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Slippage is very minimal, and the knot is a stronger alternative to the clinch knot. If the eye of the hook has a greater thickness than the line diameter, the double wrap though the eye will definitely ease some of the stress on the line. And importantly, the Trilene Knot is a very easy knot to tie!

Trilene Knot – Step 1

Start by passing the tag end of the line through the eye of the hook or lure a single time, as shown… It really makes no difference whether you pass the tag end under or over the line after going through the eye — just be consistent as you continue.

Step 2

Bring the tag end through the eye a second time.

Step 3

Now wrap it around the standing end of the line…

five or six times.

Step 4

Lastly, thread the tag end of the line

back through the double coil (just above the eye) created back in step one.

Step 5

Lubricate the knot (simply use saliva) and pull it tight.

Lastly

Trim the end — but not too short (about where the arrow is pointing). Voila! Your Trilene knot is ready to go! If you would like to watch a video version, just click!

rk

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Knot tying is part of the practice of what is known as marlinspike seamanship – “the general knowledge of knots and the care of rope”. Whether you are the skipper of a small fishing boat or the pilot of a much larger craft, a few basic knots and a few definitions will prove helpful. Keep in mind that rope is rope. But once on board a vessel, it becomes a line.

Some Basic Vocabulary

A line has three parts:

• The bitter end – that end tied or made fast to the vessel
• The working end – the end tied or made fast to the dock or other things
• The standing part – the section between the bitter end and the working end

In general: a knot is a general term for securing a line to an object, another line, or to itself. A good knot is easy to tie and untie. It will not slip under the extreme amounts of tension to which it is generally subjected. Be aware that many boats – poorly moored – have gotten loose during the night and drifted far from the unsuspecting and surprised skipper.

Basic Knots Every Boater Should Know

The Bowline, Cleat Hitch, Square or Reef Knot, Clove Hitch, and Figure Eight are some basic knots that every boater should know. Actually, the Clove Hitch is a knot by itself, but is known to slip without the Half Hitches. (That’s where 4 knots become 5.)

And rather than try to take you through a step-by-step written explanation, all you need do is click on the links highlighted above. They’ll take you to the appropriate directions for each knot – and many more – on the Boatsafe website. It’s a site that illustrates very well the process of tying these knots. You will see animated gifs that will walk you through each of the knots mentioned. The site also tells you what specific things the knots can be used for. It is one of the best sites I have seen. Follow this link: www.boatsafe.com

There are many other knots that are useful and helpful. But start with these five basics. It’s amazing how useful you will find these knots to be. You can use them for everything from tying up your boat to tying a clothesline to your porch. All it takes is a little practice and you will soon be an expert! Happy boating… and I’ll see you On the Lake.

By R. Karl

The post Boating Knots to Know – Before You Go appeared first on On the Lake.

It’s also the only knot that will work with FireLine®. I’ve been told that it is somewhat awkward to tie when using lures with treble hooks, but it is the knot of choice for many anglers I know – including the owner of the resort I frequent in the summer.

To illustrate the tying of the Palomar knot, I have taken the liberty of crafting an insanely large “hook” from a coat hanger, and then using braided nylon clothesline so that the steps of tying the knot can be more easily seen and followed.

Please note that the instructional text for each step is printed directly beneath the photograph.

The First Step

The first step is to double about 4 – 6 inches of line (don’t skimp) and pass the loop through the eye of the hook. (You can alternately thread the line through the eye and back to achieve the same effect…)

I’ve found that although it doesn’t seem to make any difference, it works best to pass this loop through the “front” of the eye of the hook to start.

Step 2

Let the hook hang loose beneath the line, and then tie an overhand knot in the doubled line.

Step 3

Like this. Avoid twisting the line when tying and don’t over-tighten the knot at this point. Make sure that there is an ample portion of the loop remaining.

Step 4

Now pull the loop of line far enough to pass it over the front end of the hook. Note: From the second photo above, if you start by passing the original loop through the “back” of the eye of the hook, you should now pass the loop from the overhand knot over the back end (instead of front end) of the hook.)

Make sure the loop passes completely over the hook.

Step 5

To tighten the finished knot, pull the tag end while holding the standing line. Clip the tag end. Note: The “tag” end is the end of the line not leading to the fishing reel.

That’s it. That’s the Palomar knot in a few easy steps!

It has been said that this knot can be easily tied in the dark. For me, it begs the question: “What the heck are you doing fishing in the dark? Didn’t you catch your limit during the day?” Just kidding…

In any case, I hope that this gives you yet another method of attaching a hook or lure to your line. I also hope that it helps you to catch and release more fish. Good fishing… and I’ll see you On the Lake.

rk

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Snells or Lindy Rigs?

I later learned that this was a simple “Lindy Rig”. The first leaders – called snells – that I bought, at that time, were only $0.59 each. Years later, a friend showed me the way to tie my own snells. I’ve saved a ton of money since then. Tying on the hook is easy. After that, you can get as fancy as you want (by adding beads, spinners, etc.), in order to entice those ‘eyes to bite!

I use 10- to 12-pound test, monofilament line for my snells. Note: this knot will not hold with Fire Line®. If you want to use Fire Line® for your snells, a knot called a Palomar knot needs to be tied on that type of line.

The hook is probably the most important part of the “rig”. I’ve started using a Gamakatsu® #8 as my hook of choice. It’s razor sharp and the hook-set is quick and clean. You won’t miss many strikes when using this hook!

In the photos that follow, and for the purpose of illustration, I’m using a fairly large hook and line here. However, it really doesn’t make much difference, since the process is always the same. The specific instructional text immediately follows each picture.

Step 1

Start by inserting the line down through the front of the eyelet. Pull an extra several inches of line through the eyelet.

Step 2

Holding the line and shank just below the eyelet with your right hand, grab the end of the line with your left hand and make a counterclockwise loop that is about 2-3 inches in diameter. Make sure to leave about an inch or so of line sticking out beyond the hook.

Step 3

Now comes the only tricky part. Using your left thumb, index and middle fingers, wrap the right side of the loop over and around the hook shank and also over the cut end of the line. The thing that makes this difficult is that the line will have been twisted during this process. It is imperative to not let go of the line. The twist is important to the knot itself!

Step 4

You’ll want to make a total of six to eight loops over the shank, each time making sure to take the right side of the loop and wrap it over the hook shank and the end of the line. The loop you started with will be smaller now, and twisted. This makes it harder to hold.

Step 5

Holding the line and shank – as well as the cut end – securely with your right hand, pull the cut end of the line straight out until it is fairly tight.

Step 6

Finally, holding the hook and wrapped line now with your left hand…

Step 7

Use your right hand to quickly pull the other end of the line back through the eyelet and… Voila – your very own snell!

Step 8

Trim the excess line from the tag end; cut to any desired length. You can easily add beads, spinners, clevis pins and anything else you want to achieve the presentation you desire for every type of bait, fish and water condition.

Note: This method takes a little practice before you achieve perfection, but the result is every bit as good as you would find in a “store bought” snell from the name brand companies.
By the way, these manufactured snells now cost, depending on style, spinners, beads, etc., anywhere from $2.79 to as much as $6.99 or more – each – depending on the type!

Good luck, and I’ll see you on the lake!

rk

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