Three Fishing Knots Every Beginner Needs

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Your knot is the weak link

You can own the best rod, reel, and line money can buy, but the fish only ever feels your knot. A bad knot is the most common reason beginners lose fish. The good news is that you need only a few, and they take seconds once you have them down. Learn these three and you are covered for almost everything inshore.

One universal tip first: always wet the knot before you pull it tight. Friction makes heat, and heat weakens line. A little spit goes a long way.

1. The Improved Clinch (line to hook or lure)

This is the classic, and probably the first knot most anglers learn. Tied well it holds roughly 95 percent of your line’s strength, and it is perfect for tying a hook, swivel, or lure to monofilament or fluorocarbon. Follow the steps below.

2. The Palomar (the strong, simple one)

If you fish braided line, learn the Palomar. It is short, hard to mess up, and one of the strongest knots you can tie.

1. Double about 6 inches of line and pass the loop through the hook eye.
2. Tie a loose overhand knot with the doubled line, leaving the loop open.
3. Pass the hook all the way through that loop.
4. Wet it, pull the standing line and tag together to cinch down against the eye, and trim.

3. The Non-Slip Loop (for lures that need to swim)

A loop knot leaves a small open loop at the lure instead of cinching tight to the eye. That freedom lets a jig or plug swing and wobble naturally, which often means more bites.

1. Tie a loose overhand knot a few inches up the line.
2. Pass the tag end through the hook eye, then back through the overhand knot.
3. Wrap the tag around the standing line 4 to 5 times.
4. Bring the tag back through the overhand knot again.
5. Wet it and pull slowly to form a small, neat loop, then trim.

Practice at home

Tie each of these a dozen times on the couch before you need them on the water. Cold hands, wind, and a flopping fish are not the moment to learn. Muscle memory is the whole game.