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Braid to leader knots!


IXIGLUTTONYRN
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I've been leisure fishing with braid for years now but I have yet found a leader knot with the confidence to throw big swimbaits on. I am looking for suggestions on braid to leader knots. Some that might be easier to tie and even some more advanced ones. I would also be interested on what line braid, mono, fluoro, copolymer and even lb test. I'm looking to level up and would appreciate any xp thrown my way. Most of what I am throwing now is 3 to 7 oz. Thank you for your time.

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There are plenty out there that will serve you well, but honestly learning to tie the FG knot will help you out a bunch.  The connecting knot is longer and tapers so it isn’t a bulbous mass going through your guides.  Takes a minute and some patience, but well worth it, I’ve never had a bait break off at the connection. 

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I use a RP/Alberto/Reverse Albright Knot with 65lbs PP Maxcuatro to short 2-3’ leaders of 25lbs Sunline System Shock leader.  I don’t cast the connection knot to take full advantage of the thin diameter of the braid and also every time that knot ticks a guide it causes drag slowing it down and a possibility to weaken the knot. 

don’t get me wrong the FG is a good knot and I use it on my bfs setups with micro guides but the RP is fast, simple, strong and has a proven track record against big fish on the west coast fishing fleet. 

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Fg knot.  Watch a bunch of YouTube videos, and practice the knot until you are confident in it.

I use it for by braid to leader knot from Swimbait gear (65lb to 25lb leader), down to 4lb test on ice fishing setups.

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I’m in the FG knot camp, but I put a tiny drop of thin superglue on it to keep the half hitches from coming undone over time. Too much and the knot is stiff going through your guides, so don’t go crazy with it.

Chris Zaldain did a good video on how he ties it, check that out if you haven’t already; everyone has all kinds of tricks or techniques so just pick a video and practice that way until you’ve got it down. The trickiest thing for me was getting the weave to hold, the first half hitch is the most important!

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I have been practicing different variations of the fg now for a month. I think I have created my own version that I like. I still experience one of my half hitches coming undone everytime. I think I will use a little drop of super glue over them. I have been using fluoro as my leader but my hook sets are too strong. I believe the fluoro shatters from the shock so I may try some copolymer line, or stop being an excitable boy. Thank you all for sharing your experience with me.

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Yeah I don’t often use braid to fluoro for swimbaits, esp since the braid has no give, the stretch from the copoly is nice.  Be careful with the superglue though as a little too much can create a brittle spot that will snap much easier than before applied. 

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I like the FG but I've recently wanted to change things up, been using the Yucatan knot and it's held strong thus far. I've used only citizens, landed a few reasonable fish, retied the leader and it's flowed through the guides as smooth as an FG. 

For reference I use 50lb braid to 20-22lb fluoro

 

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7 hours ago, IXIGLUTTONYRN said:

I have been practicing different variations of the fg now for a month. I think I have created my own version that I like. I still experience one of my half hitches coming undone everytime. I think I will use a little drop of super glue over them. I have been using fluoro as my leader but my hook sets are too strong. I believe the fluoro shatters from the shock so I may try some copolymer line, or stop being an excitable boy. Thank you all for sharing your experience with me.

If you don’t want the half hitches to come undone you have to pull the leader end against the braid  as hard as you can before tying the half hitch. You need to create some serious tension to get it tied perfect.I do 2 half hitches and a double hitch to finish the knot. Works really good.

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I used the FG for a few years but never fully trusted it. I got good at tying it but the "finish" to the knot would occasionally come loose. It just didn't sit right with me. Since then I've gone to the Albright, but for larger diameter leaders and braids I have liked the blood knot after seeing Tactical Bassin recommend it. What I like about that is it's not as low profile as the FG but it's very easy to tell when it's tied right, and the tags stick out perpendicular so less chance of hanging on a guide.

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