Using handmade hair jigs

[skiptomylu]

No loop here either, usually a Palomar Knot for me. Keep in mind a lot of my fishing is long lining, but summer I fish tight line and more at night.

Almost forgot since I have not been fishing at all this year and not much last year, but I have a bunch of the little Quick clips that I bought out when they stopped importing this small size. I do use these a good bit.

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[Chuck Adams]

Loop knot for me.


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[Jamesdean]

Loop knot. I never cast or drop a jig without one...

[ksnouf]

I tie my bottom tight and my upper with a loop.

[snake River]

You’ll get more action using the loop we’ve been using that method for over 50 some years.

[arkcrappie]

Loop knot for everything I do. That's vertical, casting or long lining.

[Micanopy]

A few years back I did some testing to see which type of knot would allow a circle hook to set more readily and securely. Baited hooks mind you, but the snell and the loop knots each won out by far and wide. It had to do with how the hook moved when the leader pulled on it. See my way of thinking about this was that most any of our knots will hold just fine. There are no 100% knots as any kink or bend in the line weakens it. The tighter the bend the more it weakens. That is because the material is being stretched on the outside of the bends. Anyways, most any knot will hold, the real trick is which knot moves the hook point in a manner that catches more fish. There might be an advantageous knot for you in here somewhere if you can figure out which works best for the way YOU are fishing. Testing is the best way to determine this.

I would test loop knots and then a constriction knot like the UNI, where you can draw it down tight and move it to the front of the eye, top and then backside of the eye and see what happens.

There are several loop knots, but an easy one that is as solid as they come is also the UNI. Simply tie it as normal, then tug the tag end to pull the knot away leaving a loop. Trim tag end and now that you have moved it (trained it) it will slide tight when a nice fish is aboard, and you can just use your fingernail to slide it back into a loop. Doing that whenever it tightens again. Easy peasey pudding and pie and it is a loop knot that will not let go on you as some are prone to doing when a trophy is on the line. Maybe that will help you some.

Fluorocarbon lines have issues with loop knots because they are stiffer than mono. Test for strength before discovering while attempting to land that fish of a lifetime. For fluorocarbon you want a simple knot. Braid is slippery so you want a multiple wrapped knot, such as the surgeons loop knot. Mono you can pretty much choose whatever you wish and it will work great.

Remember that even the best knot sucks if it is poorly formed and cinched. People spit on their knots because it is widely believed that the material melts somehow. Nope. Spitting slicks the knot and allows it to tighten more deeply is all. There are some knots where you want that to happen, and others you definitely do not. For certain knots, being over tightened tends to make it cut itself and can and will weaken the interior materials. I only spit on a few knots.

I would rather use the knot scored to be number 14 on the strength index, if it is also durable. That is because we use rods that bend and reels that give line and do not require maximum strength. In other words, using a knot that does not continue to constrict and pretty much just sits there and lasts is best. Durability may seem silly because you retie often, and if that is the case fine. However some mention the wire clips and there durability matters. Will it last ? I like the clips myself too as fashioning good knots while fishing is a waste of time. Clip on clip off is quick and easy and repeatably secure.

I would choose the UNI or the surgeons loop to start. Later you might experiment some with the others, such as the No Slip loop knot, or the three wrap where you make a surgeons and add a quick third wrap. Find something that you can properly form and cinch. The knot that you make the best is probably your best choice. There are some knots that I had to fight to learn and so just let them go away and stick with what I make well.

Good luck

[chaunc]

Clinch knot on my single rig. I very rarely fish doubles.