FIshing knots get forgotten more times than they should. As anglers, we spend hours reading about the right rods, reels, lines, and presentations necessary to catch more and bigger fish. We ruminate over the best way to dissect a piece of cover or better understand what our electronics are telling us. We’re even amateur meteorologists, and pay close attention to prevailing weather patterns.
Lost in all this analysis is a detailed understanding of arguably the most crucial component of fishing success – a strong fishing knot.
The knot you use to tie on your bait is critical. You can have the right setup, be in the right place, and get the big bite, but you won’t get the fish back to the boat if your knot fails.
To remedy that – we’ve put together the following list of 4 fishing knots that every angler should know and links to our how to tie fishing knots section of the site to help you practice.
- Palomar Knot – One of the strongest and simplest knots to tie, the Palomar consistently ranks among the highest for knot strength and durability. It also works equally well with braid, monofilament, and fluorocarbon. The downside to the Palomar is that it’s ungainly for bigger hard baits, and if not wetted properly can cause the line to burn while cinching up. An excellent choice for most presentations. Learn how to tie a Palomar knot with pictures.
- Snell Knot – Snell knots were originally designed for live bait fishing, but in recent years has become the ideal knot for flipping and pitching. Because the knot attaches at the hook shank instead of the eye, the snell provides maximum rotation on the hook set and increases penetration on the hook set. Learn How-To tie a Snell knot with pictures.
- Double Uni Knot – An alternative to the Albright slip, the double uni knot is also an excellent choice for securing a fluorocarbon leader to braid. It’s much easier to tie, and also maintains good knot strength. Make sure to wet both sides of the line before cinching to prevent line abrasion. Learn How-To tie a Double-Uni knot with pictures.
- Uni Knot – The Uni Knot, also known as the Hangman’s Knot, is very popular with monofilament. It also works well when connecting Superline to leader material. The Uni Knot is great not only for tying a hook but also for attaching the line to a reel. The Uni Knot is popular because of how easy it is to tie and its versatility. Learn how to tie a Uni knot with pictures.
Good luck out there!
