAmoeba]

11 hours ago, plawren53202 said:

YouTube videos where they're tying 60-80 lb. braid and leader made it look not bad; tying 10 lb. braid to the 6 lb. mono leader for my spinning setup was something entirely different. And after all that, I had two of them slip out (both times from the increased pressure when I was snagged.) I'm certain it was due to "user error," but still, not the easiest knot to learn for me.

That's the thing with leader knots - you need to be able to see if the knot is strong and complete.  That's why I use the bloodknot because you can always tell it's done perfectly when complete.  The Alberto and Albright are easier to tie IMO but I have better luck with the blood.

[MassYak85]

I tried the FG for a couple seasons. It's just as advertised, smallest and easiest going through guides. BUT, I had a couple...and I do only mean a couple, failures. I just couldn't ever 100% know if the braid truly gripped the leader and I sometimes had the finish unravel. It's a great knot but a knot I can't 100% trust is a knot I won't use. For me it's only Albright and Blood knots now.