FG knot experts, need opinions, advice…

[Bass Rutten]

Revisiting the fg after a failed attempt to learn it a few years back. I’m using 50lb sufix 832 (.34mm) to 10lb p-line cxx (.35mm), below is a pic of the best I can do at the moment, I can make them look pretty but the problem is when I cinch the knot only about half of the 20 wraps seem to grab the leader always on the side nearest where you finish the knot. On the leader side of the knot the wraps are a bit loose as you can see in the picture, and I can slide them back and forth a little, not good I assume? Even cinching hard using dowels I can’t get all of them to grab the leader. What am I doing wrong? Ideas or help appreciated.

 

[The Bassman]

I would think 20 wraps would be too many for 50 lb. braid. Would take an awfully hard pull to bite. Some videos I've seen say to keep the wraps pushed together as you go.

[MN Fisher]

Looks to me like proper tension wasn't maintained throughout the tying process.

 

Trying to cinch it down after the knot is fully wrapped isn't going to help.

 

If you notice the wraps are loose before finishing, need to un-wrap and try again.

[Bass Rutten]

4 minutes ago, The Bassman said:

I would think 20 wraps would be too many for 50 lb. braid. Would take an awfully hard pull to bite. Some videos I've seen say to keep the wraps pushed together as you go.

I couldn't get it grab with 10 or 15.

 

3 minutes ago, MN Fisher said:

Looks to me like proper tension wasn't maintained throughout the tying process.

 

Trying to cinch it down after the knot is fully wrapped isn't going to help.

 

If you notice the wraps are loose before finishing, need to un-wrap and try again.

 

Makes sense, I didn't notice any looseness before but now I know what to look for, I'll keep plugging away at it...

[MN Fisher]

Just now, Bassjam2000 said:

Makes sense, I didn't notice any looseness before but now I know what to look for, I'll keep plugging away at it...

I probably spent 10-12 hours over the course of a week just practicing the FG knot before I felt confident enough to use it on the water.

 

Tie, cut off, tie, cut off - 5-6 times then walk away for a bit before coming back and starting all over again.

[Bass Rutten]

I feel your pain, I got my whole Sunday afternoon into this knot, I'm good for 3 tries before I need a coffee break lol

[ATA]

Ill not call myself PRO by all means but it is 3 years I am using FG for all set ups fro 10lb test to 4lb leader to 130lb to 125lb test for my shark leaders, One of my rods is 40lb braid to 20lb and sometimes 16lb leader, I do 24 and while doing wraps I keep it really tight and I do clinch it then I do rizzuto finish, I use Fg knot tool to clinch it and it is looking really good.

The picture is the one I told you, Its not newly wrapped FG but you can see after heavy use, How it is holding.

[Team9nine]

According to the SaltStrong guys in a recent video talking about the times when the knot isn't the most appropriate knot for the situation, one of the top 3 is that "the FG Knot doesn’t work well when the mono/fluoro is weaker than the braid." This would certainly be the case in your situation. Might be worth considering.

[MN Fisher]

7 minutes ago, Team9nine said:

According to the SaltStrong guys in a recent video talking about the times when the knot isn't the most appropriate knot for the situation, one of the top 3 is that "the FG Knot doesn’t work well when the mono/fluoro is weaker than the braid." This would certainly be the case in your situation. Might be worth considering.

If we're talking #-test, Brian...ummm...all my FGs are that way...braid 'heavier' than the mono/FC leader.

[MickD]

Seems like everyone assumes that more weaves with the FG means more reliability, but it is not true.  After about a dozen, they don't tighten down onto the leader.  The FG was developed for leaders for salt that were heavy stuff, 40-50-70 pound test.  And it is my opinion after doing a lot of work with it, that is where it excels.  But not for leaders like most bass fishermen use of 8-15 pound test.  They are too thin to deform properly.  

 

The knot depends on the weaves actually deforming the leader as they are tightly set, and too many weaves prevents this from happening.  And lighter leaders bend but do not deform to interlock the braid as do heavier leaders.

 

It is my opinion that for the leader strengths of less than about 20-25 one is better off using the "improved" Alberto.  Tie the Alberto, set it very tightly (IMPORTANT) then tie two overhand knots of the braid tag over the main line.  Set them tightly too.  

 

And you will have a very small knot that is very reliable.

[Team9nine]

1 hour ago, MN Fisher said:

If we're talking #-test, Brian...ummm...all my FGs are that way...braid 'heavier' than the mono/FC leader.

 

I can't say for certain, but the SaltStrong guys seem to have done the most research on this knot, and are the most referenced, and that is their advice (it was a direct quote). My first guess was what MickD and Bassman stated, and I think the SS guys now also advise, and that is less wraps because too many with too thick a line won't let you cinch and seat them properly. All that said, I also don't believe braid with a leader setup even belongs on a baitcast outfit to begin with, so there's that  lol

[PaulVE64]

Been tying the FG for 3 years on all setups. For me thats 20# to 40# braid to 6# to 16# mono leaders.

My best knots are tied under alot of tension. I keep my leaders straight and cinch each turn. By the time ive tied the first 1/2 hitch ive got all tight wraps. Tight wraps appear "glossy"

 

I have the most trouble with mono over 40# 

[Bass Rutten]

5 hours ago, MickD said:

Seems like everyone assumes that more weaves with the FG means more reliability, but it is not true.  After about a dozen, they don't tighten down onto the leader.  The FG was developed for leaders for salt that were heavy stuff, 40-50-70 pound test.  And it is my opinion after doing a lot of work with it, that is where it excels.  But not for leaders like most bass fishermen use of 8-15 pound test.  They are too thin to deform properly.  

 

The knot depends on the weaves actually deforming the leader as they are tightly set, and too many weaves prevents this from happening.  And lighter leaders bend but do not deform to interlock the braid as do heavier leaders.

 

It is my opinion that for the leader strengths of less than about 20-25 one is better off using the "improved" Alberto.  Tie the Alberto, set it very tightly (IMPORTANT) then tie two overhand knots of the braid tag over the main line.  Set them tightly too.  

 

And you will have a very small knot that is very reliable.

I’m revisiting the fg in hopes of using 50lb braid on a daiwa coastal sv tw, while the alberto is short it’s also thicker and don’t slip through the tws guide. After mn fishers comment about maintaining tension 2 of my next 3 fg attempts were flawless, the final one with 13 wraps. I spooled up and went out to a local river for a quick session, the knot comes through the tws sometimes with a little tick, sometimes a hiccup, other times very smoothly, time will tell if this’ll work.

[Lead Head]

When using a leader on a casting setup, I keep my leader at about 6'. I never want it "inside" my reel. In my opinion, thats just asking for problems. The T-wing is notoriously unfriendly when it comes to leaders. 

 

Having said all that, perhaps you can get it to work. What works for you is all that really matters. Plenty of people dislike the very thought of leaders on baitcasters, but I have had great success fishing that way for awhile now. 

[MickD]

7 hours ago, Bassjam2000 said:

After mn fishers comment about maintaining tension 2 of my next 3 fg attempts were flawless, the final one with 13 wraps

Yes his advice was on target, IMHO, but also you need to limit the wraps to about the 13 that you are finding works.  As I stated before, more wraps will not tighten down reliably/properly.  Even when tight when wrapped, they might loosen because they simply will not be effectively tightening and deforming the leader.

 

If you want to see this effect take a finished knot apart carefully by cutting the braid off a finished knot with a razor blade.  

[Bankc]

I use the FG knot for leaders as small as 6# fluoro with 10# braid.  I've never had one fail,  and I get hung up all of the time.  Every time I have to break off (which is way too often), it always fails at the terminal knot or somewhere in the middle of the leader.  

 

The trick is, as mentioned by others, you have to keep the knot tight as you tie it.  And in my opinion, smaller diameter lines need more wraps, not less.  15 wraps should be good for you.  I'll go 20 for that 6# fluoro I mentioned above.  Since it doesn't dig as deeply into the line as it will with a thicker leader, it requires more wraps to create the same amount of friction.  

 

I will cinch mine after each wrap.  So when I get to the end, I don't cinch it any further or even wet it.  No need.  At that point, trying to cinch it further will just stretch the fluoro and weaken it, because the knot isn't moving anywhere otherwise.  It really helps the knot hold better, in my opinion, versus waiting until the end to try to cinch the whole thing.  That knot is too long for that.  It does take longer to tie though, and can make it a bit more difficult to tie.  But once you get the hang of it, it's not too bad.  And while I'm tying it, I'll keep the knot pinched with my left hand, so it doesn't unravel after each cinch.  I'll shift my pinch further up the the knot while I'm cinching it, so it remains under pressure the whole time.  

[garroyo130]

One of the things I noticed really hurt my tying was the finishing knot. I used to cinch it down with a double or triple overhead before pulling the braid and leader. I realized what was happening is the tight finishing knot was preventing the FG from tying. Single overhand knot from now on or rizzuto but not cinched too tight.