Handy Salmon Fishing Knot Tips

Every year I sit down at the beginning of the season and try to remember how to tie my salmon fishing knots. Practice makes perfect and I’m not sure that there is anything in Salmon fishing more important than good knots. Over the years I’ve lost my fair share of fish and gear to bad knots!

I’ve found the following tips have really help to reduce the number of lost fish and gear:

• Lubricate your knots with liquid soap – Tying knots can create a lot of heat friction which weakens the monofilament and makes your knot more likely to break under stress. Saliva works but liquid soap is the best.
• Pull your knots TIGHT – I have a pair of leather work gloves in my tackle box and a set of needle nose pliers. I pull my knots REALLY tight. The gloves protect your fingers from fishing line cuts which really hurt when exposed to salt water.

My favorite knots:

• Palomar knot – Very easy to tie and also very strong. I learned this one a couple of years ago and I now use it roughly 75% of the time when tying line onto terminal tackle, spoons, hooks, etc.
• Uni knot – When I can’t use the Palomar knot (e.g. really large lures) then I use the Uni knot. It is relatively easy to tie and very strong. There are also a ton of different ways to use the Uni knot which makes it particularly flexible.