Alberto knot

[Bassfan99]

Doing some research, i'm going to use this knot to tie floro leaders to braid. Do you have any issues with the knot hanging up on the line guides, or is this about as small of a knot at they come. Thank you.

[DrewFlu33]

It comes through the guides pretty well, and it's very strong. Before the rush of folks telling you to try the FG, I'll do a similarly classic-BBC thing and suggest something different although it's only slightly different. It's really a modification (simplification?) of the Alberto that Shin Fukae uses, one I've heard called the Lazy Alberto:


I was an Alberto user who went to the FG due to it being thinner and testing stronger. I stopped using the FG for three reasons: 1) It takes a longer time than basically any other knot to tie, 2)It's a very long knot, at least 3 times longer than an Alberto, and even though it's the thinnest knot you can make its length makes it have problems getting through guides, and 3)It has to be the only knot out there that you can tie, think it's good, then not find out it's bad until you've made a couple hundred casts.

The Lazy Alberto is thinner than the Alberto since you're not wrapping over the braid itself, is much easier to tie since you only have to tie in one direction and there's no worrying about laying down wraps inside of other wraps, will tell you if it's tied improperly right away, is strong, short, and comes through guides very well. Regarding its strength, I've been using it for 2 full seasons (including ice fishing with light line) and have broken it exactly once, and I use leaders on more setups than most (all spinning, pitching / flipping, Texas rig, and often on swimjigs, chatterbaits, spinnerbaits, etc.). Every other break I've had during this time while using a leader was at the lure knot. I also did some semi-scientific testing with it comparing it to the Alberto...I made a loop of braid and fluoro with one of the connections being the Alberto and one being the Lazy Alberto, put one end on a fence post and the other on a golf cart, then drove off. I expected the Alberto to be stronger, but if it is it's only marginally so - out of 5 tests, the Alberto broke first 2 times while the lazy Alberto broke first 3 times. Close enough for me, especially given the luck I've had with it holding up since I've been using it.

All this together made me land with the Lazy Alberto.

[basscfo]

This is a great knot. I use it a lot with braid to mono for top water baits and weightless plastics, where casting is frequent with no through guide issues, for drop-shotting 12 or 10 lb braid to 6-10 lb flouro, and sometimes when flipping 50 lb braid to 20 lb flouro. The knot simply does not fail and is relatively easy to tie with a little practice. One of the best pics on how to tie the knot is on page 50-51, FLW Bass Magazine, Winter 2019.

[Big Daddy Braddy]

I’ve always used the Alberto but I will definitely try this!

[paulrodbender]

Been using Shin's knot

[TobyG.Mo]

I’ve been looking for that video, I saw it posted a long time ago and never could find it again. I have been using the FG and it works great, I have got tying it down to where I can do it in 60:seconds or less but you are right about it being long. It still comes through the guides better than anything else I have found but I wanted to try the knot in this video.

[fishon396]

Thanks for the video just what I am looking for

[DrewFlu33]

I’ve been looking for that video, I saw it posted a long time ago and never could find it again. I have been using the FG and it works great, I have got tying it down to where I can do it in 60:seconds or less but you are right about it being long. It still comes through the guides better than anything else I have found but I wanted to try the knot in this video.

I've found that on thinner diameter lines (spinning rods), the Lazy Alberto comes through quite a bit better. On thicker diameter stuff it evens out. The FG probably comes through a bit better on the biggest diameter lines, for me that's 50 lb braid to a 25 lb fluoro leader on my flipping stick. In hindsight I suppose that's fairly intuitive since the length of the FG doesn't change all that much whether you're using smaller diameter or larger diameter lines, while the thickness of a knot changes quite a lot depending on the diameter of the lines; on those bigger diameter lines, the thinner profile of the FG becomes more important than a knot's relative length.

Either way, I've had no issues reeling the Lazy Alberto through my guides and into my reel on leaders up to 16 lb Sniper. My casting reels are Daiwas with the t-wing which is supposed to be the worst for reeling up leader knots. Step up to a larger diameter leader and it starts catching in the reel. For me, that's only the aforementioned pitching and flipping setup. The remedy for me in that case used to be to tie the leader short enough to stay out of the guides when setting up for a pitch. I later heard Seth Feider talk about flipping and pitching with a leader and he mentioned that he ties the leader so that the knot is between the reel and first guide when setting up for a pitch. Turns out he was right on! It seems that the knot having enough momentum when it reaches the rod tip is the key to it not catching and messing up your cast. On my flipping rod with size 5 runners, I'm able to flip and pitch like I would with no knot, and there's enough extra there that I can retie a couple times. It's only when the knot starts getting close to the tip of the rod that it becomes an issue which is when I'll retie.

The longer leader I feel gives me more bites as it reduces the noise you'd get from straight braid sawing on vegetation and wood; I tried switching back and forth between the leader and straight braid on one occasion when I was on a really good milfoil bite and definitely found I was getting more bites with the leader, so I've stuck with it ever since. Heavy fluoro like that also stands up to pike and muskie teeth (and metal dock posts, zebra mussels, etc.) a lot better than braid, so it saves me a lot of money in lost heavy tungsten weights as well. A spool of 25 lb fluoro lasts forever doing this, and when combined with a high vis braid mainline, I'm able to watch my line and catch a bunch of fish without ever even feeling them.

[nojretlas]

I use this know from braid to leader, hasn't let me down.

[Menacer]

I am an Alberto or Uni to Uni depending on line but definitely going to try this.

[1bluemcm]

Lazy Alberto - that's my kind of knot, going to be using that this year for sure. No question, simpler than a FG. If it holds as good as stated, well K.I.S.S.

[jp71291]

I'm going to try this knot out. Looks fairly easy to tie. I'll practice tonight.

[rfdong]

So question for those using Shin’s knot/lazy Alberto, on the video it appears he comes back through the loop at the end in the same direction (Main and tag come out opposite directions through the initial loop) which is different than than the Alberto where it’s tantamount to come back through opposite so the lines end up on the same side of the loop. When I tie it that way mostly it slips so I’m thinking it’s an illusion?

[wmitch2]

So question for those using Shin’s knot/lazy Alberto, on the video I separate he comes beck through the loop at the end in the same direction (Main and tag come out opposite directions through the initial loop) which is different than than the Alberto where it’s tantamount to come back through opposite so the lines end up on the same side of the loop. When I tie it that way mostly it slips so I’m thinking it’s an illusion?

No, you come back UP where when you started you went DOWN. This way the line stays on top of the loop. When you start to pull it tight, it will look like you're tying a Square Knot. I've been thru a multitude of leader knots in the last 45+ yrs, and this is the best I've found. I've had very little issues in using it. Strong, small and easy to tie.

[rfdong]

No, you come back UP where when you started you went DOWN. This way the line stays on top of the loop. When you start to pull it tight, it will look like you're tying a Square Knot. I've been thru a multitude of leader knots in the last 45+ yrs, and this is the best I've found. I've had very little issues in using it. Strong, small and easy to tie.

ok thanks. It’s the same as the regular Alberto then...

[1bluemcm]

So question for those using Shin’s knot/lazy Alberto, on the video it appears he comes back through the loop at the end in the same direction (Main and tag come out opposite directions through the initial loop) which is different than than the Alberto where it’s tantamount to come back through opposite so the lines end up on the same side of the loop. When I tie it that way mostly it slips so I’m thinking it’s an illusion?

I don't know, looks to me like they come out on opposite sides in the video. He first goes top to bottom through the loop, does the wraps going back toward the loop and goes again top to bottom on the way out. I tied several that way this evening using 30lb braid and 12lb mono, also 15lb braid and 8lb copolymer, didn't find any to slip.

They come out opposite sides here, with one extra throw in this version compared to Shin's:

[rfdong]

I don't know, looks to me like they come out on opposite sides in the video. He first goes top to bottom through the loop, does the wraps going back toward the loop and goes again top to bottom on the way out. I tied several that way this evening using 30lb braid and 12lb mono, also 15lb braid and 8lb copolymer, didn't find any to slip.

correct Kevin, but when I tied them that way mostly slipped but a few held when I did it same as Alberto all held.

[JHelms]

So question for those using Shin’s knot/lazy Alberto, on the video it appears he comes back through the loop at the end in the same direction (Main and tag come out opposite directions through the initial loop) which is different than than the Alberto where it’s tantamount to come back through opposite so the lines end up on the same side of the loop. When I tie it that way mostly it slips so I’m thinking it’s an illusion?

That is also my question but when I try it, it seems to work best if you go down at the beginning and up at the end.

[DrewFlu33]

You have to go back out the same way you came from or it’ll come apart. Sort of like tying a bowline, the rabbit comes out of the hole, runs around the tree, then runs back in!

I think he gets it turned around when he’s tying it due to trying to show what he’s doing. I’ll always stick my ring finger on my right hand through the loop while I’m doing wraps to keep the loop of fluoro spinning around, easier to keep track of it that way.

[ifishinxs]

Been using the improved Albright/Alberto knot for over 30 years..I just switched to the GT knot. Easier to tie and is stronger. Goes through the guides better than the Albright..