I'm looking for a specific answer here.   Does anyone have a solution, or figured out how to keep the FG knot from unraveling?  I've been using it for about 8 months now, and can tie them pretty quick. Not a  single one has broken on me.  With that said, say every 3rd or 4th knot I tie will unravel at some point while fishing.  With this knot, it's easy to tell when it starts to happen because it will make noise in the guides allowing you to see whats going on before anything bad happens.  It's just extra work though and kind of annoying.  As of right now, I "finish" my knot with 3 overhand knots.  For some of the FG's that tag end will unravel though.  I've checked over and over to see if I'm doing something wrong, and surely I am, just wanted to see if any one else has had similar issues and found a fix. 

Does anyone have a solution, or figured out how to keep the FG knot from unraveling ?

Yes ~ By tying a Uni-to Uni Knot instead.

Effective, Simple & Doesn't Unravel.

A-Jay

 

 

I thought I was clear.....so I'll add, I'm not interested in any opinions on the efficiency, effectiveness, or any other aspect of the FG knot....nor any other knot.  Just want to know if anyone has had the above issue, and if so, were you able to fix it. 

After about 30 minutes of searching and reading the topic on the interwebs, I think I found my answer.   Apparently this unraveling is occuring because of the tag end hitting the guides on the way back in.  It's smooth going out, especially with micro guides (which is the reason this is so popular, thin diameter), but it gets damaged on the way back in through the guides.   Makes sense from my own experiences.  Some suggest putting a tiny bit of blue on the tag end to protect it and keep the half hitches from sliding up  and unraveling the knot.  I'm going to try this, as it's still worth the effort to have a knot that is far and away more thin than any of the others.  

8 minutes ago, Kyle46N said:

Some suggest putting a tiny bit of blue on the tag end to protect it and keep the half hitches from sliding up  and unraveling the knot.  I'm going to try this, as it's still worth the effort to have a knot that is far and away more thin than any of the others.  

A tiny drop of superglue can do wonderful things.  That's what I was going to suggest.  I have not yet (knot yet?) had an FG knot unravel, but I have very little time fishing them so far (30 and 40 lb. Power Pro knotted to 17 lb. AbrazX).

 

My progression of braid-to-mono knots has been Uni-to-Uni, then Albright, then Alberto, then FG.  I really like the FG so far.

 

Tight lines,

Bob

Instead of putting the tag end through the loop once to make a half hitch and then stacking half hitches, go through the loop two or three times so it binds itself better.

 

OK, with two FG knot users in the room, I have my own specific question.  Once you've got your knot tied and cinched as tightly as possible (but not super-glued), grab your leader and pull so it's just taut, barely bending the rod tip.  With your other hand, pinch your thumb and forefinger on the leader just below the knot and start pushing against the braid wraps (toward the rod tip) while pulling your leader the other way.  Did your knot stay tied? Or did the leader slip out without a whole lot of effort?  If it stayed tied, I'd truly like to know the trick to it, because I've been fooling with this knot for weeks and I haven't been able to overcome this issue.   I'm using 20# PP to 17# fluoro and it just ain't workin' for me.

19 minutes ago, Wayne P. said:

Instead of putting the tag end through the loop once to make a half hitch and then stacking half hitches, go through the loop two or three times so it binds itself better.

 

This is how I learned to tie the knot.  Maybe that's why I haven't had any problems with unraveling... (and I don't use superglue).

 

Tight lines,

Bob

 

 

1 hour ago, Kyle46N said:

I thought I was clear.....so I'll add, I'm not interested in any opinions on the efficiency, effectiveness, or any other aspect of the FG knot....nor any other knot.  Just want to know if anyone has had the above issue, and if so, were you able to fix it. 

Geez...tough room, eh A-Jay?

12 minutes ago, Chris at Tech said:

Geez...tough room, eh A-Jay?

Not really....anyone who has read any FG knot threads knows there are a ton of naysayers...and that's fine.  But, with that said, anyone who has kept up with all these FG knot threads would also know the importance of me making the above statement...IF I want to keep the thread on topic.  Don't believe me?  Look at the first post from A-Jay......

I've had them unravel before too, but I pretty much do a version of what Wayne has suggested and after tying a couple hitch knots initially, I cinch the last knot down with multiple wraps, what basically seems like a uni knot at that point.

As to Jolly Green's comment, I don't try and see if I can get it to unravel or loosen by playing with the knot. After cinching everything down and then giving it a good pull in the same basic direction(s) as if I was fighting a fish, I leave everything alone figuring it is cinched as good as it's going to get at that point. Perhaps it's in the way you're tying the knot? I cinch the braid more frequently than most suggest as I tie. Seems to hold everything well doing it that way.

-T9

21 minutes ago, desmobob said:

This is how I learned to tie the knot.  Maybe that's why I haven't had any problems with unraveling... (and I don't use superglue).

 

Tight lines,

Bob

 

 

I think this might be it.   I'm going to give this a shot before I go to superglue.  

I can't say I've ever had one unravel. I tie three half hitches, then clip the leader material off and tie three more half hitches to smooth the transition. The last half hitch I go through the knot twice with the tag and that seems to lock it all down well so the half hitches don't work themselves loose.

I been using the FG knot for most of 2015, and the only time I had it unravel on me is when I didn't do this. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nJkXuh6FyLI Burn the end of the leader, to form a little mushroom head and wrap the braided line tightly under it and over it, and you are good to go. I have caught 35 inch pike, and 30 inch bluefishes using this method, and never had it unravel on me.

14 hours ago, Kyle46N said:

Not really....anyone who has read any FG knot threads knows there are a ton of naysayers...and that's fine.  But, with that said, anyone who has kept up with all these FG knot threads would also know the importance of me making the above statement...IF I want to keep the thread on topic.  Don't believe me?  Look at the first post from A-Jay......

Thanks for keeping this thread on topic Kyle. 

Guess I'm still trying to get the hang of this interweb thing.

Good Luck with your knot tying too.

A-Jay

8 minutes ago, A-Jay said:

Thanks for keeping this thread on topic Kyle. 

Guess I'm still trying to get the hang of this interweb thing.

Good Luck with your knot tying too.

A-Jay

You should try the FG knot with the method I posted above. It makes for very very strong and clean knot that can easily flow through guides. I don't like how people tie it by making a knot, then cutting off the leader in the middle.

15 hours ago, Kyle46N said:

Not really....anyone who has read any FG knot threads knows there are a ton of naysayers...and that's fine.  But, with that said, anyone who has kept up with all these FG knot threads would also know the importance of me making the above statement...IF I want to keep the thread on topic.  Don't believe me?  Look at the first post from A-Jay......

I think you're overreacting just a touch

Perhaps you can consider A-Jay's comment as a suggestion from another experienced fisherman that just maybe a knot that fails 25-33% of the time for you might not be ready for prime time.

By all means, use whichever knot you want but if you knew today was the day you'd stick your biggest bass ever, would you trust your ability to tie the FG and land that fish?

Just offering some friendly perspective here.  Not being argumentative.

52 minutes ago, IAY said:

You should try the FG knot with the method I posted above. It makes for very very strong and clean knot that can easily flow through guides. I don't like how people tie it by making a knot, then cutting off the leader in the middle.

IAY ~ Thank you for the recommendation.  I have tied & fished the FG knot.  I will not debate the size or the effectiveness of it at all. 

I re-tie several times a trip, sometimes several times an hour; both at the lure end (which shortens the leader quickly) and of course then leader connection must be redone.   For me, even with practice, the FG knot seemed too complicated (meaning too many things can got wrong during the tying process which will compromise the strength), especially at night and it took too long to tie.  For those reasons, It's just no practical for my fishing.  Your results may vary. btw- I've been tying fishing knots of all kind in both offshore & sweetwater applications for almost fifty years and I actually do OK.

A-Jay

I haven't used it a bunch, but I haven't had one come undone either. I test how well the wraps are holding before I do any hitches, that way I can tell if the wraps are doing the work or not. I'll hold the leader in one hand and both the tag end of the braid and the main line in the other then I'll pull the way it would be if I were fighting a fish. If it comes loose I'll retie, if it goods or slips them catches, I'll tie the 3 half hitches around the braid and leader, then 3 more half hitches around just the braid (after clipping the leader close), then I tie a lock knot with 3 wraps and clip the braid tag end close as I can. I have had the lock knot unravel during a day of fishing that particular setup a fair bit but the knot itself never came loose or slipped. I'm going to try some crazy glue or UV knot sense this year to see of I can smooth the braid tag end some more.

I have used a Berkley hot line cutter on the braid end with success.  I cut it close with scissors and melt the tag end as close as possible with the cutter.  It "cauterizes" the cut. 

I had exactly the same failure last weekend as the OP, and it's not the first time.  Lost a brand new crankbait.  I'll try the double hitch knot to end the FG next time - but at the next failure I'll have to go back to a Uni knot, dang it.