- “I’ll be danged if the next big fish I lose is because I tied a crappy knot,” writes outdoor columnist Ben Smith.
We’d been on the lake for about an hour, maybe a little more. The bite was mostly slow. I’d caught three or four smaller bass, and my buddy had landed about the same amount. It wasn’t abnormal for the fish to not be tearing it up at the moment. After all, the temperatures had soared to well over one hundred degrees. Some of the fish we’d caught were practically already cooked when we got them to the boat. Pouring out any fluids we’d consumed over the last few days, we decided to move to deeper water to see if we could change our luck.
I was fishing a plastic worm Texas-rigged style. Not the greatest setup for deeper water fishing, but I was so dang hot I didn’t want to waste time tying up a new rig. Looking back, I surely wish that I would have. I tossed my lure next to a treetop that was just above the water level. We were in about fifteen feet of water, so I allowed plenty of time for the worm to sink to the bottom. As soon as I bumped the worm and started my retrieve, I thought I was going to lose my rod.
It felt like I’d hooked Moby Dick on the other end! The bass hit the lure so hard I barely even had to set the hook. She started ripping line and I could hear my drag singing to me. I’m not anywhere close to a professional bass fisherman, but I knew this might be the fish of my lifetime. I’ve caught plenty in the 5–7-pound range, but this one definitely felt like more than that. I fought the beast for about two minutes, only getting one good look at her, and I was right, this was the fish of my lifetime. Right after getting a good glimpse of her, the worst thing that can happen to a fisherman in a battle happened.
All of a sudden, the line went limp, and my momentum sent me stumbling backwards. I couldn’t believe it. How could my gear let me down in what was one of the biggest moments of my fishing life? I was using seventeen-pound test line, and even though I knew it was a big fish, I knew she wasn’t seventeen pounds. False advertising! That was what my first thoughts were. Well, they weren’t my first thoughts, but you understand. I reeled in the remaining line cussing everything under the sun. By the time I got all of the line reeled in I’d already denounced Suffix line company, drafted a letter in my head, and hired a lawyer to sue them for emotional damages. However, upon inspection of the end of my line, my tune changed entirely.
Those of you that like to fish already know where I’m going with this. For those of you who don’t, let me lay it down for ya. It wasn’t Suffix that was the problem. The line hadn’t broken. It was my own undoing (pun intended) that was the problem. The knot that I’d tied came undone. Have you even seen a golfer miss a putt and go into a fit of rage and start destroying all of his clubs? That’s what this felt like. I didn’t exactly destroy everything in the boat, but I definitely had my buddy worried. I felt like I was suffocating. That may sound silly, and it is, but I pouted like a five-year-old girl that couldn’t eat a sucker before dinner. So, to make sure this never happens to myself, or my friends, again, here are a few knots that might save you from losing you fish of a lifetime.
The first knot to discuss is the clinch knot, also known as “Fisherman’s Knot”. It’s an easy knot to tie, and probably what most of us were taught growing up. To tie this one, thread the line through the hook and double back on the main line. Next, wrap the tag end around the main line 5-6 times. Actually, instead of trying to wrap it around the main line, just twist the hook or lure 5-6 times to produce the same thing. After you’ve wrapped it, thread the tag line back through the loop above the hook that you’ve created. Now, take the tag end back through the larger loop and pull the knot tight. To ensure it won’t pull free, tie a little knot on the tag line as close to your knot as possible and clip off the remaining line.
The next knot is the eye-crosser knot. This one is a little quicker than the clinch knot and is pretty easy to tie when you need a quick change of baits. Run your line twice through the eye of the hook. Next, double back parallel with the main line. After that, wrap the tag line around the two parallel lines two times. Finally, pull the line tight and clip the tag line. This isn’t one that I use very often, but it’s a strong knot to use in a pinch.
Now that you’ve learned those two knots, forget everything that I’ve said and use this one. The Palomar knot is the only real knot you NEED to know for tying on lures. Double up about six inches of line and put them through the eye of the hook. Next, tie a loose overhand knot leaving the hook dangling from the bottom. Then, hold the overhand knot in your fingers and pass the loop of the line over the hook. Pull both the tag line and the main line to cinch the knot and clip the remaining tag line. Voila, this is the easiest, strongest fishing line that you can tie a lure to.
I know some of those directions might be confusing, but there are plenty of “how to” videos online that will take you step-by-step through tying those knots. When I was learning how to tie them it was beneficial to just sit on the couch and do it over and over until I had it whipped. I’ll be danged if the next big fish I lose is because I tied a crappy knot. Start practicing today so it doesn’t happen to you, too!
Ben Smith
