Best knot for a fishing hook

The fish nibbles, the rod bends and, all of a sudden, the line comes back light, with no hook. Often, the knot is what failed. The best knot for a fishing hook depends on the hook (with an eye or eyeless), the line (nylon monofilament, fluorocarbon or braid) and what goes on the end: natural bait, a lure, a fly or a rig with two hooks.

This guide covers 14 knots from the Knots and Lashings catalog, why each one works, when to avoid it and how to test it. The step-by-step instructions are on each knot's page. It is meant for the Pathfinder on the Club's first fishing trip and for the Counselor who teaches the Unit.

🎣What is the best knot for a fishing hook?

The best knot for a fishing hook is the one you tie correctly, the same way, every time. For beginners, that is usually the Palomar Knot, which the Animated Knots guide considers one of the strongest and most reliable fishing knots. On nylon line, the Improved Clinch Knot is among the most widely used.

There is no single champion. Animated Knots treats the Improved Clinch, Orvis, San Diego Jam, Trilene and Uni as nearly interchangeable for tying line to a hook or swivel and recommends knowing at least one from each group. The caution has a reason: according to the same guide, monofilament with a knot in it breaks at about 50% of its ideal strength, and figures above the 50 to 70% range deserve skepticism. To go further, see which knot is the strongest and the guide to sport fishing with your club.

Difficulty from Desbravai's Knots and Lashings catalog; uses checked against Animated Knots and Berkley (October 2026).

🪢Knots for an eyed hook: Palomar, Improved Clinch, Trilene and Uni

The Palomar Knot passes the doubled line through the eye, ties an overhand knot with that loop and passes the hook through it, which leaves the hook free to rotate. Animated Knots recommends it for braided line. When to avoid it: with a big lure, which has to pass through the loop, the knot gets awkward.

The Improved Clinch is known as the angler's reliable standby. The tag end makes five or more turns around the line (four with heavier line) and gets a final tuck, the extra step behind its name, which helps hold a strong fish. It works well with thin line on a heavy wire hook, but the guide advises against it above 30 lb test (about 13.6 kg).

The Trilene Knot is a clinch with the line passed twice through the eye, a double wrap that takes some of the strain. Berkley, the maker of Trilene line, recommends it for monofilament and fluorocarbon, on hooks, swivels, snaps and lures. When trimming, leave about 3 mm (an eighth of an inch) of tag end.

The Uni Knot, invented by Norman Duncan and named by outdoor writer Vic Dunaway, works on both nylon and braid. Before the final pull it forms an adjustable loop that only locks when you pull it tight, and tied around the shank of the hook it even works as a snell.

🐟What is the best knot for small hooks and hard-fighting fish?

A small hook, like the ones used in Brazil for lambari (small freshwater fish related to tetras), calls for a small knot. The Davy Knot was created by Davy Wotton, of the Welsh fly-fishing team, to be tied very quickly, even in the cold, using little line. Its reputation for keeping 100% of line strength does not hold up: tests cited by Animated Knots point to 50 to 60%. The tag end has to lie against the eye.

The Double Davy Knot adds one more pass and is preferred when the hook wire is thick for the line, a situation where the single Davy tends to slip. Wotton advises against holding the tag end in your teeth, because of the risk of bacteria from the water. The Orvis Knot, created by Larry Becker, won a contest held by the Orvis company to find the best knot for tying line to a hook: it is strong, small and light, and tends to set at an angle on the eye.

For hard-fighting fish, the San Diego Jam Knot became famous among long-range tuna anglers in San Diego, California. It holds hooks, jigs and swivels, works with nylon, fluorocarbon and braid and, in the tests cited by Animated Knots, is among the knots that best preserve line strength.

🔩Knot for an eyeless hook (spade end hook): the Snell

Anyone looking for a fishing hook knot without a hole usually has hooks that end in a small flattened tab instead of an eye, known as spade end hooks. With no eye, the knot has to grip the shank.

That is the job of the Snell Knot, the classic way to snell a hook. Animated Knots notes that it was invented for eyeless hooks, is still widely used today and lines up the line with the shank; as a result, the hook-set reaches the hook as a straight pull. The line makes several tight wraps around the shank (7 or 8 in the Animated Knots version, shown on an eyed hook), and on a spade end hook the wraps sit just below the spade, which holds the knot like a stop. Pre-snelled hooks are also sold.

The Egg Loop Knot is a variation of the Snell that passes the line through the eye twice, so it needs an eyed hook. The loop next to the shank holds soft bait, such as fish eggs and shrimp, and is widely used for salmon and trout. On both knots, the wraps must not cross.

🎯Best knot for lures: why a loop lets the lure swim

Tied with a tight knot at the eye, a lure is locked in place; tied with a small fixed loop, it swings freely and swims more naturally. That is why the best knot for lures is often a loop knot.

The Non-Slip Mono Knot is known as Lefty Kreh's Loop: Kreh developed it during his tests and published it in the book Practical Fishing Knots, co-written with Mark Sosin. In some of those tests, the line broke before the knot did. The tag end faces the hook and catches less weed on the retrieve.

The Rapala Knot was recommended by the Rapala brothers so their lures could move freely; Kreh added turns to the original one-turn version to make it stronger. Leave the loop long enough that it doesn't grip the lure. The tag end faces away from the hook and picks up more debris. If the lure is tied on directly, the Palomar does the job.

In fly fishing, the Double Turle Knot ties the fly to the leader, the thin section at the end. It is named after British Major William Greer Turle, who popularized the original knot in the late 1800s; an 1886 fishing manual already praised it on hooks with a turned-down eye. The double version, with two loops, answers the demands of modern, more slippery lines.

🧵Best knot for braided line to a hook, swivels and sinkers

Braided line is strong and very slick, and that slickness makes some knots slip. For braid, Animated Knots points to the Palomar and the Uni, and the San Diego Jam is also recommended; avoid the single Davy. If you use a length of nylon or fluorocarbon at the end, the leader, you will find the connection in the guide to the knot to join two fishing lines.

A swivel, the metal piece that keeps the line from twisting, takes the same knots as an eyed hook. In a sliding sinker rig, the sinker slides on the main line, the swivel stops it from below and the length with the hook comes off the other side: that makes two knots, one on each ring, and both have to pass the test.

On a rig with more than one hook, the Dropper Loop makes a loop that stands out at a right angle from the middle of the line, which helps avoid tangles. The loop can take the hook directly, but it should not be too long, or it will twist.

✅How to tie a fishing knot that won't come undone

Fishing knots are made not to be untied. Since fishing line is cheap, Animated Knots explains, these knots put compactness and reliability first; when the fishing is over, they come off with a snip.

Before the final pull, wet the knot with water or saliva. Moisture lets the wraps slide and avoids heat from friction, and Berkley repeats the instruction in its Trilene steps. Tighten slowly and firmly, until the wraps seat without crossing. Trim the tag end close with a nail clipper, the tool Animated Knots rates as the best, and never with your teeth. If the line is frayed near the knot, cut it and retie. Scraps go in the trash, never in the river.

Then give it a firm pull before casting. At the Club you can go further: tie the same knot several times, hook it to a ring and pull with a spring scale, the kind used to weigh luggage, until it breaks. According to Animated Knots, testing your own line and your own knot with your own scale is the only data you can truly trust. Compare three knots and record the Unit's numbers.

🦺Hook in the finger, life jacket and license: fishing safety

When tying, hold the hook by the bend with the point facing away, and keep hooks in a closed box. A barb flattened with pliers makes removal easier, and sunglasses protect your eyes from a bad cast. Line clippers, needle-nose pliers and a first aid kit go on every fishing trip.

If a hook gets stuck in the skin, do not pull it back against the barb. Call the adult and get medical care: removing an embedded hook is a medical procedure, done with local anesthesia. A hook in or near the eye stays where it is; the MSD Manual calls for treatment by an ophthalmologist. The wound carries a risk of infection, and the doctor checks whether a tetanus shot is needed based on the vaccination record.

Deep banks, steep riverbanks and boats call for a buckled life jacket, even for strong swimmers. The full rules are in the guide to water safety. Pathfinder fishing trips always happen with an adult nearby.

In Brazil, the legal reference is the Ministry of Fisheries and Aquaculture (MPA). According to the ministry's booklet, the only anglers exempt from a license are those fishing with a handline or a simple pole, with no commercial purpose. With a rod and reel, the recreational fishing license is requested through the gov.br portal, costs R$ 20 (Brazilian reais) a year for shore fishing or R$ 60 for boat fishing and is valid for one year throughout the country; some states require an additional license. The booklet does not cover rules for minors or list the closed-season dates (the defeso), which vary by region and species: before the trip, the leader checks everything with the MPA and the state environmental agency. These are Brazilian rules; outside Brazil, your own country's fishing regulations apply.