Fundamental Skills: Tying Knots

FUNDAMENTAL SKILLS:
TYING KNOTS

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Knots are a lot like lures in that there are different choices that excel under different conditions, and there is no “one knot that is best for all situations.”

To speed up your learning curve, we’ve put together this list of 3 essential knots, when to use them, and how to tie them.

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PALOMAR KNOT

The Palomar knot is the workhorse of the bass angler’s fishing knots. It is easy to tie, consistently regarded as one of the strongest knots, and can be tied using pretty much any line size or type. The Palomar is an ideal knot for tying on jigs, Texas-rigs, smaller crankbaits, frogs, or pretty much any normal line-to-lure connection.

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SNELL KNOT

Another great general purpose knot, the Snell has long been a staple in many anglers’ arsenals for a good reason — it is really easy to tie. Despite being slightly weaker than the Palomar, the Snell is a great choice with bigger baits, where a Palomar becomes difficult due to having to pass the bait back through the loop. Big, deep diving crankbaits, swimbaits, and spinnerbaits are prime candidates for the Snell.

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ALBRIGHT KNOT

Braided line is becoming more and more commonplace for good reason. It’s super strong, sensitive, and it lasts forever. Unfortunately, braid is also really visible, which can result in fewer bites in clearwater or around pressured fish. For that reason, anglers are often adding a 2–4 foot leader of fluorocarbon to their braided lines, minimizing visibility. The Albright knot is the ultimate leader-to-mainline connection.

Although it takes some practice to tie, the Albright is strong and slim enough to pass through line guides without trouble, and tends to hold up extremely well.

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