The uni knot and the San Diego jam are two of the most popular knots for tying on a hook or lure, and anglers tend to be loyal to one or the other. I know people who only tie the San Diego jam and people who only tie the uni, so I settled it on the machine. Tying the uni with five turns and the San Diego jam with seven, both on the same 20-pound Daiwa J-Braid fluorocarbon, the uni knot edged it out, breaking at 20.24 pounds against the San Diego jam's 20.08.
Listen now: press play in the player above and follow along.
In my test the uni knot edged out the San Diego jam by the slimmest of margins. The uni broke at 20.24 pounds and the San Diego jam at 20.08 pounds, both tied on the same 20-pound Daiwa J-Braid fluorocarbon from the same spool. That is razor close, so the honest answer is that both knots are excellent and very strong. The slight edge goes to the uni, but you will not go wrong tying either one.
For this test I tied the uni knot with five turns and the San Diego jam with seven turns. Those are common, proven turn counts for each knot in 20-pound fluorocarbon. Keeping the turns consistent and using identical line off the same spool is what makes the comparison fair, so any difference comes from the knots themselves and not from the line or the conditions of the pull.
I tied both knots on Daiwa J-Braid fluorocarbon in 20-pound test, pulling each knot off exactly the same spool so the comparison was uniform. Using identical line for both samples is the only way to get a clean head-to-head result, because differences in line brand, diameter, or even spool age can skew the numbers more than the knot itself does.
Honestly, it comes down to personal preference because both are so close in strength. The San Diego jam has a strong West Coast following and the uni knot is trusted everywhere, and both tested right around 20 pounds on 20-pound line. Pick the one you can tie cleanly and confidently every time in the field, because a well-tied knot of either type will outperform a sloppy version of the stronger one.
The uni knot is incredibly versatile and gets used for many purposes, from joining lines to attaching terminal tackle. The version I tied in this episode is the one used to tie directly onto a hook or lure. That flexibility is a big part of why it is so popular, since learning one knot well lets you handle a lot of different connections on the water.
We have tied and tested over 40 knots on the Tom Rowland Podcast and gathered every result into a free knot guide. Go to tomrowlandpodcast.com to download it and compare the breaking strengths on your own. It is the simplest way to see exactly how the uni, the San Diego jam, and dozens of other knots stack up before you decide what to trust.
The San Diego jam and the uni knot each have a devoted following, and the loyalty almost feels regional, West Coast versus East Coast. I have fished with anglers who would never tie anything but one or the other, so I wanted the machine to settle it. I tied each with its proven turn count on identical line and pulled them to failure. The result was closer than anyone in either camp would probably admit. I cover the whole test in the episode, so press play in the player above.
When two knots finish within a fraction of a pound of each other, the lesson is not really about which one won. It is that both are strong enough to trust, and your tying consistency matters more than the choice. A clean uni and a clean San Diego jam will both hold; a sloppy version of either will not. That is the real takeaway from a result this close. I explain how I think about it in the episode, so press play in the player above and follow along.
Here are the steps I walk through in this How 2 Tuesday. I cover the details in the episode, so press play in the player above and follow along.
I unpack each of these in the episode. Press play in the player above.
The uni knot edged the San Diego jam, 20.24 to 20.08 pounds, but a margin that thin means both knots are winners.
Tie the one you can do cleanly and confidently every time. That consistency will matter more than the fraction of a pound between them. Press play in the player above for the full test.
uni knot · San Diego jam knot · Daiwa J-Braid fluorocarbon · knot strength testing · Danco · Tom Rowland Podcast · How 2 Tuesday
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.
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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