A knotty situation

Learn to tie several knots well, forget the rest

The knot is the link in all fishing tackle that is subjected to the most stress during a fight. Even worse, knots are subjected to the stress, strain, abrasion and all other abuse for fish after fish after fish.

We should be pleased if a knot handles a large fish one time, but we rarely stop and retie before casting or putting that line out again. Knots have to stand the test time and time again.

There is room for error when catching bream measured in ounces from a pond, but that goes away very quickly when a 7-pound bass decides it wants your worm. Knots have to stand the test, and the fisherman tying the knots has to be up to the task.

Rarely is there only a single knot between the reel and the lure. A successful fisherman must be able to tie to an eye, join two lines together and tie a loop. Sometimes, such as when adding a piece of fluorocarbon or mono for a leader on braid or when building a fly fishing leader, there are multiple knots, and each one of them has to be tied correctly to insure the best opportunity for success. I believe a half-dozen knots and a couple of variations will work well for most fishermen.

Improperly tied knots are one of the main culprits in tales of the one that got away. The current generation of monofilament, fluorocarbon and superbraid fishing lines do a lot things well, but they are prone to breaking and slipping when the knots aren’t right.

Several years ago, I had a father and son charter for some fall kings and Spanish mackerel fishing off the Cape Fear River. There was a strong tide line, and kings and large Spanish were feeding well.

We were catching fish pretty strongly and got into a bind when several lines needed new rigs at the same time. I usually tie on all the rigs, but the dad, who said he had been fishing for many years, insisted he could tie a good knot, grabbed a rig and tied it on. He baited his rig, tossed the bait over and a king hit it before it was 20 yards from the boat. Meanwhile another king hit another line, and I gave that outfit to his son.

As luck would have it, the fish ran in opposite directions. Without thinking, I turned the boat toward the son’s fish and told the dad to hold on; we were getting his son’s fish first. In the time it took to land the son’s fish, the dad’s fish took line all the way to the knot holding the line on the spool. The dad’s fish struggled against the length of line for a couple of minutes as the son brought his fish to gaff.

As soon as the son’s fish was in the boat, I spun it around and began working toward the dad’s fish while he regained line. When he had recovered half of the line, the rod jerked hard a couple of times, and the line went limp. He said the line had broken, and that initially appeared to be what had happened. However, when he reeled in the last of the line, I realized the line hadn’t broken; his knot had slipped.

Mono and fluorocarbon lines will tell you if they have broken or if a knot has slipped or broken. A line that broke will be straight and usually look stretched, but flat at the end. A knot that slipped or broke will have a telltale kink or twist at the end. Knots that slip usually have a curl that looks like a pig’s tail. Knots that break have a little tight kink at the end. If you see either of these things when a line appears to break, the knot either slipped or broke.

My philosophy on knots is to be able to tie a few well and use them in all situations rather than trying to master a bunch of knots. Also, you should understand that fluorocarbon may look like mono, but it has vastly different properties, and many times, the same knots will not work. I believe most folks see the difference between mono and the superbraids and more readily understand that knots that work well in mono may not be the best choice for braid. We’ve come a long way from the old Dacron and nylon fishing lines when enough “granny” knots would usually hold well enough to catch most fish.

When tying knots, the tag end refers to the short end of line used in a knot. The standing end is the long end, usually the line running back to the reel. Knowing these terms is important, as some knots snug by pulling one end or the other, and pulling the wrong end weakens the knot.

Even when using a cane pole that comes with the line already attached, you still have to tie on a hook. For tying to a hook, or swivel or anything else with an eye, I use a clinch knot. It works well with monofilament from roughly 8-pound test up. For lighter lines or extremely thin or limp lines, I use a Trilene knot. Some fishermen prefer the improved clinch knot, and if they tie it well, it also works well.

To tie a clinch knot, simply run the tag end through the eye, pulling several inches through and wrapping it, from the eye upward on the standing line, five to seven times around the standing line, then pass the tag end through the small loop made where the line curves around the eye and snug it down by pulling the standing end. The wraps will pull down uniformly if the knot is tied correctly. A major factor in getting this knot correct is to snug it by pulling the standing end.

The Trilene knot is named for Berkley Trilene, and at one time, Berkley offered a $10,000 bounty to anyone who could develop a knot that consistently tested stronger. The Trilene knot is a simple variation of the clinch knot. The line wraps through the hook eye twice before the wraps begin, and the tag end is passed through both of the loops around the eye before snugging the knot down. This knot works well from the lightest line to approximately 80 pounds. Many fishermen prefer the Trilene knot for tying fluorocarbon to an eye, and I would agree.

The palomar knot is another knot that works well for attaching line to eyes. Some fishermen prefer it with fluorocarbon, and I highly recommend it when using one of the super braids. This knot is much more complex, and diagrams are available in all knot books and online.

The surgeon’s knot is excellent for joining two lines together. It can be used with different diameter lines and different materials. This knot is simple, easy to tie and very strong. With mono, it works well with lines of up to about four times different strength (example 10 and 40). It is sometimes also called the double or triple surgeon’s knot.

A surgeon’s knot is used mainly for tying on leaders or shock leaders. It is simply an overhand knot, tied with the line and leader overlapping a little and pulled through twice. Form an overhand knot and pass the tag end of the line from the reel and the standing end of the leader through the loop a second time before snugging it down. An overhand knot is that first part of a “granny knot’ where the line is looped around and the end pulled through the loop.

When using fluorocarbon as a leader or superbraid lines and adding a leader, the surgeon’s knot works well by adding a third wrap through the loop before snugging the knot down. With these lines, the third wrap is needed to cushion the lines and prevent them from slipping. The secret to tying this knot well is to pull on all four line ends equally to snug them down.

A loop knot is the other knot I feel is necessary to know to go fishing. There are many different loop knots, but I have found two that work well in most situations. When I have to make a loop in the end of a line before anything is attached, I use a surgeon’s loop. It is a simpler version of the surgeon’s knot and works well to add sinkers, hooks and such. It could be used to attach a lure, but it requires making a large loop to pass the lure through and then working the loop to where it is small enough not to tangle.

To tie a surgeon’s loop, simply double the line back about 10 inches, and then tie a surgeon’s knot using the doubled end of the line as the tag end and leader. Again, with fluorocarbon or superbraids, make a third pass through the loop before snugging the knot. The size of the loop can be adjusted by sliding the loop up or down the standing line before snugging it down. Just like the surgeon’s knot, the key to the strength of a surgeon’s loop is to pull evenly on the loop and the ends.

The Rapala knot is a loop knot better suited for attaching a lure. Using the loop allows the lure to achieve maximum action. This knot passes the tag end of the line back on itself three times without becoming noticeably large and doesn’t slip. There is a diagram and an animated diagram for it at www.netknots.com.

With the exception of superbraid lines, having lubrication on the line(s) helps them slide easily and snug the knot. Saliva is excellent on monofilament lines, and will work fair on fluorocarbon. For fluorocarbon, I prefer using line dressing, silicone or CRC. While it looks a lot like mono, fluorocarbon will flatten or torque and create a weak spot if tied without lubrication. Lubrication also helps it snug down evenly.

These are three types of knots that will serve you well for years of successful fishing. My suggestion is to learn to tie them, or your personal favorites, well enough you are comfortable tying them in any conditions. Numerous good knot books are available through tackle shops; My favorite is Baits Rigs & Tackle, by Vic Dunaway. It has lots of other helpful information in addition to the knots.