FC knots, whats do you use?

[tdt91]

So I've been having issues with my knots breaking when using FC, I'm pretty new to it so this is a new problem for me. I bought 15 lb. Seagar red label and either my leader knot breaks which is a dbl uni-knot or my hook knot breaks and I was using a Palomar knot.
Is it junk line or are my knots wrong?

[RazorCat]

Properly tied Palomar 75% of the time. The knot Shaw Grisby and Gary Klein tie the other 25% of the time. FC Sniper. I don’t have any problems whatsoever with breakage.

[ECobb91]

Alberto knot for leaders and clinch knot or polymer knot at the hook. Double uni I’ve had break often on fish. Using the Alberto knot I’ve never broke off on a fish. With a straight line pull on a snag the line will bust before the knot

[white gambler]

Alberto for leaders. San Diego jam for direct. Some setups I'll do a double San Diego jam.

[dabassking]

I don’t have a problem tying a Palomar knot with Red Label. Red Label is on 90% of my rods and I tie a palomar knot on most everything. If you’re not doing it already, you have to make sure your two pieces on line in the line tie aren’t crossed and the entire knot should cinch tight at the same time.

[Ben Danbleume]

I pretty much use a uni knot for everything except braid, which get a berkley braid knot. I've NEVER broken a uni knot, the only way it breaks is if you miss a loop.

[TE 863]

Be careful with a polomar knot on fluorocarbon you can burn it.im using the San Diego knot on all lure connections and a fg knot on braid to mono or Fluor leader

[Casslaw]

I was having a problem breaking my copoly (CXX) on the hookset with a palomar knot. I haven’t found out exactly why but I think I got reckless tying it so fast with braid that I wasn’t paying attention to the details.

I watched a few YouTube videos, and saw zero difference, so I started tying knots and trying to break them. I noticed that when I was rushing the line will cross over itself; so I started slowing down when cinching the knot down. Instead of wetting the line with 3-4 inches left I now pull it slowly down and make sure both loops are even, then wet it, and cinch down the last 1/2” or so.

Haven’t had a problem since. Good luck!

[rat0502]

I still won't use a palomar on FC or copolymer for that matter, but I was shown a way to tie the palomar that greatly reduces the chance of burning the line. Put your pinky finger in the loop of the line just before cinching it down and pull both tag ends gently until the knot comes down on your pinky. THEN wet and finish cinching. Knot won't pull down on itself until it's at the hook. No burn. I do this on braid and it's amazing how easy it is to cinch the knot down snug.

[bigbitef11]

I'm a believer in the double uni for line to lure. If I am fishing grass I'll do a berkely braid knot.

[mysuzytoo]

I use an FG knot from braid to leader and palomar from leader to lure. Takes some practice to tie the FG right. I'm getting pretty good at it ... only have to start over half the time ... LOL.

[krindgen]

I have had this issue as well. Not a lot of people talk about it, but lots of people say how easy the Palomar is. With FC you have to be absolutely positive that when cinched up, the lines don't cross, "X" each other. It's tough to do and has lead me to just use other knots and/or reduce using FC.

[Wackyjig]

Wet the knots before you cinch it down. You're probably burning the flouro

[Menacer]

Alberto or Uni to Uni for leaders. Fishing fool to lure.

[RazorCat]

That’s why I noted a properly tied Palomar knot. I try to keep the twists to a minimum when forming the loop, and cinching it up.
Wet line, and a smooth cinch without having to pull too hard, or I’ll start over.

[Smalliehunter91]

I was having issues with the palomar too and then started using the San Diego jam knot and have had very little issues with it. For braid to a flouro leader, I use the Alberto knot and havent had one issue with it.

[Pagregss]

This season, I've forced myself to switch from the alberto to the FG knot and I've had great results. The FG can be frustrating at times, but it holds awesome and goes through guides better. As for a fluorocarbon main knot, I've had bad luck with the palomar and use the knot that Swindle and Zona have both done videos on. Zona calls it the shark knot. It's like a double clinch knot. Double the line through the eye, twist 5 times, pass the line back through the main loop, cinch down. Trim the loop and tag end.

[Jamie]

I don’t have a problem tying a Palomar knot with Red Label. Red Label is on 90% of my rods and I tie a palomar knot on most everything. If you’re not doing it already, you have to make sure your two pieces on line in the line tie aren’t crossed and the entire knot should cinch tight at the same time.

This is key to the Palomar knot giving the best line strength.

[squib]

FG knot for connecting braid to flouro

Double San Diego Jam for line to lure. I tie it very similar to the Swindle knot above except I take the tag end back up through the loop at the top of the knot.

[DrewFlu33]

Palomar on hooks and baits where it's easy to get it back through the loop. I agree that it's still the best knot for the job, it's just that fluoro is more sensitive to improperly tied knots than mono. Whether that's burning it when cinching it down, not getting the loop all the way around (leaving that little piece of loop under the hook eye), or getting a twist in it as was mentioned above, fluoro will tell you if your knot isn't done right.

I like the Orvis knot on everything else; in my sort-of-scientific testing it's consistently as strong as knots that are much, much more complicated. I think the key there is that it doesn't have as many twists and turns in it as basically any other knot and so you don't introduce as many potential weak points. The tag gets aimed back at the bait when it cinches down which helps with weedlessness as well.

The Rapala loop knot is one I'm going to more and more on hard baits. I've been removing split rings and tying it instead. It's crazy strong, I think at least in part due to not being cinched onto the hook eye and not burning as a result.

One other really important thing that testing has taught me - maybe the most important thing it has taught me as it has helped me cut my break offs literally in half - is that we trim tag ends way too close. If you leave a quarter inch tag instead of trying to cut it as close as possible it will blow your mind what a difference it makes. I think it's because even knots that are seated properly will move a bit between casting, getting jarred around as you work your bait through the water, hooksets, etc. With no discernible tag end, it doesn't take much for that thing to come undone. Yes, you may grab an extra weed or two, but it's sure better than breaking off. The fish don't mind that extra quarter inch hanging out there, I promise.