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Table of Contents
1. Palomar Knot + Berkley Trilene XT
The first knot we are going to look at is the Palomar Knot. This knot is probably the single most popular fishing knot for monofilament line, and for good reason. It is quickly tied in four simple steps, and is extremely strong, and should serve for most any lure. The Palomar knot may also be used on braided line with excellent results, making it a truly all purpose knot. Great for lines like Berkley Trilene XL.
Pros/Great all-around knot and line
Cons/None
Bottom Line/Probably the most popular fishing knot and line going
2. Rapala Knot + Rapala Lures
Photo by Derrek Sigler
The complicated, but versatile Rapala Knot is also extremely popular when tying a lure to monofilament line. Some object to the fact that it does leave a tag end, which can snag weeds. However, the raw strength more than makes up for the shortcomings of complexity and snagging. You can learn more about Rapala lures here.
Pros/Strong knot that lets the Rapala lure work like it was designed to
Cons/Rather tricky to master
Bottom Line/A great knot to use for any body baits
3. Clinch Knot + Gamakatsu Hooks
Another one of the best fishing knots for lures is the Clinch Knot. This powerful knot can be tied in just three simple steps, making it a winning combination of simplicity and pure strength. Not only is it extremely useful for lures, it also can be used to tie hooks and swivels to your line.
As far as hooks go, you cannot go wrong with Gamakatsu products. We’ve been fishing with them for year and they have never let us down. One of our favorite techniques is to tie a Gamakatsu worm hook using the cinch knot and rig a Powerbait worm weedless. Then we drift over weed beds, twitching the worm as we go. It has proven highly effective on days when there is lots of boat traffic on the lake. The cinch knot holds every time.
Pros/Easy to tie and effective
Cons/None
Bottom Line/A great way to get a strong knot that is easy to tie
4. Knots for Braided Line + Powerpro line
Photo: Shutterstock/Potekhin
If you are using braided line, there are other knots to consider. The Uni Knot is believed by some to be among the best knots for attaching lures to braided line. Some experts also considered the San Diego Jam Knot to be one of the best fishing knots for lures when using braided line. This knot seems to be somewhat obscure, but growing in popularity. It certainly delivers incredible performance though! One of our favorite braided lines is PowerPro. Learn more about PowerPro Braided Line here.
Pros/Strong and sensative for subtle bites from big fish
Cons/Harder to cutrim
Bottom Line/Super strong and tied right, braided line will not break easily
5. Berkley Braid Knot
Famed fishing line manufacturer Berkley developed their own unique knot for tying lures to braided line. This scientifically designed knot is called the Berkley Braid Knot and can be tied in just steps. Berkely had the knot designed to stop braided line from slipping out of a tied knot. Learn more about Berkley Fireline here.
Pros/Incredibly strong knot for Fireline and other braided lines
Cons/Fireline is harder to trim the excess line from
Bottom Line/A great way to make sure your fish comes to you instead of getting away
Picking the best knot
There are several common knots, and they are common because they are very good knots. While there will always be somebody to argue otherwise, some of the best fishing knots for lures are also going to be the most common, widely accepted ones.
The truth is, the best fishing knot is a popular bone of contention with people, and everyone has their particular set of favorites. As with anything that has both subjective and objective qualities, you’ll find considerable and sometimes heated debate among fishermen. There is nothing wrong with that, and it can be quite fun, but you need to know when to pull fact from emotion. With that in mind, we are certain that some folks are going to disagree with our brief overview of knots, but that’s ok too.
One other thing to consider when looking for the best fishing knot for lures is what kind of line you are using. Monfilament will have different tying qualities than braided line will, and you may need to use different types of knots for the same lure when using different line.
Thoughts on Knot Tying
When looking to tie the best fishing knot for lures, several things must be considered. We’ve looked at some of the most popular fishing knots in the world, and even one that was designed by a leading manufacturer of line. These knots all have a few things in common; they generally are simple to tie, have a high level of strength and do not slip or come apart when wet. Because tying a knot weakens a line, you want a knot that will retain as much strength as possible. Typically these knots will spread the strain out over several loops of line, rather than at a single point.
Wet line is slippery, so you also need a knot that has good hold. Again, you’ll see this in the form of multiple loops of line in the knot. When you consider the physics and strain that a knot must carry, it is easy to see that a knot that has multiple loops to it, and attaches to the lure with a loop will do a much better job than a knot that does not do these things.
Knots and heat
Something that is often overlooked is the heat and friction created when tying and tightening the knot. The amount of heat is rather small, but it can actually be enough to weaken the knot strength. That is something to consider when looking at knots and tying fishing knots because any knot will already weaken the overall strength of the line.
The way to combat this is to get the line wet before tightening a complex knot. It may seem silly, but it can help in some cases, and the last thing you want is to have the line break at the knot when you’ve got a monster fish on the line.
What is the strongest fishing knot?
Many folks say that overall, the Palomar Knot is the strongest and best fishing knot for all types of line. That’s open to some speculation. We’d suggest trying several to see what works best for you and your angling style.
Do knots weaken my fishing line?
All knots will weaken the overall breaking strength of the line. It’s a simple fact that can’t be avoided. The different knots listed here will prove to be much stronger than say a standard hitch knot like you’d use to tie your shoes. That knot provides a 50% reduction in line strength.
About the Author
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