Knowing how to tie proper fishing knots is critical to fishing success. Unskilled knot tying (i.e. tying “Granny knots”) is not reliable and leads to breakoffs and lost fish. Luckily, you only need to know a few fishing knots to cover all of your bases. Knowing more than a few is optional. The fishing knots discussed below are widely used, easy to tie, and work great; I have used them for many years and they are extremely reliable.
I will briefly explain each of these common knots, and will then show how to tie each one, step by step. To ensure the details are easy to see, I have used a large fish hook and paracord (to simulate fishing line) in my photos.
Before we get started, I wanted to offer up a few helpful tips, especially if you are new to knot tying.
Tip #1: During your learning phase, make sure your line is facing the same direction as I show it in the photos. This way you can mimic my steps picture by picture. You’ll notice that I try to keep the knot “clean looking” throughout the entire tying phase, and I recommend that you do the same. This avoids confusion and potentially taking a wrong turn in the middle of the tying process. Once you memorize the steps, you may choose to orient the line in a way that is more favorable for you, but for now I recommend that you copy exactly what I do.
Tip #2: You can use your mouth as an “extra set of hands”. This is particularly useful with typing loop-type knots like a Dropper or a Splice. As you are tying the knot, you can clamp the loop portion with your mouth while you do the twisting with your fingers. However, do not use your mouth to hold hooks or swivels of any kind!
Tip #3: Use more line than you think you need to tie the knot. It is much easier to tie knots when you have plenty of line to work with. Once you get better you may not need so much, but for now use a lot.
Tip #4: When you are tightening a knot onto a piece of tackle such a hook, swivel, or sinker, it is helpful to hold the tackle with needle nose pliers while you tighten. The pliers will give you a very secure grip; I find it easiest to grasp the hook along the bent part of the shaft, and grasping swivels/sinkers by the eyes. This will allow you to pull with significant tension and really tighten the knot securely, and with hooks, it will keep your hands a safe distance from the hook point.
Tip #5: When tightening a knot, wet it with a drop or water or a little saliva. This will help you really cinch it down.
Tip #6: Practice makes perfect. This will likely be difficult at first, but keep trying. After some repetition, you will have these memorized and be able to tie them in your sleep.
Now, onto the knots!
Uni-Knot
The Uni-Knot is a highly versatile knot that can be tied to lures, hooks, swivels, and sinkers. It is easy to tie and it is strong. I have never had one fail. For inshore fishing it is just fantastic. It is my “all-rounder”.
To tie the Uni-Knot, thread the loose end of your fishing line (this is called the “tag end”) through the eye of the hook (red arrows) and pull the tag end away from the hook for a bit (blue arrow).
Make a loop and bring the tag end back towards the hook (blue arrow). You will now have three parallel segments (orange, yellow, and green dots).
Wrap the tag end (away from you) around the yellow and green segments, and bring it back through between the yellow and orange segment.
Do this same wrapping pattern three to your more times (it’s best to have a total of 4-5 complete wraps with this knot).
Once the wraps are done, pull in the direction of the blue arrows and cinch the knot together tight.
Finally, pull the main part of the line (blue arrow) and the knot will slide against the hook eye and cinch tight. Do not continue to pull the tag end (white arrow) as that won’t do anything. If we were really using fishing line, we would cut off the tag end close to the knot, as shown by the orange line.
Here is a what a Uni-Knot looks like when tied to a hook (top), swivel (middle), and sinker (bottom).
Improved Clinch Knot
In the past, I would use the Improved Clinch Knot the same way I use the Uni-Knot now. It is an excellent knot to tie to hooks, sinkers, and swivels, and is rather easy to tie. For whatever reason though, I have a tendency to screw this knot up when I am in a rush or when fishing in low light conditions where I can’t see very well. Therefore, I prefer the Uni-Knot, but the Improved Clinch Knot is still an excellent knot.
The Improved Clinch Knot is a more reliable version of the standard Clinch Knot. Years ago when I was working as a deck hand in Port Aransas, Texas, a more experienced deckhand let me know that a standard Clinch Knot can pull apart on really big fish, and that the Improved Clinch Knot is the one to use. Since the Improved Clinch Knot only requires one additional step, I chose to highlight it in this article instead of the standard knot.
To tie the Improved Clinch Knot, thread the tag end of your line through the eye of the hook (red arrows) and pull the tag end away from the hook for a bit (blue arrow).
Wrap the tag end around the main strand 4-6 times; I don’t believe that it matters which direction your wrap it, so your preference. In this step, you are basically twisting the two strands together, so instead of wrapping the tag end around the main strand, you could simply twist the hook until you have 4-6 twists. In my example below, I have about 5 twists/wraps.
Pass the tag end through the loop that was created when you started the wraps (blue arrows).
Then pass the tag end through the secondary loop that has been created (blue arrows).
Carefully and gently, cinch the knot together and start sliding towards the hook eye (white arrow). Be careful with this step, you do not want to tighten this knot completely until you are at the hook eye.
Almost there; continue sliding the knot towards the hook eye (white arrow).
Once the knot is against the hook eye, cinch it up tight, then cut the tag end off close to the knot (orange line).
Here is what an Improved Clinch Knot looks like when tied to a hook.
Palomar Knot
Like the Uni Knot and Improved Clinch Knot, the Palomar Knot is another very strong knot that can be tied directly to hooks, swivels, and sinkers. It’s advantage is that it uses double line strands through the hook eye, resulting in a very strong knot. It is also slightly easier to tie than the other two.
To tie the Palomar Knot, fold the line in half several inches from the tag end to make a temporary loop. Thread this loop through the eye of the hook, swivel, or sinker (blue arrows). Note that there are two strands of line passing through the eye with this knot. Some hook eyes are small, so you may need to give the line a hard pinch before threading it through the hook eye.
Thread the temporary loop under the two line strands leading into the hook eye (blue arrows).
Thread the temporary loop through the secondary loop that you just created (blue arrows). Do not tighten the knot too much as this point, you want to keep it loose until the final step.
Pass the temporary hook over and around the hook, swivel, or sinker (blue arrows). Once the hook has completely passed through the temporary loop, tighten the knot by holding the hook firmly, and pulling the line strands in the direction shown by the white arrows.
The completed knot is shown below. Cut the tag end off near the knot.
Here is what a Palomar Knot looks like when tied to a hook.
Double Uni-Knot
This is a fantastic knot for tying two lines together, particularly when you need to tie a leader to your main line. It is great for connecting braided line to monofilament, and can also connect thin diameter line to thicker diameter line. For example, on my spinning reels, I use this knot to connect my braided main line (12 lb braid, thin diameter) to 20 lb fluorocarbon or monofilament leader (thicker diameter).
To tie the Double Uni-Knot, lay opposing tag ends parallel with each other, like shown here.
Take one of the tag ends (red strand), and make a complete 360 degree loop on top of the other tag end (green strand).
Feed the tag end (red strand) over and under the red/green parallel strands to start the wrapping sequence.
Continue the wrapping sequence, ensuring that you wrap around both parallel strands a total of 4-6 times.
Once you are done with the wraps, simply pull the red strand knot tight.
Next, take the tag end of the green strand and perform identical steps. First for a 360 degree loop (blue arrows).
Then, feed the tag end (green strand) over and under the red/green parallel strands to start the wrapping sequence.
Wrap a total of 4-6 times, as before…
Then pull the green strand knot tight. Once both knots are complete, pull on the far strand sections shown by the white arrows, and the two knots will move towards each other.
Once the knots are side by side, pull on the far strands with moderate force to cinch the knot together tightly. Cut off the excess tag ends as show by the orange lines.
Here is a “monofilament to monofilament” Double Uni-Knot:
Here is a “monofilament to braid” Double Uni-Knot:
Dropper Loop
The Dropper Loop is used when hand-tying “single drop” and “double drop” bottom rigs. This makes for a very simple and very good bottom rig. I have used drop rigs for years when fishing inshore, but they are are also commonly used on offshore party boats for red snapper and other bottom-dwelling species.
To tie a Dropper Loop, form a simple large loop a ways back from the tag end.
Start twisting the line strands where they cross at the base of the loop. Typically, 4-6 total twists is sufficient; in this example there are at least 2 twists on each side of the center (4 total). It can be helpful to hold the top end of the loop with your mouth while your twist the base strands together.
After you have twisted 4-6 times, run the top end of the loop right through the middle of the twisted strands (blue arrows).
Carefully start cinching the knot together tightly.
Here is the final knot, cinched up tight….
And here is a closeup….you’ll notice that the knot literally locks down on itself, making it very secure. Regardless, monofilament is quite slippery, so make sure to use at least 4 twists. Sometimes 6 twists is better.
Once the Dropper Loop is formed, you can quickly attached a hook or swivel of your choice. The dropper loop makes it very easy to change hook styles/sizes if you desire.
Start by squeezing the end of the loop tightly together, and pass it through the hook eye.
Next, wrap it completely around the bent hook shank.
Then snug the loop up tightly at the base of the hook eye.
Here is a Dropper Loop in action on monofilament line:
Loop Knot
The Loop Knot has a very specific purpose, but it is an important one. It is designed to allow a lure to pivot from side to side, or up and down. I use a loop knot for any lure that requires (or would benefit from) freely pivoting. Currently, I use this knot for all topwater lures, and any other lure that is expected to have a 3-D, side to side, or up and down action, like suspending twitch baits, jerkworms, etc. I don’t typically use it for lures that swim straight, such as swimbaits, crankbaits, spinnerbaits, or spoons, but use your best judgement here.
I should mention that some fishermen, in lieu of using a loop knot, prefer to attach a split ring to the eyelet of their lure, then they tie their fishing line directly to that split ring using a Uni-Knot, Improved Clinch Knot, etc. The split ring allows the lure to pivot just like the Loop Knot. This is not right or wrong, it is simply an option and is personal preference.
To tie the Loop Knot, first form a single loop. Manipulate it if you need to so that it sits a bit back from the tag end. Keep this loop relatively small if you can, because this knot is easier to tie when the loop is small.
Pass the tag end through the eye or the lure, and back through the initial small loop (blue arrows). This forms the pivot loop. It is important to keep the pivot loop small, because it can get hung up on your lure’s hooks if it is too big. You can easily adjust the size of the pivot loop in this step by making sure that there is only a short distance between the lure eye and the initial small loop. Note that I am using a block of wood with an eye screw to simulate the “lure” in this example.
Wrap the tag end around the main strand 4-5 times.
After the wraps are complete, feed the tag end back through the initial small loop.
Carefully cinch the knot up tight, then trim excess line from the tag end (orange line).
Here is what a Loop Knot looks like when tied to a topwater lure. Notice that the tag end is pointing towards the lure, as it should be. This is a built-in advantage because the tag end can’t catch grass.
And that’s how you tie some basic fishing knots. I hope this article was useful to you, and best of luck with your knot tying!
Have a reel good day,
– The Simple Fisherman