5 Fishing Knots Every Angler Should Know (And Nothing Else)

Forget the 50 fancy knots you see online. These 5 knots will handle every fishing situation you will ever encounter. Learn them once, use them forever.

There are hundreds of fishing knots. You need exactly 5.

Any other knot is either worse in every way, only works for one extremely specific situation, or exists just to make Youtube videos. Master these 5 and you will never lose a fish due to a bad knot.

All of these knots are simple, strong, and work with every type of line.

1. Improved Clinch Knot

Strength: 95% | Use for: 90% of everything

This is the default fishing knot. If you only learn one knot, make it this one.

Tie it:

  1. Thread line through hook eye
  2. Wrap 5 times around standing line
  3. Bring end back through the first loop
  4. Bring end through the new loop
  5. Wet line and pull tight

Watch 10 second demo

Perfect for: hooks, lures, swivels, weights. Works perfectly with mono, fluoro and braid. This knot will catch 9 out of 10 fish you ever catch.

2. Palomar Knot

Strength: 100% | Use for: Braid, heavy line

The strongest fishing knot that exists. Never fails.

Tie it:

  1. Double over 6 inches of line
  2. Loop through hook eye
  3. Tie simple overhand knot
  4. Pull loop over the hook
  5. Wet and pull tight

Absolutely unbreakable when tied correctly. This is the only knot you should ever use with braided line. Every tournament angler uses this.

Pro tip: You can tie this knot in complete darkness. Practice this until you can do it with your eyes closed.

3. Uni Knot

Strength: 92% | Use for: Joining two lines

The only line-to-line knot you will ever need.

Works for:

  • Attaching leader to main line
  • Splicing mono to fluoro
  • Joining different line diameters

No other joining knot comes close for reliability and simplicity. Forget the blood knot, forget the FG knot until you actually need it. Uni knot works perfectly 99% of the time.

4. Surgeon’s Loop

Strength: 90% | Use for: Quick loops, droppers

Perfect when you need a loop at the end of your line. Great for drop shot rigs, attaching lures that need to swing free, or adding a second hook.

Ties in 5 seconds. Doesn’t slip. Doesn’t weaken line.

5. Arbor Knot

Strength: 100% | Use for: Spooling new line

The only correct way to attach line to your reel spool. That’s it. That’s all it does. It will never slip, ever.

Everyone tries to be clever here. Don’t. Just use the arbor knot.

What Knots To Ignore

All of these are completely unnecessary for 99% of anglers:

  • FG Knot (only for casting extreme distances)
  • Blood Knot (worse than uni knot in every way)
  • Snell Knot (improved clinch works just as well)
  • Trilene Knot (just use palomar)
  • Any knot with a cool sounding name

Knot Rules That Never Break

  1. Always wet your line before tightening. Dry friction melts line and cuts strength by 50%. Saliva works perfect.
  2. Trim tags to 1/8 inch. Any longer and it will catch on guides.
  3. If you doubt the knot, retie it. 10 seconds of tying is better than losing the biggest fish of your life.
  4. Test every knot by pulling hard before you cast it.

Nobody ever caught more fish because they knew 12 different knots. They caught more fish because they knew 2 knots really well, and spent their time fishing instead of watching knot tutorials.

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