For you guys that fish braid to leader on your baitcasting gear, how do you like it and how well does it work going through the rod guides? What knot do you use connecting the two lines? I've been fishing straight braid on my casting rods but today I noticed when fishing gin clear water I could plainly see the moss green color PowerPro braid in the water. I'm wearing polorized sunglasses and could see it plain as day. Thanks in advance.

I don't always do it for visibility, more so for abrasion resistance and as a shock leader. I use the Alberto knot for almost everything, but do use a blood knot for larger lines (65lb braid to 25+lb leader). 

 

I've been doing it for years at this point and have no qualms with how it goes through most guides, but I also don't fish microguides. The only thing I'll say is if you fish Daiwa T-Wing reels, keep the knot out of the reel. 

I have no issues with it. I honestly wouldn’t use it unless you have to. I fish around a lot of rocks and the braid frays and gets weak.

Always have used an Alberto knot and never had a failure.

Another factor to consider is sink rate. When fishing light baits, the floating braid will slow the sink down even more. 

Alberto knot here as well.

Habit maybe but I never let the knot get into the reel on spinning or casting.

FG is the strongest smallest knot that I have ever used.

Alberto knot. Easy to tie, goes through regular guides fine. Micro guides, no bueno. Also have T-Wing Diawas and keep the knot out of reel because of that. Braid to mono leader for topwaters and larger glide baits and wakes, fluoro leader for the rest.

 

But gotta say, straight fluoro starting to win me over…. I keep switching back and forth. probably will continue to use both as the mood strikes me and my laziness for tying leaders kicks in.

• Braid to leader except for 2 casting reels where I use 10# Tatsu.  Mostly use 10# or 15# Invisx for leaders, may switch to mono for some topwaters.  I've used an Alberto for quite some time, even keep an Uncle Jim's Alberto Knot Tyer at home and on the boat, but I'm always looking to improve.  Following many attempts and frustrating failures I've finally developed my own procedure for the FG knot;  it is stronger, smaller around, and does not give a little bump going through the guides.  I am able to tie it in the same time period as the Alberto, and when I break off, it is no longer at the leader knot. 

I started braid to leader on everything and only use it on spinning rods now. When I used it, the FG knot was the standard. Goes through semi-micro guides just fine.

 

Unless you're on the bank I can't find any upside.

Alberto knot. I hate microguides so no issues there. I use 4 foot of leader and just cut it off as I change out lures thought out the day. I like mono leaders. No flurocarbon here. 

After years, and YEARS of running straight braid on my casting rods, I started going braid-to-leader last summer. 

 

It really worked well...seemed like I was getting more bites on t-rigged plastics. I use an Alberto knot, just like on my spinning gear.

I'm in the fg camp.  Takes some effort to learn, but the size and strength of the connection are worth the effort.  This is the video that I learned from.

 

 

 

scott

 

Loon UV Knotsense is the bomb. Someone on here turned me onto it last spring and it's fantastic.  It makes any knot stronger and smoother.  You put a dab on the knot, wipe off the excess and cure it with the sun or a UV light.  It's not rigid like super glue and once it's cured, your knot will not fail.  Even if it's poorly tied.  

 

 

 

I hope I’m not in the Sesame Street category for fishing line knots but I use the Uni Knot on all three of my rods with no leaders.  
 

I have two spinning and one bait caster. The spinning have braid and bait caster has mono.
 

Super fast to tie for me and I’ve never had an issue with that knot so far. I learned it over wintertime some years ago. So far, not super motivated to learn any other knots. I also use the barrel swivel with a U shaped access clip. 
 

Because I don’t have a FLEET of rods for different techniques and lures, I need quick access to change them out. So I normally don’t do a direct tie to a lure. 
 

I normally fish the weekends from like 5 am to 9 or 10 am. That way I can get some good fishing in before yard work(mowing and trimming) and going with wife to get groceries or Menards or whatever. She is happy as long as I’m not out there for 8+ hours just fishing. 
 

I did fish one afternoon for like 6+ hours, missed dinner and neglected to let the dog out. She was HOT. 🤪.  I should have been more responsible and respectful of other people that day and I wasn’t. So I try and fish early so everyone is happy and it all works out. 😂

same answer as last time  

On 10/22/2025 at 7:13 AM, bulldog1935 said:

I fish leaders for shock tolerance, and don't consume leader.  

Leader tag gets a perfection loop, and I loop on paper clips, micro snaps, wire bite trace, etc.  

Linear contact in loop connection is stronger than any single-bend knot.  

This is an intentional long perfection loop, so I can also loop on a cigar cork dropper rig.  

I fish 18" leaders with microguides and 4' leaders with full size guides.  

Longer surf rods get 6' to 8' leaders.  

Improved Allbright knot.  

I've been rolling and shooting Allbright knots through fly-rod snake guides for 45 years, no reason to change that.  Rods with micro-guides get a 2' leader, so the knot doesn't have to pass the guides.  rods with full-size guides get 4' leader.  

I haven't had any issues Use to use the crazy Alberto knot, but most of rods now have micro guides. So I switched over to the Red Phillips knot. It is very easy for me to tie, strong and small. 

 

 

12 hours ago, MontanaBasser said:

Loon UV Knotsense is the bomb. Someone on here turned me onto it last spring and it's fantastic.  It makes any knot stronger and smoother.  You put a dab on the knot, wipe off the excess and cure it with the sun or a UV light.  It's not rigid like super glue and once it's cured, your knot will not fail.  Even if it's poorly tied.  

 

 

 

Correct on the Knotsense, I began using it about the same time you did.

Anything moving (spinnerblade, crankbait, plopper etc.) is straight braid.

Dragging baits is braid to leader with a uni to uni knot. With micro guide rods I, like @bulldog1935 use a shorter leader so the knot is not in the guides and a longer leader on full size guides, but not long enough to go into the reel.

12 hours ago, Motoboss said:

Anything moving (spinnerblade, crankbait, plopper etc.) is straight braid.

Dragging baits is braid to leader with a uni to uni knot. With micro guide rods I, like @bulldog1935 use a shorter leader so the knot is not in the guides and a longer leader on full size guides, but not long enough to go into the reel.

Sounds like about what I'm doing. Straight braid for moving baits on casting gear and braid to fluro on spinning using the FG knot for connection. What color braid do you use?

3 hours ago, VTFan said:

Sounds like about what I'm doing. What color braid do you use?

On casting gear I use a moss green and spinning typically chartreuse green or yellow. However I have started using Smackdown in Stealth grey on casting gear which has faded to a light whitish grey.

When the original Spyderwire came out I used it for everything for years, in white the only color it was made in.

On 1/8/2026 at 6:58 PM, Jig Man said:

FG is the strongest smallest knot that I have ever used.

It's also the only one I have to take my shoe off to tie.

I like to think I brought up the Loon knot glue

I love the stuff. I toggle between the FG and Alberto knot. Both work fine.

I use a 18” leader purely to add some rigidity to the end of the line to minimize the trebles getting all caught up in the occasional flailing cast. Braid is so limp it happens. Baitcasters

The body of the FG knot is the thinnest knot - UNTIL you tie the hitch knots at the end (which are necessary). The hitch knots become the thickest part of the knot going through the guides. Just as thick as any other knot. Once I realized that, I started tying the Alberto knot again. Just as slim and strong and much quicker/easier to tie.

Don't make fishing any more difficult than you have to...

^ What Fry said - I've also moved from the FG to the Alberto for the same reason.