A strong knot does more than make any task more manageable; it strengthens your terminal tackle, increases fishing reliability, and greatly increases its lifespan. But sometimes, despite your best efforts, knots will still come undone: some knots have more problems than others.
The Basics Of Fishing Knot Tying: Potential Knot Strength
The art of knot tying is an important skill to have. While there are huge volumes of knot tying techniques and terminology, it is enough to know and understand how to tie a basic, reliable knot.
Half Hitch:
A half hitch is a simple knot that is not as secure as the other knots but is great for quick and easy tying. This knot will accommodate any line and any hook size. Avoid using this knot with heavier lines, such as waxed lines.
Overhand Knot:
The overhand knot is the bounding knot that can be fished on any line. The overhand provides more holding power than the half hitch, and it is also easier to tie in a bigger hook and stronger for thicker braided lines. Use the overhand knot when fishing in a large pool or lake because it will not break as easily as smaller knots.
The Clinch Knot:
There are a wide variety of fishing knots. It is generally tied around the bend or eye of a hook, and it serves to strengthen hooks with a very wide gape. The disadvantage of the clinch knot is that it isn’t as strong as the overhand or half hitch. However, you can use smaller lines and hooks with this hook in addition to its other benefits.
Screw Knot:
The screw knot is similar to the clinch but has unique characteristics. While it’s more secure than the clinch knot, it is not as strong as the half hitch or the overhand and often breaks free when handled roughly. As a result, the screw knot is best used for thick braided lines such as the FireLine.
Davy Knot:
The Davy knot is a great versatile knot that is strong, secure, and easy to tie. You can tie it on a variety of hook sizes. However, despite the similarities between these knots and clinch knots, they can not be used together.
Loop Knot:
The Loop Knot is a simple knot that is easy to tie and can be used as the last knot in a series of knots. It’s not as strong as some of the other knots, but it will hold if used with thicker lines and larger hook sizes.
Slip Knot:
The slip knot is another great all-purpose knot that can be used for anything from around the bend to tying off braids and lines. Use this knot when baiting fish or making rigs to hold your bait or lure in place.
Figure Eight Knot:
The figure-eight knot is known as an arbor knot because it is tied around a hook eye. A fishing knot that can be tied easily and is very powerful on small hooks is this one. Some anglers prefer this fishing knot over the clinch, especially when fishing smaller hooks.
Trilene Knot:
The Trilene knot is one of the most commonly used fishing knots because it offers knot strength and durability while being both easy to tie and fish. Trilene knots are very secure yet easily untied. Additionally, you can use this knot in a wide variety of sizes.
Jam Knot:
The Jam knot is also known as a Choker Knot, and it is good for holding your line in place or forcing the fish to the braid. The Jam Knot is most likely the most widely used fishing knot. It’s also very strong and can be used for a wide variety of lines and lines with different thicknesses.
Uni Knot:
The Uni Knot is also known as a Bimini Twist. This fishing knot uses the same principle as a Trilene but does not create the same bulky loops. Its many uses can be combined with various knots and are good to use with smaller hooks and small lures fished in tight spaces.
Double Uni Knot:
The double Uni Knot is also known as a half-hitch/half-hitch. This fishing knot can be used on braided lines and will help you hold a line in place, especially when making rigs.
Hook Knot:
The hook knot is one of the most widely used knots because it is easy to tie and secure. A knot of this type is strong, durable, and secure. It will not slip or break. Any size or type of hook can be tied using the hook knot.
Knots For Monofilament
Knots for monofilament are mainly used in fishing. They include the Palomar knot, the Surgeon’s knot, and the improved clinch knot. The improved clinch is more secure than the original but can be difficult to tie. The blood knot and perfection loop are also used for joining sections of the monofilament line with different diameters.
Knots To Avoid
While knot tying is an important skill, some knots, in particular, should be avoided because they tend to be weaker than other knots.
The Surgeon’s Knot:
While this is the most common knot used in fishing, it is also the weakest and thinnest.
The Improved Clinch Knot:
This knot was designed to make the clinch knot more secure by doubling it up. However, it can still slip if not tied correctly.
Knot Tying Tips For Beginners
1. Always be sure to wrap the tag end once around the standing part of the line after you’ve knotted it. As a result, your tag will not come out while you are using it.
2. When tightening knots, use pliers or another device to ensure they don’t slip. Doing so will help to keep your lines secure and reduce the chance that they’ll break accidentally.
3. Don’t tie a knot that is too small or too big. The knots you are tying must be the right size to be strong enough to be tied with the fishing line that you are using.
4. Don’t tie knots on a thick line when the size of your hook is small. If the knot slips, it could easily pop free and cause damage to your bait or lure.
5. Don’t tie knots on a line that has been pinched or wound too tightly. These are more prone to slipping, and your knots won’t hold as well.
6. Always make sure that the tag end of the fishing line is long enough to allow you to clinch the knot yourself while it’s being tied and is long enough so that the knot doesn’t slip or become untied when you’re using it.
Why Do My Fishing Knots Keep Breaking?
There are many reasons why fishing knot failures happened: excessive wear and tear to being too tight for the job at hand.
1. Excessive wear and tear:
A fishing line is a polymer that can be divided into several smaller pieces. Unfortunately, when the line gets ragged or worn, the tiny pieces can permanently damage your line, especially when used in wet conditions.
2. Excessive tension:
While the strongest fishing knot is important because they hold your bait or lure in place, they should not be over-tightened, or else they could damage your line. Excessively tight fishing lines put too much strain on the knot itself, causing it to come apart.
3. Too many knots:
If you’re fishing in a confined area, you may want to tie several strongest fishing knots to ensure that your line is secure. However, if you do this, it’s important to remember that some of these knots could be too loose or too weak and could cause them to come apart.
4. Knot slip:
Sometimes a poor knot may slip during use, slightly untying itself. If this happens, your line may become detached from the hook or lure.
5. Before Tying The Fishing Knot, The Line Was Not Wet:
There is a greater chance for the line to slip when a new fishing knot is tied on the dryline than if it is wetted first. The reason for this is because dry lines have less friction with one another than wet lines do.
Types Of Fishing Lines
- Braided Lines:
Braided fishing lines are made of braided strands, which create a solid line that can withstand almost any type of abuse and are very abrasion-resistant. They are often made with Dyneema or Spectra fiber, which provides high strength and is less likely to stretch than other lines. In addition, braided fishing lines allow for a more natural presentation of the bait or lure because they’re so thin that fish can’t feel them as much.
- Doubled Line:
A popular type of line that is used for fishing is the doubled line. These lines are made by braiding two or more fishing lines to create a thicker and longer length. They are usually made with braided nylon cord and have hundreds of tiny strands per inch for very high strength. The advantage of doubled fishing lines is that they can be used in many different styles and still have good strength.
- Monofilament Lines:
Monofilament fishing lines are very popular because they are cheap and have a lot of stretch to them. The most common types of these are made with polyvinyl chloride (PVC) or polyethylene materials. Monofilament is the most popular fishing line today, and it’s used for spinning reels, baitcasting reels, and fly-fishing reels.
- Multifilament Lines:
These fishing lines are incredibly light and flexible, and they have more stretch than other types of fishing lines. Multifilament lines are used for spinning reels. They are made from synthetic fibers that may include nylon, Dacron, polyethylene, and small amounts of fluorocarbon leader material.
- Uni-Filament (fused-line):
As opposed to a monofilament line, this one is fused instead of braided together. It’s a porous material that is made from nylon, polyethylene, polypropylene, or high-density polyethylene. It has great strength and abrasion resistance but weighs much less than other fishing lines.
- Fluorocarbon Fishing Lines:
Fluorocarbon fishing lines are made from a series of chemicals that are solid-state synthetic polymers. They have different names, including Hypalon, Vectran, liquid crystal polymer (LCP), Nylon 12, and Ethylene Propylene Diene Monomer (EPDM). Fluorocarbon lines have almost zero water absorption and are very abrasion-resistant. However, they can be easily torn apart by sharp objects or cut without much pressure due to their slim profile.
- Fluorocarbon Monofilament Lines:
These fishing lines are made from fluorocarbon fishing lines braided with other types of monofilament fishing lines. The fluorocarbon line has high strength and abrasion resistance, while the braided lines help make the resulting monofilament line more flexible.
Breaking Strain For Different Types Of Fish
The breaking strain, also known as the rated breaking strain, of a fishing line is the amount of force tested by its manufacturers. It’s important to measure this when picking out a fishing line so that you know how strong it can be.
- 30-pound (15-kg) Breaking Strain: This is the highest breaking strain put on a line without breaking. It’s used for high-performance fishing reels. Use for Bass Reels, Trout Reels, and Salmon Reels.
- 20-pound (9-kg) Breaking Strain: This breaking strain is for lines used to reel in trout, steelhead, and salmon. Use for Bass Reels and Trout Reels.
- 15-pound (7-kg) Breaking Strain: This is a typical breaking strain for a trout reel. Use for Trout Reels and Salmon Reels.
- 10-pound (4.5-kg) Breaking Strain: This breaking strain can be used on smaller freshwater fish such as bluegill, sunfish, crappie, etc. Use smaller bass reels, baitcasting and spinning reels, spin-cast reels, trolling reels, and small fishing rods.
- 5-pound (2.25-kg) Breaking Strain: This breaking strain is used on smaller crankbaits, jigs, and lures. Use for crankbaits and jigs.
Summary
It is important to remember that as much as knots are made from natural materials, whether rope, line, or synthetic fibers, their work results from the action and interaction between those material properties and other characteristics in use. Also included are other fishing knots, fishing gear materials, and fishing conditions. Thus, the material is only one part of a complex system that is affected by other elements.