Best Knot For Leader to Braid ?

[N.Y. Yankee]

What is your favorite knot for nylon or fluoro leaders to braid? Would the Uni to Uni work well for both?

[Skunkmaster-k]

Yes

[BrianMDTX]

I like the Lefty Kreh knot. Very simple to tie and so far, I have not had anything close to a failure.

 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GDxGy3Nld2g

[GaryH]

I favor the Alberto. Haven’t had any issues. 

[S Hovanec]

I used the uni-uni for many years.  A few years ago, I switched to the GT knot.  It's much stronger than the uni and not as complicated as the FG.

[DaubsNU1]

Alberto knot...but watched the video on the GT knot, and how it's supposed to be the strongest...Might switch over.

[Darth-Baiter]

I use the Alberto when I’m in a hurry floating around on my kayak.  At home where I have my reading glasses and time,  I use the FG knot.  Only cuz I’m a FG rookie.  However, It’s getting easier and easier and the resulting knot is so thin in profile. 

[ATA]

I use FG knot and since I learned to do it few years back, it never failed me.

[Lead Head]

About that Gt knot video...

Most likely the video you saw is a simplified version of the GT, NOT the one that tested out the strongest. Read the comments under the video to find out for sure. A true GT is pretty complex and mostly used in the salt.

 

Having said that, I have been using the simplified version from the video for 2 years now without a failure. It has held up to big hooksets with FC and is super fast and easy to tie. I'll continue to use it until it gives me a reason to stop. 

[mhone]

It took me a while to get good at the FG knot but now that I’ve done about 50 of them I feel really confident it will come out right every time. Two tricks I’ve learned on my own: you don’t want the main braided line too tight just no slack, I put my rod in the kayak rod holder and use my teeth to hold the braid with just a little rod tension; secondly in order to pull the half hitch knots tight without hurting my hands, I use two 5” wood dowels (old broom handles) to wrap the main line around and clamp against each other, then pull the braid tag end with my pliers, (after I started that, my knots quit coming loose from the top.) I’m really just a beginner and I love this knot. 

 

[FryDog62]

I have switched back and forth between the Alberto and FG the past 3 years. Finally settled in on the Alberto with the triple hitch finish for 3 reasons:

 

1) It’s extremely strong, never had a failure with the triple hitch finish. This ensures no matter which way you go back through the loop at the end of the knot that you're 100% secure.

 

2) Fluorocarbon is the brittle part of the line-to-line equation and with the Alberto, the braid wraps around the fluoro thus protecting it going through the guides all day long.

 

3) I can tie the Alberto in 1/3 of the time it takes to do the FG properly.

[soflabasser]

I use a uni to uni knot when tying braid to a mono leader.

[Delaware Valley Tackle]

I have success with an original Albright, easy, slim and reliable. 

[GetFishorDieTryin]

Alberto is tough to beat

[MickD]

Double uni is strong, reliable, easy to tie correctly, but is too big for many micro guides.  The Alberto is easy, but not reliable unless finished with the triple hitch finish mentioned above, or with what I do, two tightly set half hitches.  With this knot , as many others, it has to be very heavily "set," which deforms the FC and makes the knot resitant to slip and unravelling.  Give it a heavy set , and finish with two or three tightly set half hitches.  

[desmobob]

I have learned to tie the FG knot easily on the water with some tension from the rod that's stood up/wedged somewhere in the boat and the end of the braid wrapped around the pinkie of my left hand.  The wraps come out nice and even.  

 

I also learned that about sixteen total wraps is enough; more than that and it's hard to tighten the knot properly, which is important for success.

 

I started with using a Uni-to-Uni, then an Albright and Alberto.  I will stay with the FG.

 

FG knot with "pinkie" method

[Kenny Yi]

I tried so hard to like the FG knot, but i still stick with the Alberto knot for it's speed and knot strength, just could never trust my FG

[MassYak85]

Had breakage issues with uni to uni personally. Juts don't have confidence in it. Alberto is what I tie 90% of the time. I can tie the FG but just never got to a point where I was 100% confident in the finish of it. I like the blood knot for higher lb test leaders (over 20lb). I really only use it for swimbaits. 

[Bankc]

Whatever you're most comfortable with.  Being able to tie a knot correctly is more important than choosing the right knot.  

 

I prefer the FG due to its slim design and the fact that I'm familiar with it.  However, sometimes I don't want to mess with it on the water, so I'll use a double uni knot.  I don't have as much confidence in the double uni, but on my small kayak in the wind and waves, sometimes I don't have the patience to deal with an FG.

[Tail Slap]

5 hours ago, Lead Head said:

About that Gt knot video...

Most likely the video you saw is a simplified version of the GT, NOT the one that tested out the strongest. Read the comments under the video to find out for sure. A true GT is pretty complex and mostly used in the salt.

 

Having said that, I have been using the simplified version from the video for 2 years now without a failure. It has held up to big hooksets with FC and is super fast and easy to tie. I'll continue to use it until it gives me a reason to stop. 

Same is true of the FG knot.  How it's finished can effect its break strength. Any knot where the braid cuts into itself is a weak point.  I do not cinch down super hard on the alt half hitchs like I do on the main knot where you want that solid color change as it bites into the fluoro/mono leader.

 

About the GT others have done lots of testing on it since the official testing.  It was found to be stronger than the FG only when using line of a given thickness threshold.  On thinner lines its weaker than a FG.  It always amazes me how things like that effect strength or more correctly induce weakness.

 

I do a knot based off the YUCATAN modded and then finished like an FG to give that same smooth ramp that seems to be holding very close to the FG and a good bit faster to tie and I am pretty good at the FG.  I do modify it based on if the fluoro leader or braid mainline is the higher test.   I find the pr is easiest to tie with larger diameter lines.  I use tight bobbin tension as it seems to make the strongest knot but it's more difficult to get the good wraps with thin line.

11 minutes ago, Bankc said:

Whatever you're most comfortable with.  Being able to tie a knot correctly is more important than choosing the right knot.  

 

I prefer the FG due to its slim design and the fact that I'm familiar with it.  However, sometimes I don't want to mess with it on the water, so I'll use a double uni knot.  I don't have as much confidence in the double uni, but on my small kayak in the wind and waves, sometimes I don't have the patience to deal with an FG.

Hard to beat a uni-uni for easy and speed.  I just add some xtra wraps to give more b

friction of the braid.  On windy rough water sure is easier than a fg.

[Deleted account]

23 hours ago, N.Y. Yankee said:

What is your favorite knot for nylon or fluoro leaders to braid? Would the Uni to Uni work well for both?

I like the uni-uni for similar diameter lines, and the modified Albright for braid to larger diameter leader.

[Blaine Donders]

Crazy Alberto

[Ryanralston07]

Alberto and Uni to Uni have been good for me  

[new2BC4bass]

On 7/6/2021 at 4:27 PM, S Hovanec said:

I used the uni-uni for many years.  A few years ago, I switched to the GT knot.  It's much stronger than the uni and not as complicated as the FG.

I've never seen these knots tested against each other, but I seriously doubt the GT Knot is all that much stronger than a Uni Knot.  I've straightened jig hooks with the Uni Knot.  I've tried the Alberto a couple times and the FG Knot once.  None broke.  The last time I connected backing to main line I use a 5-wrap Blood Knot.  I put more tension on the lines than I ever would with a rod.  It held.

 

I don't understand why people have so many problems with leader knots or splicing lines.  What kind of force are they exerting on the line?  I've pulled a boat over to a snag without ever breaking a knot.  I realize that isn't the same as a quick snap.  Guess my hook sets just don't measure up. 

[Darth-Baiter]

23 hours ago, John6.47 said:

It took me a while to get good at the FG knot but now that I’ve done about 50 of them I feel really confident it will come out right every time. Two tricks I’ve learned on my own: you don’t want the main braided line too tight just no slack, I put my rod in the kayak rod holder and use my teeth to hold the braid with just a little rod tension; secondly in order to pull the half hitch knots tight without hurting my hands, I use two 5” wood dowels (old broom handles) to wrap the main line around and clamp against each other, then pull the braid tag end with my pliers, (after I started that, my knots quit coming loose from the top.) I’m really just a beginner and I love this knot. 

 

Dang. I keep forgetting that last step with the tag end of the braid. My knot still holds well. 
 

I do the pinkie method and I vaguely remember him skipping it as well.  Could’ve wrong.  I’m gonna add it.