1. Improved Clinch Knot

I tie the improved clinch knot on most lures that already have swivels or split rings on them.

So when I'm tying fluorocarbon or monofilament line to something like a crankbait, a chatter bait, or any kind of swim bait that already has a split ring, I’m going to use the improved clinch knot.

This knot is good for anything up to about 25-pound test fluorocarbon or monofilament line.

Here's the full walkthrough: How to Tie the Improved Clinch Knot

2. Non-Slip Loop Knot

This is my go-to knot when I'm tying fluorocarbon or monofilament line directly to a bare hook that I’m going to use with a soft plastic bait or a soft plastic worm if I’ll be Texas rigging. I also use the non-slip loop knot when I’m using a jig head because it allows for more action in the lure.

Whenever a hook or lure doesn’t have a swivel or split ring, I want to create that loop connection so the bait can swim more naturally. I also use the non-slip loop knot almost exclusively when I'm fly fishing and need to tie the fly to the leader material.

Here's the full walkthrough: Non-Slip Loop Knot for Fishing

3. Palomar Knot

The Palomar knot will work with almost any type of line. It's also one of the most common and easy-to-tie knots out there, and it's very strong when tied properly. But for me, it’s my go-to knot when I'm tying a lure directly to a braided line.

I really only do this when I'm using a moving bait that I’ll be swimming through the water pretty quickly. This is a good tactic when the fish are aggressive and I’m not too worried about them seeing my line. In situations like this, I don’t need to use a fluorocarbon leader.

So I’d use this knot in a situation where I'm tying directly to something like a chatter bait, a spinner bait, or even some hard body swim baits. Pretty much anything that I’ll be moving through the water relatively quickly.

Now let’s move on to some knots that make strong connections when tying one line to another.

Here's the full walkthrough: Palomar Knot Tying for Fishing

4. Double Uni Knot

I generally use the double uni, or uni-to-uni knot, when I have to connect two different lines together.

I fish a lot of braided lines in the 20 to 30-pound range, and I usually always couple that with a fluorocarbon leader somewhere in the 10 to 25-pound range. If so, this is the knot I'm going to use to connect those two lines together. It's really easy to tie and it's pretty close to 100% break strength, so I have a ton of confidence in it.

Essentially, I’m tying a uni knot on both sides. Just make sure that you increase the wraps on the braided side to somewhere around seven to eight. On the monofilament or fluorocarbon side, you can usually get away with five.

There are very few times that I don't use a leader and tie directly to the braided line. Over the years, I’ve seen what a big difference a leader can make. So now I have a lot of confidence when it comes to using leaders.

It does throw people having that extra connection in their line that they think may be another fail point. But I tie the double uni and I've got a lot of confidence in it when it’s tied properly. I use it a lot because almost everything I throw is going to be from braided line to some type of fluorocarbon leader.

Here's the full walkthrough: Mastering the Double Uni Knot

5. Alberto Knot

Last but certainly not least is the Alberto or crazy Alberto knot.

It’s another knot that works really well when connecting two different sizes or types of line together. For example, a braid to a fluorocarbon or monofilament leader.

However, I have a lot more confidence in the uni knot in that smaller line class. I use the uni most of the time when I'm in that 20 to 30-pound braided line range and 10 to 25-pound fluorocarbon leader range.

But I occasionally use the Alberto knot when I'm offshore. I also use it when I'm muskie fishing and I just need that extra heavy braided line with heavier leaders. One thing I like about the Alberto knot is that it's narrow. This allows me to use a longer leader without having to worry about the knot snagging on the guides. The Alberto knot also works really well for connecting lines that are drastically different in size and diameter.

So when I'm connecting that 50-pound plus braided line to somewhere between 40-pound and up fluorocarbon or monofilament leader, the Alberto is my go-to knot.

Here's the full walkthrough: Alberto Knot: Line-to-Line Knot

Braid: Seaguar Smackdown Flash Green
Leader: Seaguar Gold Label Fluorocarbon Leader
Clothing: NRS Silkweight T-shirt

The post Top 5 Fishing Knots appeared first on Hazeadventure.

It’s one of my favorite knots because it gives me tons of confidence when I need to attach a monofilament or fluorocarbon line directly to a hook or lure. However, I don't like the improved clinch knot when I'm tying a braided line directly to a hook or a lure because it can slip if you don’t put enough wraps in it.

Let’s get started.

Demonstration with Cordage and Eye Bolt

In the first demonstration, I’ll use an eye bolt to represent a hook or lure, and a piece of cordage to represent the line.

Step 1

I’ll start by feeding the line through the eye bolt. It’s important to leave some extra on the tag end for the next step.

Step 2

Now I’ll wrap the tag end around the main line five times. You can also do this by holding both lines together and twisting the eye bolt.

I generally just wrap the tag end around the main line, but either way works. Now there’s a gap or a loop where the line connects to the eye bolt.

Step 3

Next, I’ll feed the tag end back through that loop. If you cinch it down at this point you’ll have a standard clinch knot, but there’s another step for the improved version.

Step 4

Take the tag end and pass it back through the big loop you've just created. This extra step helps a lot when you're using lighter or slicker lines that tend to slip.

Step 5

Now I'll hold the main line in one hand and the eyebolt in the other and cinch everything down nice and tight. You may want to moisten this with your mouth a little to help everything slide more easily. You can also give the tag end a tug to make sure everything is super snug.

Step 6

Now I'll trim off the tag end leaving a little sticking out. The tag end doesn’t need to be too short.

If you’re using a heavier fluorocarbon leader you can get away with just using the clinch knot a lot of the time. But I like the improved clinch knot with fluorocarbon and monofilament lines up to about 40 pounds because it gives me extra confidence.

Improved Clinch Knot Recap

This is my go-to knot for tying pretty much any monofilament or fluorocarbon line to a bait or a hook.

I don't like the improved clinch knot when I'm attaching a braid directly to a hook or a lure because it can tend to slip if you don't put enough wraps in it.

If you get to know this one, its a first step towards Mastering the Double Uni knot, check that post out too!

Braid: Seaguar Smackdown Flash Green
Leader: Seaguar Gold Label Fluorocarbon Leader
Clothing: NRS Silkweight T-shirt

The post How to Tie the Improved Clinch Knot appeared first on Hazeadventure.

When I Use the Alberto Knot

The Alberto Knot works well when connecting two lines of different diameters made from different materials, like braid and monofilament. I really like it when I'm fishing for big game offshore and I'm using a 50 or 80-pound braid and going to something like an 80-plus-pound leader.

Now I’ll do a few demos to show you how to tie the Alberto Knot.

Demonstration with Cordage

Step 1

First, take your leader material (this is typically going to be your larger diameter monofilament or fluorocarbon) and double that up on itself to create a loop at the top.

Step 2

Now, take your braid or smaller diameter line and feed it through that loop. Make sure you leave plenty of slack because you’ll need it in the next step.

Step 3

Next, pinch that at the top and start wrapping the line down seven times.

Step 4

Once you get down the line seven times, wrap it back on itself towards the top another six or seven times depending on how much room you have.

Step 5

You can see here that the line comes through and on top of this loop before it starts the wrap. To finish, go back through on the same side of the loop. You may need to open the loop up a little to get the line through.

Step 6

Now, grab your tag end and the smaller diameter line in one hand, and the bigger line in the other, and cinch everything down nice and tight. Finally, trim those tag ends off super close.

The Super-Strong Alberto Knot

And there you have the Alberto Knot. It allows you to connect two lines with different diameters made from two different materials. I typically use the Alberto Knot when connecting a braid to a fluorocarbon leader.

I generally use the Uni-to-Uni Knot for smaller tackle like Seaguar 30-pound and under braid to 20-pound and under fluorocarbon. When I start getting up into the 50-pound and larger braids I switch to the Alberto Knot. It’s a much smaller diameter knot and I just have a lot more faith in it with heavier tackle.

I also want to point out that you can increase from seven to 10 wraps if you're using a really small diameter braid. It won't hurt the knot or add any diameter. Just remember to do the same number of wraps each way.

Alberto Knot Recap

As you can see the Alberto Knot is relatively small in diameter so it won’t have any problem passing through the guides on your rod.

It's definitely one of my go-to knots when it comes to connecting lines of varying diameters made from different materials like braid and fluorocarbon. I tend to use the Uni-to-Unit Knot for smaller diameter lines, and the Alberto Knot when I’m using heavier tackle for bigger fish in offshore situations.

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I did an article on the Mastering the double uni knot as well for smaller diameter line to line ties. Check it out if you're tying with thinner line.

Braid: Seaguar Smackdown Flash Green
Leader: Seaguar Gold Label Fluorocarbon Leader
Clothing: NRS Silkweight T-shirt

The post Alberto Knot: Line-to-Line Knot appeared first on Hazeadventure.

How to Tie a Double Uni Knot

In the first example, I’ll demonstrate how to tie the Double Uni Knot using cordage so you can see what I’m doing more easily. This will show how well the knot works when connecting lines of two different types and diameters.

After this, I’ll do another demo with braided and fluorocarbon lines.

Double Uni Knot Step-by-Step Demonstration with Cordage

Here I have a small diameter piece of yellow rope and a section of red cordage with a larger diameter.

Step 1

Start by making sure that your two lines are parallel and opposing one another.

Step 2

Now take the line with the smallest diameter and create a loop. Make sure the loop is big enough for the next step.

Step 3

Here I’m wrapping the tag end around the loop and itself five to seven times.

Step 4

Once I have those five to seven wraps, I'll take that tag end and cinch it down. You may have to help it along as you pull.

At this stage, the knot will actually slip on the other line. So now you need to tie the same knot on the opposite side so they'll slip tight toward each other.

Step 5

Now I'm going to do the same thing with the other line by first creating a loop.

Step 6

Here I'm wrapping the line through the loop and around itself five or seven times.

Step 7

Then I'll pull that knot nice and tight.

Step 8

Finally, I'll drop the tag ends and pull the lines toward one another until the two knots are touching. Now I just need to trim the tag ends.

When it’s done you basically have two opposing Uni Knots. You can really see the difference in the diameters of the two lines.

Double Uni Knot Recap

The Uni-to-Uni, or Double Uni, Knot is my go-to knot for tying braided line to leader material. Actually, it works in nearly any situation where you have two lines of different diameters made from different materials.

I love the Double Uni because it’s strong and easy to tie. Give it a try next time you need to connect two different types and diameters of lines. I think you’ll agree.

I did an article on the Non-Slip Loop Knot for Fishing. Check it out as well.

Braid: Seaguar Smackdown Flash Green
Leader: Seaguar Gold Label Fluorocarbon Leader
Clothing: NRS Silkweight T-shirt

The post Mastering the Double Uni Knot appeared first on Hazeadventure.

Why does the Palomar Knot Works So Well?

The primary reason the Palomar knot works so well with braids is that the line gets wrapped around the hook or lure eye twice. This “doubling up” gives the line a good bite on itself and makes for a strong connection. It’s a big deal because braids are usually thinner, slicker, and have less memory than monofilament and fluorocarbon lines. 

The next great benefit is that the Palomar is easy to tie, which is why I generally use one whenever I’m connecting a braid directly to a hook or lure, especially when I’ll be fishing heavy cover or using something like a spinner bait that’ll be moving through the water quickly. 

Tying a Palomar Knot for Fishing

In this scenario, I’ll be tying a spinner bait directly to braided line using a Palomar knot. I'll be using a rope and a eye bolt so you can see it all clearly.

Palomar Knot Step by Step Demonstration

I’ll start by doubling my line over and making a big loop. 

Now, I’ll pass it through the hook or lure eye. 

Pull it to the tag end of the line

Next, I’ll tie an overhand knot. 

Pass the bait or hook through the loop.

And last, I’ll hold the tag end, cinch the knot down and trim off the excess. 

And that’s how easy the Palomar knot is. 

Lots of people use the Palomar knot with monofilament and fluorocarbon because it’s simple and strong, but I use it almost exclusively with braided lines.  

Braid to Spinner Bait with the Palomar Knot

Step 1 – Make a loop by doubling your line over (make sure it’s big enough to pass your hook or lure through)

Step 2 – Feed the loop through the eye of the hook or lure 

Step 3 – Pull the loop through until you’re almost at the tag end

Step 4 – Tie an overhand knot

Step 5 – Pass the hook or lure through the loop

Step 6 – Pull the slack tight

Step 7 – Trim the excess line on the tag end

Braid: Seaguar Smackdown Flash Green
Leader: Seaguar Gold Label Fluorocarbon Leader
Clothing: NRS Silkweight T-shirt

Follow my Adventures and Subscribe

If you enjoyed this article and are hungry for more adventure fishing tips, tricks, reviews, and adventures, head on over to the Road Trip Angler YouTube channel and feel free to sign up for our Hazeadventure.com newsletter. 

Check out my most recent adventure journal post: Black Bass Fishing the San Marcos River, TX

The post Palomar Knot Tying for Fishing appeared first on Hazeadventure.