Don’t Knock This Knot

Posted: May 1st, 2013 by Bill Dance

It has been estimated that 75 percent of all line failures can be attributed to poor knot tying or inappropriate knot selection.

For everyday fishing, I recommend the Palomar knot. It’s one of the easiest and quickest knots to tie, and offers extremely high break strength.

To tie it, double about 4 inches of line and pass or thread the loop through the hook eye or split ring on your lure. Now, tie an over hand knot in doubled line. Next, pull the loop over your hook or lure. Finally, pull both ends to tighten the tag in your main line. Once snug, cut off excess to tag end.

This is a super knot, especially when fishing lines that are under 30-pound test.

Speaking of Knots – They’re Important

You know, this is a question asked by every angler: What causes a 2-pounder to break 8-pound test in open water with no visible structure around? The answer, most likely, is poor knots. It is estimated that poor knots are the reason for 75 percent of line failures.

What causes a knot to fail? There are several factors to consider. Example, a line that is improperly wrapped or twisted over itself will cut itself due to compression when pulled tight.

Consider this formula. A 20-pound test line improperly wrapped or tied over itself becomes a 10-pound line due to compressive forces. Also, movement within an improperly tied knot will burn and weaken the monofilament.