I truly believe leader knots are destined to fail

Can someone explain to me why people do this? To me it seems like it has triple the chance of knot failure (2 knots to join the line then your lure knot).

I truly believe leader knots are destined to fail

That Alberto knot is tough as nails, never had it fail. The issue I have is shocking the flourocarbon leader with the hook set. Even when I've tamed it down a bit I've broke the leader even with 15 lb Cxx

FG knot for sure its small diameter and I have never had a problem with it going through the guides.

Can someone explain to me why people do this? To me it seems like it has triple the chance of knot failure (2 knots to join the line then your lure knot).

I can't stand the line curl I get when using spinning equipment and a non braided line so I will use 20# test braid as my main line and then I tie on a leader with the Alberto knot. The Alberto knot is a strong, small knot that will not break before the leader line does if it is tied correctly. Having a leader tied on rather than tying directly to your bait will get you more bites most of the time depending on the technique you are fishing or the cover you are fishing. If you are fishing thick grass, lily pads, or thick cover with punch baits, jigs, swim baits or on top of thick grass and cover with frogs I don't think it matters and I tie directly to the bait with braid.

A knot ALWAYS weakens a line or a rope. Always.

Even if you tied a simple overhand knot somewhere along the length of a fishing line, it'd break there most of the time. When it doesn't it means that the line had an imperfection in it that was more susceptible to tension than the knot limitation.

So, anyone who says they have no issues with knots breaking . . . can actually be pretty much correct. But, it doesn't mean it is one of the mythical 100% knots (they don't exist), it means that the reduced strength of the line at the knot is still greater than any tensile force acting on it by a fish and angler pulling at each end. And, it likely means the angler is re-tying and managing his knots really well. And, it likely means he or she ties a superior knot (but it is still going to be the weak link). And, it likely means the angler is more skilled at setting drag tension and fighting fish. Any or all of the above will help a lot.

The reason for knot weakness? The strength of a fishing line (or a climbing rope, etc.) is proportional across its cross-sectional area as long as it is straight. A knot puts a bend or a crimp in a line so it places extra tension on the outside of the bend, and it compresses the inside of the bend. The outside "stretched fibers" have more load on them and start to fray, then break, leaving less fibers working against the tension, less cross section now to support the tension. It is all downhill after that.

Best practice for braid main line to fluoro or mono leaders? Re-tie them at least every time before you go out. Same with lures/terminal tackle . . . if you don't retie them, it is just a matter of time before they'll fall off assuming you approach the maximum load they can carry.


Brad