My Knot Failed? 2025
livemusic reply :
I usually use a palomar but I tied an improved clinch knot on braid. An expensive spinner bait. Caught a jackfish (chain pickerel) and lost him and the bait. Got the line back and it was not conclusive... I figured his teeth cut the line... but there was a little curly cue on the end of the line and I thought... hmmm... this looks like it could be caused by tying the knot. Meaning the knot failed?
I have read that many people do use improved clinch knot on braid. I am wondering... how much tag end should you have on this knot. I had very little, like probably less than 1/16". How much? How much for a palomar tag end?
I do not think that I wet the line when I cinched it down. I haven't been doing that but I am going to start. That bait was about $9. I am hoping it was just his teeth. Those fish love a spinner bait.
Alonerankin2 reply :
Um, I'm not so sure this is anything more than normal break offs, I mean, these things do occur you know.. If it were occurring a high percentage of the time.. Maybe there's another issue, I'm not so sure that's the case here though..
Cgrinder reply :
Don't tie the clinch on braid. She'll slip.
S Hovanec reply :
Sounds to me like the knot slipped
bigturtle reply :
if you want to tie any knot that you are unsure of, double the number of loops around the eye of the lure. this usually fixes the problem.
J Francho reply :
A curly-que with braid? Who knows. Two things, I don't use braid for spinnerbaits. Pickeral can slice through braid with not only their teeth, but the gill and rough scales over the gill plate are abrasive as well. OK, three things....I don't generally spend $9 on spinnerbaits. Not even my custom made ones cost that much.
John G reply :
Uni Knot!
QUAKEnSHAKE reply :
On 4/25/2015 at 12:39 AM, Cgrinder said:Don't tie the clinch on braid. She'll slip.
Even in the PowerPro manual it has -do not use clinch knot it will slip. Not saying PP was used though.
rippin-lips reply :
With braid I only ever use the palomar knot. I really don't see any reason not to. It's super quick to tie, and it hasn't failed me yet. Be sure to pull on the main line real good after you tie it. There usually is a small amount of slip but it's not much. However with 1/16" of tag it sounds like that was the issue. I cut my tag end after I fully tighten the knot down and leave about a 1/4" of tag. You can even hit it with a lighter for a bit of extra security if you feel the need to.
bigturtle reply :
On 4/25/2015 at 4:35 AM, rippin-lips said:You can even hit it with a lighter for a bit of extra security if you feel the need to.
What does this do?
Maxximus Redneckus reply :
makes a melted knot at the end thatvis hopefully bigger then the loops in the knot preventing it from slipping throughOn 4/25/2015 at 5:42 AM, bigturtle said:What does this do?
gulfcaptain reply :
If you are going to tie a clinch knot, you need to either do a San Diego knot which holds well (instead of wrapping up you wrap down then go through both loops, wet and tighten.) or you run your line twice through the eye of the hook then tie. Now after you tiied your knot, lock it down with 2 half hitches. I don't like the palomar knot, and tie either the improved clinch or the San Diego knot all the time (other then snelling a hook). And you should ALWAYS wet your line before you tighten. Doesn't matter what knot you tie. If you don't wet it you can possibly not cinch it down all the way hence when it's under pressure it fails or you create a bad spot from the line rubbing and chaffing itself which could lead to line failing. Both can be avioded. And I only cut the tag end off after I am completely satisfied with my knot. If it looks questionable, well I cut it off and retie.
rippin-lips reply :
On 4/25/2015 at 5:45 AM, Maxximus Redneckus said:makes a melted knot at the end thatvis hopefully bigger then the loops in the knot preventing it from slipping through
You get a gold star for the day.
CWB reply :
I double the knot through the linetie before tying any knot I use with braid. Don't recall any slipping but have had biteoffs.
madweazl reply :
Was using 15lb Power Pro braid today and had a heck of time with the San Diego for the first few tries. I use this not pretty much exclusively on flurocarbon and mono but it took a few tries to get used to it on braid. Easier to do a uni for me.
bigturtle reply :
my god, you people have to burn your line to get a knot to hold? wow.....
Ozark_Basser reply :
Double uni or double Palomar work very well with braid. The double uni is one stout knot for braid.
John G reply :
A single Uni is all you need. I bent the crap out of a 4/0 Flippin Hook with a single Uni while pulling on a big branch and the knot did not break.
Ozark_Basser reply :
On 4/25/2015 at 9:18 AM, John G said:A single Uni is all you need. I bent the crap out of a 4/0 Flippin Hook with a single Uni while pulling on a big branch and the knot did not break.
True. But I like the reassurance when throwing big baits on braid. You cannot break that knot if you tie it on heavy braid.
ABW reply :
I only use a palomar with braid. Learned my lesson when tying a San Diego Jam. These types of knots slip.
yakingfisherman reply :
I use the reverse improved clinch knot on all my lines including braid. Never had one knot slip on me. great knot.
Master Bait'r reply :
Double palomar with braid.
I mean if you're going to do it once, twice is not hard. Just get 'er real wet before you cinch. It will Never. Ever. Slip.
hatrix reply :
All I seem to ever use any more is a San Diego Jam now. I even tie it with braid now and it has never failed me yet. It can be a little tricky with braid at first because it doesnt want to slide down and bunches up. Just grab the knot and twist it down the line if that happens and it will slide right down. Do the same the thing with other lines if it looks bad like ti will be a bad knot and it should come out perfect. Also when I tie it I only go through the top loop. I don't actually know if that is a different knot but it has never failed me since I started tying it last year.
SirSnookalot reply :
Nothing wrong with the improved clinch knot and braid, making a second wrap on the final step will prevent the tag end from pulling thru. I have caught hundreds of tarpon, snook and jacks using 15 or 20# and never a problem, provided I tied the knot right.
I saw this tip demonstrated on TV by Henry Waszcuk, boy was he ever right.
Slipknot_Fan666 reply :
I believe wetting the line is more of a precaution for people. I never do it when I tie knots and very very rarely do my knots give. For example, when I get caught on a rock or something underwater (which happens a lot for me), the line tends to break 90% of the time instead of my knot failing. I used to only tie the improved clinch, but now basically all I tie is the San Diego Jam.
hatrix reply :
Wetting the line probabaly matters more for some knots then others. Like tying a palomar with mono or something and not wetting it will burn up your line and get it all curly. That even happens when it's wet of its to tight when who go to pull it through. I also tie a sandiego jam and have never burned up my line pulling it down and I know I don't always wet it. It just makes it easier sometimes to slide it down the line.
Capt.Bob reply :
Never have had a problem but usualy have a leader in Fluoro or mono that my lure is tied to, seldom do I tie any bait or weight directly to braid, but every reel I own uses braid (832 Sufix, because of it's ability to take abrasion better than any braid I found on the market!!) but when I do I tie and pull it up "TIGHT TIGHT" I have never had one slip, and I always trim my tags 1/16" or less!! Like J said, if there was a curly Q on your braid,,,,,I would question the brand of braid you chose!!!! this is all new to me as I don't know how that could happen with any braid I have ever tried. 
SirSnookalot reply :
Wetting braid isn't needed. Not a bad habit of wetting knots when using mono, but not needed for every knot. I never wet my loopknot, usually wet my clinch or improved clinch but not when it's real humid. Thicker lines don't always get wetted and I see charter captains tighten the knot with a pliers or attaching the hook to a fixed object, then pulling very tight. Burning may have an affect on lighter lines, doesn't seem to matter with 40# leaders and up.
Catch and Grease reply :
I gave up on tying the clinch knot with braid... I use three knots now, the Palamor, San Diego Jam, and a Snell.
livemusic reply :
On 4/25/2015 at 9:57 PM, Capt.Bob said:Never have had a problem but usualy have a leader in Fluoro or mono that my lure is tied to, seldom do I tie any bait or weight directly to braid, but every reel I own uses braid (832 Sufix, because of it's ability to take abrasion better than any braid I found on the market!!) but when I do I tie and pull it up "TIGHT TIGHT" I have never had one slip, and I always trim my tags 1/16" or less!! Like J said, if there was a curly Q on your braid,,,,,I would question the brand of braid you chose!!!! this is all new to me as I don't know how that could happen with any braid I have ever tried.
I was using 832 Sufix!
SirSnookalot reply :
On 4/26/2015 at 1:11 AM, livemusic said:I was using 832 Sufix!
The brand of line isn't the issue, it's how the knot is tied. Try some other knots until you find one that works for you, the best teacher is our own previous failures.
As important as the knot is, it's a procedure that should require no thought, an automatic reflex action if you will.
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