The FG knot versus the Double Uni is the championship round of my braid-to-leader knot bracket, the two most popular connections going head to head on a force tester to settle which is the strongest braid-to-fluorocarbon knot, tied the way I actually fish them. In this How 2 Tuesday finals, the FG knot, everyone's favorite weave, meets the Double Uni tied with a Bimini twist. The FG is the connection most people expect to win and the one I tie at home; the Double Uni is what I tie on the boat because it is faster, especially in the wind. I break both with 20-pound J-Braid to 50-pound fluorocarbon and let the scale crown a champion.
Listen now: press play in the player above and follow along.
In the finals, the Double Uni tied with a Bimini twist won. On 20-pound Daiwa J-Braid to 50-pound fluorocarbon, the FG knot tested at 28.69 pounds and the Double Uni with a Bimini reached 31.03 pounds before one arm of the Bimini broke. So the Double Uni with a Bimini takes the championship of my braid-to-leader knot bracket, believe it or not, beating the knot most people expected to win.
The Double Uni is popular for good reason. A lot of anglers I fish with tie nothing but a Double Uni no matter what. In this test I tied it with a Bimini twist, doubling the line first and then tying the Double Uni, and it edged out the FG knot on the scale. It is also faster and easier to tie than the FG, especially in the wind, which is exactly why I reach for it on the boat when I am in a hurry.
Knot results vary pull to pull and depend on how you tie them on a given day. The week before, an FG knot tested around 34 pounds, but in the finals it came in at 28.69. As I said in the episode, maybe it is just the way I tie these knots, and you could tie a knot differently and have it test heavier. Both the FG and the Double Uni are the two strongest connections I tested, so either one serves you well.
I tie a lot of FG knots at home when I am getting my tackle ready, because it is an outstanding, slim connection that casts through the guides beautifully. But on the boat I tend to go with the Double Uni because it is a little easier and faster to tie, especially in the wind or when I am in a hurry. So think of the FG as your prepared-at-home connection and the Double Uni as your fast, reliable on-the-water knot.
I used 20-pound Daiwa J-Braid x8 tied to 50-pound Daiwa fluorocarbon, the same spools and materials I used for every knot throughout the bracket to keep the comparison fair. That 20-to-50 braid-to-fluorocarbon combination is a common tarpon setup, and testing both finalists on identical line means the only variable is the knot itself.
On my scale, yes. The bracket pitted the most popular braid-to-leader knots against each other, and the FG knot and the Double Uni are the two that rose to the finals and tested strongest. If you are tying either one, you are doing well. If you are tying any other knot from the bracket, these two beat it, at least the way I tie them. You could possibly tie another knot differently and have it test heavier, which is why testing your own is worth it.
Going into the finals, everyone, including me, expected the FG knot to win. It is the slim, beautiful weave that casts through the guides and usually tops my tests. But the Double Uni tied with a Bimini twist edged it out, 31.03 to 28.69, with one arm of the Bimini finally giving up. It was a genuine upset on the scale. I break down exactly how each one failed in the episode, so press play in the player above.
Here is the real-world takeaway from the whole bracket: the strongest knot on the scale is not always the one you tie when it counts. I tie a lot of FG knots at home prepping tackle, but on the boat I reach for the Double Uni because it is faster and easier, especially in the wind. Winning the test made me feel even better about that habit. I explain how I choose between them in the episode, so press play in the player above.
Here is how I ran the FG knot versus Double Uni finals and how to settle your own best braid-to-leader connection.
I unpack each of these with the details and stories in the episode. Press play in the player above.
The morning after the finals, I am happy with how it landed. The Double Uni with a Bimini beating the FG knot lines up perfectly with what I already do, tie the FG at home, tie the Double Uni on the boat, and now the scale backs it up.
Whether you tie the FG or the Double Uni, you are in great shape, because these are the two strongest connections I tested. Any other knot from the bracket, these two beat it the way I tie them. Test your own, find your strongest connection, and fish it with confidence. That wraps the knot war, and I will see you next week.
How 2 Tuesday is my weekly series where I break down one fishing skill at a time, from knots and casting to gear, tactics, and the habits that make you a better angler. Watch and listen to every How 2 Tuesday episode from Tom Rowland.
FG knot · Double Uni knot · Bimini twist · J knot · Slim Beauty knot · Daiwa J-Braid x8 · Daiwa fluorocarbon · NexTech force tester · tarpon · braid to fluorocarbon · knot strength · How 2 Tuesday · Saltwater Experience
I'm Tom Rowland, a professional fishing guide based in the Florida Keys, host of the Tom Rowland Podcast, and the longtime host of the Saltwater Experience television show. On the podcast's How 2 Tuesday series I break down one practical skill or lesson at a time, from fishing technique and gear to the habits that make you a better angler, in short, focused episodes you can put to use right away.
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