# What's your favorite knot



## kingofhightide (Jul 11, 2002)

I lost a big one from the beach this past weekend and it appeared that my knot failed as the line was curled at the end.

Whatever it was, it actually broke water twice. I battled it for about 10 minutes with my reel screaming off 20lb test. The knot I tied was a clinch knot. 

Everything I have read points to either the palomar or trilene knots as being the strongest. One thing is for sure, I hope to never tie another weak knot again. Its hard enough to find a big fish and then to lose him because of poor preparation....oh well, better luck next week.


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## davehunt (Mar 27, 2003)

King,

I almost always tie my terminal tackle to my line with a palomar. I began doing this when I started using Fireline, the package recommended it because this stuff is kind of slick and a palomar holds it rock solid.

Since then it's usually the way I go, it's just to damn easy to tie, whether it's dark or if I'm on a rocking boat I have no problem with this knot. Why spend 2 minutes monkeying around with a clinch knot in the dark when I can tie a palomar in about 10 seconds with my eyes closed!

The others I use are a uni-knot or a snell for rigging hooks.

A Uni, Albright or Blood Knot for attaching leaders to line, I always put a shock leader on my line.

A Homer Rhode knot for attaching lures.

Whenever I need a loop I just make a simple loop by tieing an over hand knot in the end of a doubled line.


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## Smoothbore54 (Jun 8, 2003)

Palomar is hard to beat.

The only other point I would make, is that 1 failure doesn't prove anything about the knot you used.

For 6 years, in the early 90's, I worked in the Engineering department of the worlds largest manufacturer of electrical and fiber optic cable. These cables have insulating jackets that are extruded from the same Polymers, Nylon and Polyolifin materials as are fishing lines.

Part of my job was to oversee the "Quality Lab", where the characteristics of these materials were tested, on a daily basis, to insure their compliance with industry standards.

Seemingly minor variations in conditions like temperature, ultraviolet light exposure, oxidation and curing (ageing) have a tremendous effect on performance.

I've done some Elongation and Elasticity tests on diferent brands of line, and the variation is dramatic.

I'm sure that these characteristics vary considerably from one lot to the next from the same manufacturer as well.

Don't be too hasty in placeing the blame on your knots.


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## AL_N_VB (Apr 3, 2002)

nail or spider hitch


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## GORD4862 (Jan 7, 2003)

Uni's my favorite.


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## RuddeDogg (Mar 20, 2004)

*Knots*

Uni snell for the hooks and double clinch for the hardware.


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## TreednNC (Jul 1, 2005)

palomar up to 50 for terminal....just learned the nail and love it as well....easy knot once u tie it 2-3 times.....................Clinch does slip alot, i dont recommend it


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## OV Renegade (Aug 5, 2006)

Could have been anything. The knot might have had a small nick in it causing it to break. I have just started to make all my own rigs, snelling the hook and the palomar knot for the swivel seem like like a hard pair to beat and both are very easy to tie. I've only just heard of the nail that might be the way to go....


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## rgking03 (Mar 20, 2005)

RuddeDogg said:


> Uni snell for the hooks and double clinch for the hardware.


That is what I use and I love the Blood for adding a shockleader they have never failed me yet and I always retie after about 15 casts.


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## Orest (Jul 28, 2003)

*Nail knot question*

Do you do anything to the shock leader end, the heavier mono, before or after you tie the smaller diameter mono, nail knot around it?

Blunt the end with a lighter?

Super glue?


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## NTKG (Aug 16, 2003)

rgking03 said:


> That is what I use and I love the Blood for adding a shockleader they have never failed me yet and I always retie after about 15 casts.


the blood is one of the weakest line to lines you can use.

double up and nail it or double uni or sosin it


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## NTKG (Aug 16, 2003)

Orest said:


> Do you do anything to the shock leader end, the heavier mono, before or after you tie the smaller diameter mono, nail knot around it?
> 
> Blunt the end with a lighter?
> 
> Super glue?



hey orest.

i use a 17/20 mainline.... doubled with a bimini(or whatever doubler people use) to a no-name(sosin) but moreso the nail knot. from that nail i tie on about 3-4ft of 80lb mono on the last leg of my shock with a double nail. 100lb on the double nail isnt as good as 80 just too biga difference in dia. no glue or anything needed wiht the 80 or under, 100 i always felt like i was putting too much pressure on the 40 to cinch the knot down.


the added benne is when your throwing alotta weight you dont have to check your terminal knot every cast... also if ya hang a biter he dont cheek rub ya out. i find far more cheek rubbage than tail fraps...


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## Orest (Jul 28, 2003)

*Thanks*

Neal


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