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KA

Diagram

GT Knot

GT · Giant Trevally knot

Joins braid to a thick monofilament or fluorocarbon shock leader, the leader wrapped around doubled braid and locked by the braid loop. Used for giant trevally and tuna popping.

Line-to-line · Advanced · Braid / Monofilament / Fluorocarbon · 5 steps

ApplicationsHow to tie it

Finished structure

No drawing of this exact knot yet. The written steps are the reference.

  1. Step 01

    Double the end of the braid back on itself to make a loop about 45 cm (18 in) long, and lay about 30 cm (12 in) of the leader's tag end alongside the doubled braid.

    No drawing of this exact knot yet. The written steps are the reference.

    You should now see

    Two strands of braid running side by side into a long loop, with the leader lying parallel to them and its tag end reaching well along the loop.

    If it goes wrong

    Working with a single strand of braid. Count the braid strands where they meet the leader: one strand leaves no loop to fold back or tuck through later.

    Fix: Double the braid into a full 45 cm (18 in) loop before any wraps go on.

    Why: The doubled braid gives the leader wraps two strands to grip, and the end of the loop is the part that folds back and locks the knot in steps 3 and 4.

  2. Step 02

    Pinch the leader and the doubled braid together where the overlap starts, then wrap the leader tag end around the doubled braid 30 to 40 times, working away from the pinch, each wrap tight against the last.

    No drawing of this exact knot yet. The written steps are the reference.

    You should now see

    A long, even run of 30 to 40 tight wraps of leader around both braid strands, with the braid loop still sticking out past the last wrap.

    If it goes wrong

    Stopping well short of 30 wraps, often from losing count, or letting gaps open between wraps. The wrapped section looks short next to the braid loop.

    Fix: Unwind the wraps and start again, counting in tens and pushing each wrap against the last one.

    Why: The grip builds along the whole wrapped length. A short run puts less leader in contact with the braid, and nothing later in the knot makes up for it.

  3. Step 03

    Fold the braid loop that sticks out past the wraps back over them, then wrap the leader tag end 15 to 20 more times over the folded loop and the first wraps, working back toward the pinch.

    No drawing of this exact knot yet. The written steps are the reference.

    You should now see

    The braid loop lying back along the first wraps under a second layer of 15 to 20 wraps, with a small end of the loop still showing near the pinch.

    If it goes wrong

    Wrapping the second layer without folding the braid loop back first. The loop is left sticking out past the far end of the wraps instead of lying under the second layer.

    Fix: Unwind the second layer, fold the braid loop back along the first wraps and wrap over it again.

    Why: The fold puts the braid loop under the second layer of wraps so they clamp it. knots.fish describes this as the finger-trap part of the knot.

  4. Step 04

    Pass the leader tag end through the small end of the braid loop that is still showing beyond the second layer of wraps.

    No drawing of this exact knot yet. The written steps are the reference.

    You should now see

    The leader tag running through the small braid loop, so that closing the loop will trap the tag against the wraps.

    If it goes wrong

    Leaving the tag lying beside the small loop instead of through it. When you start to tighten, the braid loop closes on nothing and the second layer of wraps starts to loosen.

    Fix: Before any tension goes on, open the small loop with a fingertip and pass the tag through it. If the wraps have already loosened, tie the knot again.

    Why: The tag through the braid loop is the lock. When the loop cinches down on the tag, it holds the end of the wraps shut.

  5. Step 05

    Wet the whole knot, then pull the main line and the leader apart slowly and steadily until the braid loop closes and the wraps lock. Trim the braid loop end and the leader tag close.

    No drawing of this exact knot yet. The written steps are the reference.

    You should now see

    Wraps compressed evenly along the whole knot, with no tight clump beside a looser section, and the braid loop pulled down onto the leader tag.

    If it goes wrong

    Pulling fast or dry. The wraps bunch into a tight clump next to a looser run, which you can see as a step in thickness when you sight along the knot.

    Fix: Cut it off and tie it again, wetting it well and tightening with one slow, steady pull. A bunched knot does not even out with more pulling.

    Why: The wraps have to slide and compress together for the grip to spread along the knot. A clump puts the load on a short section of line.

Failure modes

When this family fails, it fails as these. The recovered end still outranks the name.

FG / Alberto family

Braid wrapped onto a heavier leader, then locked so the join cannot hinge.

  • !Hinge at the material transition — the join clicks, then parts
  • !Wraps not packed on the heavier line before the lock
  • !Lock or tag on the wrong side of the braid, so the column unzips
Fails when
  • !Fewer than 30 wraps went on in the first layer, leaving too little leader gripping the braid
  • !The leader tag lies beside the small braid loop instead of through it, so the second layer of wraps loosens
  • !The knot was pulled tight fast or dry, so the wraps bunched and put the load on a short section
  • !The braid was not doubled, so no loop lies folded under the second layer of wraps to lock them
Geometry

  • Well under thirty wraps in the first pass

    Leader slips through the braid under a shock load

    The finger-trap grip is cumulative along the wrapped length; it is not a structural lock. · step 02

  • Wraps bunched, with a tight clump and a slack section

    The whole load lands on the bunched section

    A fast cinch gathers the wraps before they can compress evenly. · step 05

  • Leader tag not through the remaining braid loop

    Nothing holds the wraps shut

    The final tuck closes the trap; the wraps alone will open. · step 04

  • Built on single-strand braid

    No loop to fold back, so the trap never forms

    The doubled loop folded over the wraps is the trap itself. · step 01

If you saw this

  • The wrapped section is short and the leader slips against the braid

    Check

    • ?Measure the wrapped length and pull-test before it sees a fish

    Then

    • →Rebuild with the full wrap count — the grip is cumulative, not structural

  • The wraps are uneven, with a tight clump and a slack section

    Check

    • ?Sight along the knot for a step change in wrap density

    Then

    • →Retie and cinch slowly; a bunched section carries the whole load

  • The leader tag is not through the remaining braid loop

    Check

    • ?Trace the leader tag — it must pass through the braid loop

    Then

    • →Retie; without the tuck the wraps have nothing holding them shut

  • Well under thirty wraps in the first pass

    Check

    • ?Leader slips through the braid under a shock load
    • ?Inspect step 02

    Then

    • →Retie. Do not dress a defective structure and call it seated.

  • Wraps bunched, with a tight clump and a slack section

    Check

    • ?The whole load lands on the bunched section
    • ?Inspect step 05

    Then

    • →Retie. Do not dress a defective structure and call it seated.

  • Leader tag not through the remaining braid loop

    Check

    • ?Nothing holds the wraps shut
    • ?Inspect step 04

    Then

    • →Retie. Do not dress a defective structure and call it seated.
Same family

Same failure class, different geometry. Open the plates — Diagnose still starts from the symptom.

This failed — start Diagnose

Not ideal for

  • ×Single-strand braid with no double
  • ×Long casts where an FG's slimmer profile matters more
  • ×Quick field retie — this is a long knot to build

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