Fishing Tip 7: How to Tie Fishing Knots

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How do you tie fishing knots?

There are a variety of basic fishing knots that have been developed throughout the ages to serve specific purposes. Each type of knot is assigned a strength factor. This is usually expressed as the percentage of the strength of the fishing line at which the knot, which is usually weaker than the line, will break. For example, a knot testing 90 percent will break when a line testing 10 pounds is subjected to 9 pounds of pressure.

Knot tying has its own terminology: The end of the line with which the knot is tied is referred to as the “tag end” or “working end.” The part of the line that extends from the fishing reel is called the “standing end.”

Fishing knots must be properly tightened in order to prevent slippage. All exposed ends should be pulled up when tightening a knot; for some knots this will be limited to the standing end and the tag end, while other knots may have three or four ends. One should wet the knot with saliva as it is pulled tight; this works to prevent damage to the line. The finished knot should be closely trimmed with a nail clipper. This will prevent the knot from snagging on weeds and the like. If the knot is properly tightened, trimming the line ends will not cause it to come loose. Under no circumstance should the tag end be burned off as heat will damage both the line and the knot.

The first type of knot is used to tie hooks, lures and rigs onto the tag end of the fishing line. These knots must be extremely strong as they will absorb the bulk of the pressure exerted on the line by the caught fish. One such knot, the Palomar Knot, tests at more than 95 percent and is used for lines that test up to and more than 20 pounds. It is formed by running the tag end of the line twice through the lure or hook eye, tying the doubled line into a simple overhand loop, pulling the loop end around the hook and pulling the knot tight from the hook and the line’s standing end. This knot is a favorite among anglers. Another strong knot, the Improved Clinch Knot – a variation on an older clinch knot – tests at 95 percent and is used for fishing lines that test up to 20 pounds. This knot is formed by making five turns of the line’s tag end around the standing end part, then running the tag end back through the formed loop.

The next type of knot is used to join lines, such as when retying broken lines or joining a leader to the end of the line. The most popular of these knots is the Blood Knot, which is useful when the lines to be joined are of similar thickness; for example, it is good for tying a 15 pound test line to a 20 pound test line, but not for tying a 15 pound test line to a 50 pound test line. This knot is formed by tying each tag end five times around the other line, tucking both tag ends into the circle formed between the two lines and tightening. The Surgeon’s Knot is used to join one short line to a longer one. To form this knot, the tag end of the short line is made to overlap a section of the longer line. This double length is then tied in a simple overhand loop, and the short end is wound several times within the loop before it is pulled tight.

Loop knots are used to create a loop in the end of a rig to which a line can be tied or to create an interlocking loop system for the attachment of tackle parts. The Surgeon’s Loop is formed by folding over the tag end of the line, using the doubled line to make a double overhand knot, and tightening it by pulling the loop carefully away from the knot. The Figure-Eight Loop is also formed by doubling the tag end of the line, then creating a figure-eight bend with the doubled line, and pulling out the loop.

More Fishing Tips and How To’s

Learn how fishing lures are made
Learn how to set up a fishing pole
Learn how to build a fishing pier
Learn how to string a fishing reel
Learn how to make a fishing net
Learn how to build a fishing rod holder

Resource by E.Trio

I am an online writer and soon to be published author. I grew up in Southern California, but I currently live in the Bay Area while I work on my books. I enjoy camping and hiking with my dog Max or just relaxing on the back porch while I write. Stay tuned for my first children’s book to be released about Max.

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