All fishing knots are NOT created equal. Most individuals always believe that as long as their fishing knot would not unravel or break under pressure, then it was a keeper knot. However, that theory would be completely changed after taking their time to test knots against one another. And people would be shocked when they watch fishing lines and knots break at significantly different tensions even while using the same line.

More focus could be placed on testing to test breaking strength by connecting two mono-filament lines with different diameters together. And this knot is yet another reminder that the popularity of a knot does not necessarily mean that it’s the strongest one.

To finalize the knots, I researched line to line connections and pulled the most popular knots that seemed to have the most positive recommendations in fishing forums and comment strings for connecting mono to mono.

Then, I did some preliminary tests and narrowed the field down to just 4 knots & and I also made room for my all-time favorite knot that I have used and loved for many years before I switched over to braid for my main line & details and results below:’

The line to line fishing knot

The Line-to-Line Knot Contest Starting Bracket.

 I’m a huge advocate of using braid as the mainline instead of mono for artificial lure anglers due to its more impressive strength and durability & twist allows for longer casts given its much smaller diameter while also having knots that are significantly stronger than knots with mono of the same listed line strength (click here to see our braid to leader knot contest).

fishing lines

Mono-filament to Leader Knot Contest

This line to line knot contest consists of head to head bouts of two knots that are tied onto the same strand of line, which is then pulled until one of them (the weaker of the two) breaks.

All knots in this contest were used to connect a strand of 10 lb Berkley Trilene (XL Smooth Casting) to a strand of 30 lb Berkley Trilene (Big Game), and the same scale was used to measure the estimated breaking strength of each losing knot.

Each bout consisted of 4 match-ups with only the top 3 breaking strengths used to evaluate the typical breaking range.

Here are the knots used in this contest:

1. Surgeons Knot

2. Albright Knot

3. Double Uni Knot

4. The Salt Strong Knot

Note: A chart of the match-ups with breaking ranges is shown below.

 1. The Surgeons Knot

 The surgeon’s knot has impressed me for both mono to mono and braid to mono connections in these contests. It’s extremely easy and quick to tie, and its breaking strength is awe-inspiring.

Pros:

 Quick to tie

Easy to tie in all conditions

Strong breaking strength

Cons:

 Leader line must be pre-cut and not have anything tied to it

Tough for long leaders because a leader must be passed through a loop three times

It’s bulky with tag end pointing out (not weedless)

fishing lines

2. The Albright Knot

 The Albright Knot is extremely popular in fishing forums. It’s relatively easy to tie, and it leaves a minimal and slim finished product. It likely is the big driver of its popularity since it will allow the knot to run through rod guides compared to most others easily.

Pros

 Slim knot for casting through guides

Fairly easy to tie

Good strength

Cons

 It unraveled in 2 tests (not useful)

Not as easy to tie as the other options

Not as active as other options

fishing lines

3. Double Uni Knot

 The Double Uni Knot is probably the most popular of all fishing lines to line knots. It is easy to tie, durable, and can be used on any line (and even direct to hooks/lures).

Pros

 Easy to tie

 Can do it all not

Suitable for all line types/sizes

Cons

 Not the strongest option

Can be tough to ties on heavy lines

Large range of breaking strengths

fishing lines

4. The Salt Strong Knot

This is a line to line connection that I have used for ~20 years but have never known the name of it (if it has one). This knot is essential for a unique combination of two different knots (Perfection Loop and Orvis knot) that can be used on fishing lines with extremely different diameters.

Pros

 Easy to tie

Very strong

Excellent for lines of very different diameters

Cons

Not suitable for casting through guides

Takes a bit longer to tie compared to surgeons knot

Requires knowledge of two knots

fishing lines

Mono to Mono Knot Contest Results

The results of this contest were surprising & I certainly didn’t expect the two least popular knots (Surgeons and the no-namer) to be in the finals.

As shown in the contest bracket below, the Albright knot turned out to have the worst breaking strength (6 to 8 lbs) with the Double Uni knot placing in 3rd with a breaking range of 7 to 12 lbs & which was the most inconsistent of them all.

And the two lesser-used knots had significantly better results& both had the same range of 13 to 15 lbs with the slight edge going to the three turn Surgeons knot since it won 2 out of 3 in the final round.

Bottom Line:

Given how close the Surgeons and the Salt Strong knot ended up being in the final face-off, they both can undoubtedly be great options to use.

When in a rush, the Surgeons knot is the winner since it’s speedy to tie and very strong. However, the Salt Strong Knot is a bit slimmer, about the same strength. And it is much more versatile since it can be used for leaders of all lengths. And it can be tied to a leader that already has a lure/hook attached to it.

If you are not yet using either of these fishing lines and knots, then I highly recommend giving them both a try and choose the one that fits your needs best.

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