Knot question...Improved clinch or non-slip loop under a float?

[clay slayer]

I always fish worms, grubs or crickets with a 4, 6 or 8 Aberdeen under a Balsa float of some kind. All my life I've always tied an improved clinch knot and never thought twice about it...until this afternoon.

This afternoon I filled up my utility sink in my garage with about a foot of water so I could test various split shot weights with some new floats so I could get them sitting just right in the water. Yeah, probably a little OCD, but that's how I am. Anyway, that's when I noticed a clinch knot almost always held the hook at an angle not completely vertical in the water because of the tight knot on the eye. I decided, on a whim, to try a loop knot and noticed the hook now had much more free movement and seemed more "relaxed" in the water.

NOTE - Only reason I noticed this tonight was because I could actually SEE the hook. When actually fishing, Louisiana bayou water is usually so stained that once the hook is about 4in below the surface, you have no idea what's going on.

So, the fact that crappie and bream more often than not suck the bait, made me wonder if a non-slip loop knot might work better than a tight clinch knot, letting the hook move more freely and possibly getting more hook sets.

Anyone out there use a loop knot instead of a tight knot under a float?

Positive and negative opinions welcome.

Thanks.

[catchNgrease]

I use a palomar on live bait hooks. I just feel like it is stronger.
I use a no knot snell when using a leader on live bait hooks.

I use a loop knot on jigheads. It seems to hang more natural.

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[icehouse]

I may catch some slack for this, but I use a loop knot about 90% of the time, regardless of what I'm using for my bait. The only time I don't, is if I'm throwing a spinner bait without the loop on the wire. I like the free-ness of the bait to float naturally.

Let the "slack" begin..

[BobC]

I may catch some slack for this, but I use a loop knot about 90% of the time, regardless of what I'm using for my bait. The only time I don't, is if I'm throwing a spinner bait without the loop on the wire. I like the free-ness of the bait to float naturally.

Let the "slack" begin..

No slack here, ice. I use a non slip loop knot most of the time myself, unless on that day my fingers are so clumsy. Then I use a trusty Palomar. The palomar is a very good and easy fumble finger knot, but I do feel the loop gives better movement.
Bob

[catchNgrease]

I may catch some slack for this, but I use a loop knot about 90% of the time, regardless of what I'm using for my bait. The only time I don't, is if I'm throwing a spinner bait without the loop on the wire. I like the free-ness of the bait to float naturally.

Let the "slack" begin..

Lol. No slack here. It's just hard to tie a loop knot on an Aberdeen or live bait hook.

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[icehouse]

Lol. No slack here. It's just hard to tie a loop knot on an Aberdeen or live bait hook.

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Not for me! I use the Richard Gene version!


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[Techno2000]

You might be right. People use a loop usually to make a jig sit vertical. But, I suppose it would make it easier for a fish to suck a plain hook into their mouths .

[Micanopy]

I don’t think it makes it easier for the fish to suck the hook in…..rather trickier to spit it back out.

[Ketchn]

free floater loop knot is me , rarely use anything else .
but we also rarely fish with real bait .

[pescador]

The No Knot snell


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