There are dozens of fishing knots. Most fishing guides will teach you ten or fifteen of them, which is about ten or fifteen more than you need. After years of fishing, I use four knots for virtually everything. Learning those four well is more valuable than knowing twenty knots poorly.
Here's the short list, what each one is for, and the details that determine whether the knot holds or fails.
The Palomar Knot: For Most Direct-Tie Applications
The Palomar is the strongest and most reliable knot for tying line directly to a hook, lure, or swivel. It's also one of the easiest to tie correctly, which is why it's the first knot I teach anyone who's learning to fish.
How to tie it: Double about six inches of line and pass the loop through the hook eye. Tie a simple overhand knot with the doubled line — don't tighten it yet. Pass the hook through the loop. Wet the knot and pull both the tag end and the main line to tighten. Trim the tag end close.
When to use it: Tying hooks, jig heads, swivels, and most lures directly to monofilament or fluorocarbon. The Palomar retains close to 100% of the line's rated strength when tied correctly, which is better than most other knots.
The detail that matters: Make sure the loop passes over the entire hook or lure before tightening. If the loop catches on the hook point or a treble hook arm, the knot won't seat correctly and will fail under load. With treble-hooked lures, pass the entire lure through the loop carefully.
Limitation: The Palomar doesn't work well with very large lures or lures with multiple hooks that are difficult to pass through the loop. For those, use the improved clinch knot instead.
The Improved Clinch Knot: The Universal Backup
The improved clinch is the most widely used fishing knot in the world, and for good reason — it works with any line diameter, any hook size, and any lure type. It's slightly weaker than the Palomar when tied in monofilament, but it's more versatile.
How to tie it: Pass the line through the hook eye and pull through about six inches of tag end. Wrap the tag end around the main line five to seven times. Pass the tag end back through the loop closest to the hook eye, then through the large loop you just created. Wet and tighten by pulling the main line while holding the tag end. Trim close.
When to use it: Any situation where the Palomar is awkward — large crankbaits, lures with multiple treble hooks, or any situation where passing the lure through a loop isn't practical. Also useful for tying to very small hooks where the doubled line of a Palomar is too bulky.
The detail that matters: Five wraps minimum for monofilament, seven for fluorocarbon. Fluorocarbon is stiffer and requires more wraps to seat the knot properly. Fewer wraps and the knot slips under load. Wet the knot before tightening — friction heat from dry tightening weakens the line at the knot.
The Uni Knot: For Joining Lines and Braided Line Applications
The uni knot (also called the Duncan loop) is the most versatile knot in fishing because it works for both terminal connections and line-to-line connections. It's particularly valuable for braided line, where many other knots slip.
How to tie it (terminal): Pass the line through the hook eye and double back parallel to the main line, creating a loop. Make six wraps around both lines inside the loop, working toward the hook. Pull the tag end to tighten the wraps, then pull the main line to slide the knot down to the hook eye. Trim close.
How to tie it (line-to-line): Overlap the two lines by about six inches. Tie a uni knot with one line around the other, then tie a second uni knot with the other line around the first. Pull both main lines to slide the knots together until they meet. Trim both tag ends.
When to use it: Tying braided line to a fluorocarbon leader (the double uni is the most reliable connection for this), tying to very small hooks where other knots are too bulky, and any situation where you need a knot that works reliably in braid.
The detail that matters: Use eight wraps when tying braid to fluorocarbon. Braid is slippery and requires more wraps than mono or fluoro to prevent slipping. The double uni with eight wraps on the braid side and five on the fluoro side is one of the strongest line-to-line connections available.
The Loop Knot: For Maximum Lure Action
The loop knot (also called the non-slip mono loop) creates a fixed loop at the hook eye rather than a tight connection. The lure hangs from the loop and can swing freely in any direction, which produces more natural action than a lure tied directly to the line.
How to tie it: Tie an overhand knot in the line about four inches from the end — don't tighten it. Pass the tag end through the hook eye and back through the overhand knot. Wrap the tag end around the main line three to four times. Pass the tag end back through the overhand knot in the same direction it entered. Wet and tighten by pulling the main line while holding the tag end. The finished knot should have a loop of about half an inch.
When to use it: Jerkbaits and minnow lures where the side-to-side action depends on the lure swinging freely. Topwater lures where the walking action requires the lure to pivot at the connection point. Any lure where you've noticed that a tight knot dampens the action.
The detail that matters: The loop knot is slightly weaker than the Palomar or improved clinch — it retains about 85-90% of line strength rather than close to 100%. For most freshwater fishing this doesn't matter, but if you're fishing heavy cover with heavy line and expecting to pull fish out of structure, use a Palomar instead and accept the slight reduction in lure action.
When Knots Fail: The Real Causes
Most knot failures aren't caused by the wrong knot — they're caused by tying the right knot incorrectly. The three most common causes of knot failure:
Not wetting the knot before tightening. Friction heat from dry tightening weakens monofilament and fluorocarbon at the point of the knot. Always wet the knot with saliva or water before pulling tight.
Not trimming the tag end close enough. A long tag end can catch on weeds or structure and apply sideways pressure to the knot, which can cause it to slip or fail. Trim within 1-2mm of the knot.
Using old or damaged line. A knot is only as strong as the line it's tied in. Line that's been in the sun, stored improperly, or used for multiple seasons loses strength and becomes brittle. Replace line at the start of each season and whenever you notice it feels stiff or shows visible damage.
For more on line selection and how it affects your fishing, see Why I Stopped Using Braided Line for Bass and What Size Fish Can You Actually Catch on 10lb and 12lb Line?
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