pro & con on loop knots

[SteveJ]

What are the pros and cons on how you attach your jigs on a loop knot? By that I mean free swinging or snugged down, I have been using a piece of mono to pull the loop thru the eye of the hoop and snug it down. Mainly tightline and use 2 jigs, just started the double set-up.

[BUCKET HEAD]

With The Loop Knot The Jig Is Free To Hang Naturally.

[slabkiller]

I agree with bucket head . it is pretty much the only knot I tie . it seens to give the bait a more natural look

[PapermouthLegend]

I have always used a rapala knot when fishing artificial. I use a standard trilene knot, doubled through the eye when fishing live bait. I don't know how much it helps cause I don't tie any other knots. I have fished the same 2 knots all my life. Here is the rapala knot I tie: http://www.animatedknots.com/rapala/...s.com#Overhand

[22Footer]

I tie some kind of dropper loop for my top jig. You cross the line and then twist it five times then push the jig through the loop that you made and voila' a loop! Lets it float however it may. Then tie the bottom tight to the line for feel.

[dedfish]

I always find that having your jig hang perpendicular to your line catches more fish. Sometimes when we can't get a bite.. make sure your jig's hanging right and you'll get a bite right off. It's weird.

[Guy Skinner]

I like the loop knot, but the only line I will use it on is braid, because the loop knot is only a 50% knot, and will break mono quicker than most of the other knots. I have found that there is little compromise in the break strength on braided line.

[BleuGhill]

I like the loop knot, but the only line I will use it on is braid, because the loop knot is only a 50% knot, and will break mono quicker than most of the other knots.

Based on my own tests - and IMO - Guy Skinner is absolutely correct about this - especially for tandem rigs. The loop itself is fairly strong, but the main line below the loop will break with surprising ease - at the knot! Try this: tie your loop knot and while holding the main line above and below the loop and give it a good yank. Watch it pop right at the knot. The 50% figure is probably the best you'll ever get; if poorly tied, you won't get nearly that good!

The good new is that normally - with the average fish and using a crappie rod - you're normally not yanking, but lifting and reeling, so you're not putting the knot under sudden stress. I use loop knots myself for freedom of movement, as has been mentioned, but with 6# test mono, I know going in that it's not a heavy duty setup like a palomar drop-shot rig would be. You could very well lose a big fish on the bottom hook/jig while using tandem rigs and loop knots (and with 6# mono). Braid normally won't fare much better because it's still cutting itself in the knot. Don't even think of using 4# mono and loop knots except for small fish and really limber rods.

I've tested almost all the loop knots to be found, and many times (it always varies according to how well you tie it), the simple Figure 8 is a bit stronger than any of the Surgeon's loop knot variations. With the standard Dropper Loop and it's variations, the loop itself will close completely up (before breaking) if you either get the bottom hook hung and yank it...or get a good fish on the bottom hook/jig. So, you end up re-tying to get the loop restored. Using swivels would be much, much stronger.

So, there's my take on the two negatives on loop knots (although I still use them sometimes): They either break easily, or they slip and close up. There just doesn't seem to be a loop knot tandem rig that is anywhere near as strong as the Palomar knot that is used in drop-shot rigs. But you don't get the loop!

For single hook/jig setups where the loop is on the end of the mainline, such as longline trolling one jig, or one jig under a bobber, almost all the Surgeon's variations of loop knots do a pretty good job for crappie sized fish.