Which Fishing Knots Are The Best To Use
When it comes to tying fish knots there are several to choose from, but do you need them all? Factors to consider when deciding on which knot to use are; its purpose, the strongest, and the easiest/quickest to tie. Here we will focus on the most common knots used and pick the 3 that most anglers will ever need. *Note, when using Monofilament wet the line first, this helps keep the knot from slipping out before becoming tight.
Knots Used For Tying Two Unequal Size Lines Together
In the cases where you need to tie one fishing line to another or tie a leader on, there are a few knots to choose from, but the most popular are the Alberto Knot, Albright Knot, and the Double Uni Knot. Any one of these knots will do the job, so whichever one is quickest and easiest for you, go with it. I prefer the Double Uni Knot as this is the easiest to tie, thus our #3 knot.
Alberto Knot
The Alberto and Albright Knots are extremely similar with both knots starting and ending the exact same way. It’s the style of line wraps in the middle section of these knots that separates them. This knot was designed to join lines of different diameters and/or composition such as monofilament or fluorocarbon leaders to braid line.
Albright knot
The Albright Knot is one of the most reliable knots for joining lines of greatly unequal diameters or different materials such as monofilament to braided line.
#3 Double Uni Knot
The Uni to Uni Knot is a standout for joining lines of relatively similar diameter or for adding a monofilament leader to your mainline or fly line. This knot produces a stronger connection than either the Surgeon Knot or Blood Knot. However, if you’re joining lines of vastly different diameters then the Albright Knot would be a better choice.
Knots Used For Tying On Hooks & Artificial Baits
The most common knots used for tying on baits and hooks are; Palomar, San Diego Jam, Trilene, and the Improved Clinch Knot. All four of these knots rank at the top of the list for being the strongest. I prefer the Improved Clinch Knot with 7 twist, but the Trilene Knot will resist slippage better and due to it’s double wrap around the hook eye is considered stronger.
#1 Improved Clinch Knot with 7 twist
The Improved Clinch Knot is our #1 knot. This is the only knot you really need for tying on hooks, artificial baits, or the line to your reel. I use this knot weather I”m fishing for Bluegills, King Salmon (Chinook), or Sturgeon.
Trilene Knot
The Trilene Knot is a strong and reliable knot for joining monofilament line to hooks, swivels and lures. This knot resists slippage and is a stronger alternative to the Clinch Knot.
Palomar Knot
The Palomar Knot is a good knot for attaching a hook to your line or a fly to a leader. However, this knot seems to be a bit confined or bunchy.
San Diego Jam Knot
The San Diego Jam Knot is also known as the Reverse Clinch Knot. This Knot is a little harder to tie and does take longer than the Clinch Knot. The San Diego Jam Knot works well with monofilament, braided, and fluorocarbon lines.
Rapala Knot
Another knot that you could consider is the Rapala knot. This non-slip knot allows you to leave a loop in front of your bait, creating a little more action. This knot is harder to tie then the Clinch Knot and will required a little more time.
Tying A Line To Your Reel
The Arbor Knot is most commonly used for tying your line to a reel, however this knot is not as strong as the Improved Clinch Knot. Stay with the Improved Clinch Knot.
Knots for tying on Additional Hooks
When you’re looking to tie more than one hook to your line there is one knot I prefer, that is the Snell Knot.
#2 Snell Knot
The Snell Knot works great on live bait when you need multiple hooks or when adding a stinger hook for light biting Walleyes. This is our #2 Knot.
Our Top 3 Knots
The top 3 knots we have chosen will suffice most Fisherman and any line tying need that arises. These Knots again are; #1 Improved Clinch Knot (or Trilene Knot), #2 Snell Knot, and #3 Double Uni Knot.
See Animated Knots By Grog
Here you will see many of the fishing knots in Animation.
More Animated Knots By Netknots
This site will cover more Animated Knots but is not as good as Grog’s site.
