Stop anyone on the street and ask them ”What are your favorite knots?” Most likely you’ll get a blank if not defensive look. Few could say they know more than one or two knots, let alone suggest that they have a favorite. And are fisherman - those sportstmen who tie up lines and lures everytime there on the water - any better? Hardly. Take a poll next time your on the water with a boatload of anglers. The norm is for people to use one trick knot for all purposes.
Ever since I moved on from cane poles with fixed line, my standby fishing knot for years has been the “Grinner” or Uni Knot. Fast and easy, it has held on in the face of fighting fish without complaint or failure. But when I moved on from jigging and casting to the world of trolling, I needed a few new knot tricks. Why? Bigger gear and more strain on lines required secure knots that were bullet-proof lock-ups on my gear.
It was actually fun to rediscover knots to pick from for my new applications. On the way to find just the right knot for the trolling gear, I ran across many other knots to consider for my boating and fishing needs. We are each just a little homework away from a huge arsenal of tested knots for our seafaring applications. Thanks to centuries of sailors in particular for the development of hundreds of knots that are at our disposal for just the right securing.
For trolling, the Palomar knot has become a steady and reliable friend to me for reducing the risk of losing terminal tackle and fish. Complicated? Not really. Its just a thumb knot through the eye of the tackle with a simple pass of the hook through the knot’s bight along with the customary tightening (refer to an online video example). It has proved to be so terrific that it almost takes away the incentive to learn another new knot. But no doubt, there is another Palomar equivalent waiting to be discovered for another well-mated task. Lesson learned? More knots - more satisfying fun - and more fish. And yes, less lost tackle. Who could ask for more from free and low-cost technology? Go find some.
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