Knots

I had always used the good old clinch knot that my dad taught me when I was ten years old. I used it for all of my fishing needs and considered my knowledge of fishing knots complete. Many years back I took a stab at attaching a shock leader using a Bimini Twist knot, became completely frustrated and promptly abandoned the effort and fell back to my blissful ignorance of knots.

When I came around to improving my casting techniques, there was no way to avoid a shock leader, which meant I had to find and use a knot that would join two lines. During that process I was re-introduced to the world of knots used in recreational fishing and I found that learning, practicing and using these knots has increased my confidence in preparing my rigs and my enjoyment of surf fishing.

I organize the knots I use into three categories, line to swivel, line to hook and line to line. Many of the knots, like the Uni Knot and Palomar Knot work well in multiple applications. Another important aspect to consider is the type of line your using. Some knots work better with Braided or Fluorocarbon lines than others.

Since I wanted to find a way to enjoy surf fishing during the off season, I decided to practice tying knots while I was watching television in the evening. That proved to be the key to success. Pulling out a spool of line and swivel and trying out different knots ended up being pretty enjoyable and I was able to get good at tying them and remembering them in time for my spring and fall trips. Practicing until you get good at tying the knot is very important to increasing your confidence and getting a result that will stand up to the rigors of surf fishing.

Here are the knots I use, and there are many more. You will find individual posts on each not with links to instructions.

Category	Knot	Comments	Knot Post Link
Line to Line	FG Knot	I was a little doubtful about being able to use this knot until I saw professional fisher Adrian Gray’s video. He uses a tension trick that makes tying the knot a breeze and I’ve been using it ever since.
Line to Line	Albright Special knot	Holds and passes through the guides well. I found it easy to remember how to tie this knot.
Line to Line	Improved Blood Knot	Holds and passes through the guides well. I found it easy to remember how to tie this knot.
Line to Swivel	Improved Clinch Knot	A great knot for line to swivel connections and my old standby.
Line to Swivel	Uni Knot	My new favorite for line to terminal tackle connections. I find this knot easier to tie with larger test shock leaders.
Line to Swivel	Palomar Knot	I switch up with the this knot and the Uni Knot for the same applications. This knot works well with Braided line.
Line to Hook	Snelling	Snelling is tying the line to the hook by passing the line through the eye and wrapping it around the shank.
Line to Spool	Arbor Knot	Knot for connecting your line to the reel spool.

I learned a few simple but important points while re-learning to tie fishing knots. First, make sure to wet your knot before cinching it down, for some lines like Fluorocarbons and large diameter Monofilament, the knot will not stay without having the lubrication in place ( when your out on the beach you can use saliva (spit) on the knot before you cinch it down). Second, don’t try to use a fishing knife to trim your knot, everyone now uses either clippers that are just like fingernail clippers or specially designed shears designed for cutting fishing line to trim the knot. Finally, don’t be afraid to glue your knot in place with a glue designed for knot tying.

Safety-With heavy fishing line or any type of Braided line, you can cut yourself while cinching a knot down tight. This has happened to me often and it’s very irritating, and can be dangerous if your pulling hard. Always wear a leather glove while cinching down knots with heavy test monofilament, fluorocarbon or braided line of any kind.

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