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U.S. Patent #6871608
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Kayak
Fishing With Jeff McGovern
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Two
Knots
Knot tying is an
essential fishing skill and there are entire books written about
fishing knots. I am going to concentrate here on two lesser-known
knots that I use constantly in saltwater, as well as freshwater fishing.
1. Surgeons Knot
I use this for
attaching a leader to my main line. It works for both mono and
the new super lines. For best results when using a super line
(such as Fireline, Power Pro, Spiderwire, etc.), double the line before
tying in the leader. This will give the connection more bite and
it will hold much better. I normally use 10lb to 30lb leaders (mono or
fluorocarbon) and tie to either 8 to 20 lb mono or 8 to 30lb super
line. With a properly tied leader, you can fish with less
connection hardware such as clips or swivels. It creates a
connection point to the fish that is tougher to break than the main
line and, in some cases, is less visible to the fish, and is a great
handle when landing the fish. I depend on this connection and it
has not failed.
1. Lay the two lines side by side. |
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2. Tie an overhand knot pulling the leader line
(green) through the loop.
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3. Make three more
passes for a total of four
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4. Wet the knot and
pull it tight.
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5. Trim the tag ends.
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6. Done!
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Photos: Kate McGovern
2. Canoe Man's Knot
This knot is credited
to
the late Merrill Chandler, known for his pioneering efforts saltwater
canoe fishing in Florida. It is a loop knot for connecting
a hook,
lure, or jig to the leader. Loop knots allow the bait or lure to
move
more freely in the water column making them more attractive to
fish.
This one is super easy and does not use up long lengths of leader each
time it is retied. I use this knot as my leader to lure
connection
most of the time and, as with the Surgeons Knot, it has never failed me
when properly tied.
Both knots should be
wet
before being pulled snug. This allows the knot to seat better and
be
more secure. It also protects the line from heat friction damage
during tightening. This is especially important when using
fluorocarbon leader material.
The pictures show how
to
tie the knots. Practice makes perfect and these two knots are
well
worth the time and effort. Master them and they will be simple
and
effective additions to your fishing knot arsenal.
1. Put the leader
through the eye of the lure
about three inches.
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2. Form two backwards
loops toward the lure
in the leader.
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3. Push the second
loop through the first.
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4. Put the tag end
from the lure through the
loop that passed through the first loop.
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5. Wet the knot
tighten while holding the tag
end this allows the loop to be sized
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6. Trim the tag end.
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Photos: Kate McGovern
Jeff
Copyright
(C) Jeff McGovern, 2007
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