Fishing tool
Fishing Knot Finder
Choose the connection you need to make and get one practical knot, concise tying steps, and an alternative where one fits.
Quick answers
- Line to a hook, lure, or swivel
- Easy to tie: Palomar Knot for braided line, Improved Clinch Knot for monofilament, Uni Knot for fluorocarbon
- A small hook or lure eye: Uni Knot
- Braided main line to a leader
- Easy to tie: Double Uni Knot
- A slim connection: FG Knot
- A much thicker leader: Alberto Knot
- Two mono or fluorocarbon lines
- Easy to tie: Double Surgeon's Knot
- Similar-sized lines: Double Uni Knot
- Line to a reel spool
- An empty spool: Arbor Knot
- Line already on the spool: Double Uni Knot
- A loop for a lure or a dropper hook
- A loop at a lure or fly: Non-Slip Loop Knot
- A dropper on a bottom or surf rig: Dropper Loop
See each pick with its tying steps, or answer the questions below for your connection.
Which knot for which connection
This is what the finder picks for every combination it covers. Answer the questions above to see the tying steps for yours.
Line to a hook, lure, or swivel
- Easy to tie
- Palomar Knot Improved Clinch Knot Uni Knot
- A small hook or lure eye
- Uni Knot
Braided main line to a leader
- Easy to tie
- Double Uni Knot
- A slim connection
- FG Knot
- A much thicker leader
- Alberto Knot
Two mono or fluorocarbon lines
- Easy to tie
- Double Surgeon's Knot
- Similar-sized lines
- Double Uni Knot
Line to a reel spool
- An empty spool
- Arbor Knot
- Line already on the spool
- Double Uni Knot
A loop for a lure or a dropper hook
- A loop at a lure or fly
- Non-Slip Loop Knot
- A dropper on a bottom or surf rig
- Dropper Loop
The 10 knots
Each one is a widely used knot with a published, illustrated tying guide. The steps here are a short summary to read before you open that guide.
Palomar Knot Easy
Good for: Braided line tied to a hook, lure, or swivel.
Why it fits: A simple terminal knot with few tying operations; a useful starting point for braid.
Watch for: The eye must take doubled line, and the whole hook or lure must fit through the loop. Keep the doubled strands from crossing as you seat it.
Tying steps: Palomar Knot
- Fold a roughly 6-inch section of line and thread the fold through the eye.
- Leave the tackle hanging while you make a loose overhand knot in the doubled section.
- Slip the entire hook or lure through the remaining loop, without crossing the strands.
- Moisten, then draw the standing line and tag together until seated. Pull-test before trimming.
Improved Clinch Knot Easy
Good for: Light mono or fluorocarbon tied to a hook, lure, or swivel.
Why it fits: A familiar terminal knot for a conventional line-to-terminal connection.
Watch for: Not a braid choice here. Avoid it with stiff or heavy line over 30 lb; the coils can be difficult to seat. Try the Uni if they will not draw down evenly.
Tying steps: Improved Clinch Knot
- Thread the eye, leaving about 6 inches to work with.
- Wrap the tag end around the standing line five or six times.
- Pass the tag through the small loop by the eye, then back through the larger loop.
- Wet the knot, pull it snug against the eye, and trim the tag.
Animated Knots illustrated guide: Improved Clinch Knot (opens in new tab)
Uni Knot Easy
Good for: A versatile terminal knot with braid, monofilament, or fluorocarbon.
Why it fits: The adjustable loop lets you snug the knot to the eye after tying it.
Watch for: Slippery braid may need extra turns or the line maker's version of this knot. Check for slipping with a firm pull-test; retie if the wraps move.
Tying steps: Uni Knot
- Pass the line through the eye and lay the tag end alongside the standing line.
- Curve the tag into a loop, then wind it around both parallel strands and through that loop six times.
- Pull the tag to tighten the wraps into a small coil.
- Wet the knot, slide it to the eye with the standing line, and trim the tag.
Double Uni Knot Moderate
Good for: Lighter braid to a mono/fluoro leader, or two similar-diameter mono/fluoro lines.
Why it fits: Two Uni knots draw together to make a practical line-to-line connection.
Watch for: The joined coils are bulky. This easy braid-to-leader choice is intended for lighter tackle, not heavy leaders or a large diameter mismatch; consider the FG for a slimmer braid connection, or the Alberto for a much thicker leader.
Tying steps: Double Uni Knot
- Overlap the two lines by several inches, pointing their tag ends in opposite directions.
- Bend one tag into a loop. Wind it around both lines and through the loop: 6–8 turns for braid, about 5–6 for mono or fluoro. Moisten and snug the coil.
- Use the other tag to form a second loop and coil in the opposite direction, using the turns appropriate to that material.
- Wet both knots and pull the standing lines to bring the two knots together before trimming.
NetKnots illustrated guide: Double Uni Knot (opens in new tab)
Double Surgeon's Knot Easy
Good for: Quickly joining two mono or fluorocarbon lines.
Why it fits: It is a straightforward line-to-line knot when speed and simplicity matter most.
Watch for: The entire free leader must pass through the loop twice, so it is awkward with a long leader or attached tackle. The knot is not a slim guide-passing connection.
Tying steps: Double Surgeon's Knot
- Overlap the two lines, with their tag ends pointing opposite ways.
- Make an overhand loop with the doubled section; pass the main-line tag AND the whole free leader through it.
- Feed those same two ends through the same loop once more. Do not substitute the two short tags.
- Wet the knot, pull all four ends evenly, and trim the tags.
NetKnots illustrated guide: Double Surgeon's Knot (opens in new tab)
FG Knot Advanced
Good for: Braid to a mono or fluorocarbon leader when a slim connection matters.
Why it fits: Alternating braid wraps grip the leader along a long, low-profile connection.
Watch for: Practice with the illustrated source before fishing it. Loose wraps or cutting the leader before seating can let it slip; follow your line maker's guidance for your actual diameters.
Tying steps: FG Knot
- Anchor the braid under light tension, for example at the rod handle, and lay the leader across it.
- Keep the leader straight and the braid under tension. Move the braid alternately over and under the leader so it forms snug, evenly stacked wraps around the leader. Sunline’s bass-tackle method uses 16–20 wraps.
- With the braid tag, tie 4–8 half hitches around the braid and leader together to hold the wraps.
- Pull the standing braid and leader firmly to seat the grip before trimming the leader tag close.
- Add two or three finishing half hitches around the standing braid alone. Trim the braid tag and pull-test for slipping.
Alberto Knot Moderate
Good for: Thin braid to a much heavier mono or fluorocarbon leader.
Why it fits: It was designed to join lines of different diameters, such as a braid main line to a heavier leader.
Watch for: Tighten it slowly so the wraps close at the end of the leader loop, not farther down, and check that the braid tag leaves the loop the same way it went in. Pull-test before trimming.
Through the rod guides? Yes. It lets a long leader run through the guides without a swivel; trim both tags close to the knot.
Tying steps: Alberto Knot
- Double the end of the leader into a loop and pass about 10 inches of braid through it.
- Wrap the braid around the doubled leader seven times, working away from the loop.
- Wrap seven more times back toward the loop, laying each wrap over the first set.
- Feed the braid tag back through the loop so it leaves the same way it went in.
- Moisten, then pull the braid and leader slowly to seat the wraps at the end of the loop. Trim both tags close.
Arbor Knot Easy
Good for: Tying line, or a mono backing for braid, to the reel spool.
Why it fits: A simple knot for tying line to the spool of a spinning, baitcasting, or fly reel.
Watch for: Braid can slip around a bare spool, which makes the drag seem not to work. Sunline and Berkley put a mono backing on first and join the braid to it.
Through the rod guides? No. It stays on the spool under the rest of the line.
Tying steps: Arbor Knot
- On a spinning reel, open the bail. Run the line through the rod guides, then pass the tag end around the spool.
- Tie an overhand knot with the tag end around the standing line.
- Tie a second overhand knot in the tag end, an inch or two from the first.
- Pull the standing line to slide the first knot down to the spool and jam the second against it. Trim the tag.
Non-Slip Loop Knot Moderate
Good for: A fixed loop at a lure or fly, tied in mono or fluorocarbon.
Why it fits: The loop does not grip the eye, so the lure or fly can swing more naturally. It is also called the Kreh Loop.
Watch for: Set the loop size while the wraps are still loose; once the knot is tightened, the loop size is fixed. The tying guides show it in mono, so with a braid main line, tie it in the leader.
Through the rod guides? No. It is tied at the lure, outside the rod tip.
Tying steps: Non-Slip Loop Knot
- Tie a loose overhand knot about 10 inches from the end of the line. Pass the tag through the eye and back through the overhand knot.
- Wrap the tag around the standing line four or five times. Animated Knots uses more turns in light line and fewer in heavy line.
- Bring the tag back through the overhand knot, entering from the side it came out of.
- Moisten, pull the tag slowly to snug the wraps, then pull the loop and standing line apart to seat the knot. Trim the tag.
NetKnots illustrated guide: Non-Slip Loop Knot (opens in new tab)
Dropper Loop Moderate
Good for: A loop partway along mono or fluorocarbon line for an extra hook, such as on a two-hook bottom rig.
Why it fits: The loop stands out from the line, which helps keep the hook from tangling around it.
Watch for: If the hook hangs on the loop, keep the loop fairly short; a long dropper is more likely to foul and twist. To tie a hook to a single strand instead, make the loop extra long and cut one side where it leaves the knot.
Through the rod guides? No. It sits on the rig below the rod tip, so stop reeling before it reaches the guides.
Tying steps: Dropper Loop
- Form a loop in the line where you want the dropper.
- Wrap one side of the loop around the crossover point five or six times, keeping a small opening in the middle of the wraps.
- Push the bottom of the original loop up through that opening and hold it, for example with your teeth.
- Moisten, then pull both ends of the line evenly until the coils tighten and the loop stands out from the line.
How this tool works
This is a small, hand-written rules table for common fishing connections. It chooses a knot only when the connection, materials, and practical priority are covered by a reviewed rule.
Wire, fly-line/backing connections, braid-to-braid joins, snells, and heavy offshore rigs are outside this small finder.
It does not give a numeric strength score or claim that one knot is universally best. Wet and test any knot before fishing, and retie after abrasion or a hard pull. Diameter, coating, and tying technique matter; follow the line maker's instructions if these starting points do not seat properly.
Terminal choices draw on Berkley's knot guide (opens in new tab). The braid-to-leader trade-off is reviewed against Shimano's leader guidance (opens in new tab). Each result links to its tying source.
- Use the knot you can tie correctlyA familiar knot tied carefully is more useful than a complicated one tied in a rush.
- Check the connection before the castSeat the wraps evenly, trim the tag ends, and pull-test the knot before putting it to work.