Simply put, I love watching your videos and seeing the Scientific Method applied to fishing (knots, casting distance, and Slam Shady consumption). Facts should always overrule opinions, and you do a great job emphasizing that point. Any chance you might test a variety of Knot Tying Tools? For example, I started Fly Fishing (heavily) this year and have really enjoyed using the Tie-Fast Knot tool for tying a variety of nail knots. Whether spin-fishing or fly fishing, I actually use the tool now for various knot situations (line-to-line, maineline-to-leader, tying on swivels, hooks, flies, and lures). Exceptions are the Palomar knot and Non-Slip Loop Knot (which I got from you), and when I'm in a rush and use my hemostats to tie on a fly. Anyhow, how does the nail knot (with multiple wraps around the tag line AND mainline compare with various knots? Does feeding the line through the hook/lure eyelet twice give you better knot strength (a higher breaking point; I believe so...but...)? Lastly, I keep thinking that I should join your Insiders Club but I'm strictly a freshwater fisherman, living just a short walk from the Penobscot river in Orono, ME. My target fish (smallmouth/largemouth/striped bass, brook/brown/rainbow trout, and landlocked salmon) require different techniques than your "inshore fishing" focus. That said, I always learn new things when I watch your videos. Thanks for posting them here on RUclips.
Pretty cool stuff. Have you guys tested Kastking braided lines? I use the Kastking "SuperPower" braided line, its worked pretty well for me and is significantly less expensive than PowerPro. I'd like to know how it compares on your tests. I do tend to use uni-uni, just because its easier and quicker for me to tie.
Great video, guys! I'm a dental materials science guy and a hardcore fly fisherman. Your testing system - especially for being somewhat homemade - is impressive but...I have a unit at my disposal that may have cost a few pennies more. 😏 Actually, we have a couple. We have 2 Instrons. One with a 2 kN load cell and the other with a 5 kN load cell. Both run on 4' towers - more than enough to compensate for any deformation we'd see during the test. I can't believe I haven't thought about hijacking one of them during some downtime to test my knots - especially given the fact that I have lost more monsters on the knot than everything else combined. Thanks for the inspiration! If I ever get any of it recorded, I will upload it and link you guys in the intro. ;)
Looking forward to see you guy's test the (Improved FG ) knot. The version that won the Sportsman Magazine test with light braid. (Same knot but braid doubled). My favorite knot for Braid 30lb and less :-)
It seems at though the gauge to the left measures 'length' or how much stretch there is before breaking. (won't help if you break it by twisting the hose that holds the main end)
When I used JBraid and thought it was brittle compared to Reaction Tackle Braid or PLine. However the the lower lb Pline braid seems really fragile lately using the Double uni, Palomar, Alberto, improved or modified Alberto, SanDiego Jam and BloodKnot!
I recommend testing the maximum strength of the braid before you do the knot test. For example, a 20lb braid might actually break at 30 to 40lbs when brand new depending on the manufacturer. It will tell you percent strength. Why not use the palomar knot for the swivel? Can wait for the final results. I love the Salt Strong knot contest pages.
The "Baldwin Type Tester" is really great for testing, but the problem I see (as a retired R&D testing technician) is the knots on the ends that secure the line to the machine. Perhaps a type of "clamping" device would be more reliable to secure the line at both ends, rather than twisting the line on a piece of PVC. But your testing procedure is really OK for the lines and knots you are testing. Great Job!
I always find that my knot to lure/bait will break before the FG. I always get leader back. Always! Sharks, rays, goliaths....etc J-braid over green box Power Pro all day long. I’ve removed all green box on every reel.
When I do knot test and use a bunch of different knots it breaks in a crotch break every time, never the knot. Apparently chafe gear is the only way to stop crotch breaks but I'm using braid and I've never heard of chafe gear on braid. My version of a uni to uni never breaks before the terminal connections knot had a crotch break. Any thoughts on crotch breaks?
The knots you tie for your own trips? We recommend tying new knots before every single fishing trip. If you catch a few fish, check your knots to make sure there is no abrasion in the line.
Every time I tie The FG not the tag end of the leader is facing the wrong way. I follow everything correctly I think, it it still slips always. I watched your other FG knot video and can’t figure what I’m doing wrong.
@@devildog1073 Yeah I love it, it's a smooth and round 8 strand braid that just flys threw the rod guides. My favorite thing is i fish in allot of Rocky and snaggy areas for catfish and its so abrasion resistant. I have used power pro J braid spider wire all braids. Over 20 I have tried over the last 8 years and as soon as i used sufix 832 it blew me away. I fish 3 to 4 times a week and i still have some of the 20 and 30 lb sufix 832 braid on my reels that are two years old and it's still going strong. I don't use anything else and in my opinion 8 strand braid is way better stronger and all around better then any 4 or 6 strand braid.
@@devildog1073 That's awesome. If I still lived by the ocean i would use it for that too. Any braid needed even for trout or walleye or any fish I will use 832. Sufix makes great braid and even there 6 strand performance braid is great and they make amazing mono too. There getting popular and people are starting to figure out they make great line.
So I saw another vid with same technology totally confirm that the GT is the strongest knot in the WORLD... so after you RTFM.... do a GT vsFt.... lets see what the story is... personally I prefer the GT cause its way simpler for my 72 year old hands to produce...
Check out the full blog on our website and post your question there. That way, our coaches can respond back directly with their input and recommendation. You can find that here: www.saltstrong.com/articles/fishing-line-knot-strength-machine/
You are only testing the knot at the swivel not the line. You need to remove the swivel and have it wrapped like you do at the bottom of the tester to make it accurate.
Lol the thing on the left is obviously a digital ruler. 📏 but then again you guys haven't had a reason to really need to know. It is a digital ruler. Had to give you crap.
It's much easier doing the tests while you're not having to talk and/or follow the conversation. Also, all tests will be filmed so that there is full transparency in exactly what took place during the tests.
@@Saltstrong First time watching you guys neat line tester. The other digital number is to test the stretch length. To set that you would roll the slack out of the length of line to be tested, just get all the slack out of the line and get it caught
Should have read get the line taught, then zero out that length meter on the side. Then you can track the stretch length of the line. Pretty cool actually. As already mentioned you need to moisten the knot or not so they pull and stack properly and spit is got enzymes in it that makes it really slick or you could use something like sprayway, is uncouth for your RUclips vid
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Simply put, I love watching your videos and seeing the Scientific Method applied to fishing (knots, casting distance, and Slam Shady consumption). Facts should always overrule opinions, and you do a great job emphasizing that point. Any chance you might test a variety of Knot Tying Tools? For example, I started Fly Fishing (heavily) this year and have really enjoyed using the Tie-Fast Knot tool for tying a variety of nail knots. Whether spin-fishing or fly fishing, I actually use the tool now for various knot situations (line-to-line, maineline-to-leader, tying on swivels, hooks, flies, and lures). Exceptions are the Palomar knot and Non-Slip Loop Knot (which I got from you), and when I'm in a rush and use my hemostats to tie on a fly. Anyhow, how does the nail knot (with multiple wraps around the tag line AND mainline compare with various knots? Does feeding the line through the hook/lure eyelet twice give you better knot strength (a higher breaking point; I believe so...but...)? Lastly, I keep thinking that I should join your Insiders Club but I'm strictly a freshwater fisherman, living just a short walk from the Penobscot river in Orono, ME. My target fish (smallmouth/largemouth/striped bass, brook/brown/rainbow trout, and landlocked salmon) require different techniques than your "inshore fishing" focus. That said, I always learn new things when I watch your videos. Thanks for posting them here on RUclips.
Just tied my first fg knots and have one question. Where are you and will you tie them for me again so can be confident in them
Pretty cool stuff. Have you guys tested Kastking braided lines? I use the Kastking "SuperPower" braided line, its worked pretty well for me and is significantly less expensive than PowerPro. I'd like to know how it compares on your tests. I do tend to use uni-uni, just because its easier and quicker for me to tie.
Do you agree that sometimes you get bad spools of line? I've bought spools before where the knots wouldn't hold at all.
A lot of people would agree that happens!
Great video, guys! I'm a dental materials science guy and a hardcore fly fisherman. Your testing system - especially for being somewhat homemade - is impressive but...I have a unit at my disposal that may have cost a few pennies more. 😏 Actually, we have a couple. We have 2 Instrons. One with a 2 kN load cell and the other with a 5 kN load cell. Both run on 4' towers - more than enough to compensate for any deformation we'd see during the test. I can't believe I haven't thought about hijacking one of them during some downtime to test my knots - especially given the fact that I have lost more monsters on the knot than everything else combined. Thanks for the inspiration! If I ever get any of it recorded, I will upload it and link you guys in the intro. ;)
Looking forward to see you guy's test the (Improved FG ) knot. The version that won the Sportsman Magazine test with light braid. (Same knot but braid doubled). My favorite knot for Braid 30lb and less :-)
It seems at though the gauge to the left measures 'length' or how much stretch there is before breaking. (won't help if you break it by twisting the hose that holds the main end)
Lubricated Knots... VS... Unlubricated Knots
When I used JBraid and thought it was brittle compared to Reaction Tackle Braid or PLine. However the the lower lb Pline braid seems really fragile lately using the Double uni, Palomar, Alberto, improved or modified Alberto, SanDiego Jam and BloodKnot!
My fav is the uni, but after watching another vid like this I switched to the improve uni. The channel taught me how to tie it!
Thanks for the feedback and for watching!
I recommend testing the maximum strength of the braid before you do the knot test. For example, a 20lb braid might actually break at 30 to 40lbs when brand new depending on the manufacturer. It will tell you percent strength. Why not use the palomar knot for the swivel? Can wait for the final results. I love the Salt Strong knot contest pages.
The "Baldwin Type Tester" is really great for testing, but the problem I see (as a retired R&D testing technician) is the knots on the ends that secure the line to the machine. Perhaps a type of "clamping" device would be more reliable to secure the line at both ends, rather than twisting the line on a piece of PVC. But your testing procedure is really OK for the lines and knots you are testing. Great Job!
Thanks Rick!
I always find that my knot to lure/bait will break before the FG. I always get leader back. Always! Sharks, rays, goliaths....etc J-braid over green box Power Pro all day long. I’ve removed all green box on every reel.
Maybe test some Cortland lines. Ive had really good luck with the Cortland camouflage mono but its kind of hard to find
“You’ve been moisturizing.”
Gold.
Enjoyed this thanks
When I do knot test and use a bunch of different knots it breaks in a crotch break every time, never the knot. Apparently chafe gear is the only way to stop crotch breaks but I'm using braid and I've never heard of chafe gear on braid. My version of a uni to uni never breaks before the terminal connections knot had a crotch break. Any thoughts on crotch breaks?
Have you done a test on Saltiga? I like to use it for my flyline backing.
How often do we change out the knot?
The knots you tie for your own trips? We recommend tying new knots before every single fishing trip. If you catch a few fish, check your knots to make sure there is no abrasion in the line.
Every time I tie The FG not the tag end of the leader is facing the wrong way. I follow everything correctly I think, it it still slips always. I watched your other FG knot video and can’t figure what I’m doing wrong.
You guys should test line stretch in mono brands, fluoro leaders lines and braid using the device on the left.
you can modify knots and check outcomes to see if improvements were gained
Need to test suffix 832 and power pro maxcuatro 20lb it’s like 15lm diameter pp ss8 v2.
Sufix 832 is my favorite line and all I really use the last 3 years for bass and catfish. And i have used it all, best money can buy in my opinion.
@@hookedonbassncats i agree. To me, it seems since I changed to 832 my cast distance is farther also compared to the Power Pro that I used to use
@@devildog1073 Yeah I love it, it's a smooth and round 8 strand braid that just flys threw the rod guides. My favorite thing is i fish in allot of Rocky and snaggy areas for catfish and its so abrasion resistant. I have used power pro J braid spider wire all braids. Over 20 I have tried over the last 8 years and as soon as i used sufix 832 it blew me away. I fish 3 to 4 times a week and i still have some of the 20 and 30 lb sufix 832 braid on my reels that are two years old and it's still going strong. I don't use anything else and in my opinion 8 strand braid is way better stronger and all around better then any 4 or 6 strand braid.
@@hookedonbassncats agreed. I bay fish on the flats in Panama City, Fl. I've gone year and a half a 832 still strong!
@@devildog1073 That's awesome. If I still lived by the ocean i would use it for that too. Any braid needed even for trout or walleye or any fish I will use 832. Sufix makes great braid and even there 6 strand performance braid is great and they make amazing mono too. There getting popular and people are starting to figure out they make great line.
Can you test 20lb blue Camo Spiderwire?
Watching You guys doing this is like watching a train wreck. Just can’t get enough
Haha!!!
So I saw another vid with same technology totally confirm that the GT is the strongest knot in the WORLD... so after you RTFM.... do a GT vsFt.... lets see what the story is... personally I prefer the GT cause its way simpler for my 72 year old hands to produce...
Could that other # be kilos...also Joe where did u get that green bill fish flag on wall behind you at ur office
"Are we allowed to say Chinese" 😄
A 120 pound braid. Should the knot break around a 120 pounds?
Check out the full blog on our website and post your question there. That way, our coaches can respond back directly with their input and recommendation. You can find that here:
www.saltstrong.com/articles/fishing-line-knot-strength-machine/
I cant hold the line in my mouth, so i can't really tie the FG knot out on the water. that's why i use the albright knot
Try using a sinker on main line. No mouth required. Only spit.
Maybe the other numbers measure how much the line will stretch
You are only testing the knot at the swivel not the line. You need to remove the swivel and have it wrapped like you do at the bottom of the tester to make it accurate.
Lol the thing on the left is obviously a digital ruler. 📏 but then again you guys haven't had a reason to really need to know. It is a digital ruler. Had to give you crap.
nice effort .... but the prices are not real 9/2023.....
Definitely not the most expensive line tester
Thanks! This video is a few years old so prices may have changed since then and more options may be available now.
You need to be more careful with the zeroing. You tests are going to be bogus with careless zeroing
It's much easier doing the tests while you're not having to talk and/or follow the conversation. Also, all tests will be filmed so that there is full transparency in exactly what took place during the tests.
@@Saltstrong
First time watching you guys neat line tester. The other digital number is to test the stretch length.
To set that you would roll the slack out of the length of line to be tested, just get all the slack out of the line and get it caught
Should have read get the line taught, then zero out that length meter on the side.
Then you can track the stretch length of the line. Pretty cool actually.
As already mentioned you need to moisten the knot or not so they pull and stack properly and spit is got enzymes in it that makes it really slick or you could use something like sprayway, is uncouth for your RUclips vid
Camera guy, please stop talking.
🤣🤣🤣
I'm thinking the same thing