How to Tie a Hook on a Fishing Line

There isn’t just one specific way to tie a hook on a fishing line. Since learning how to tie a hook on a fishing line is such an important part of catching fish, you should be aware of the different knots.

What Happens if You don’t Tie the Hook Well?

If you don’t use a proper fishing knot to tie your hook onto your fishing line, you might go through all of the steps to catching that trophy fish only to lose it before it ever gets to land. You may have the right bait, the right drag set on your reel, the right fishing pole and the right everything else. Then, the big one strikes and only a few minutes in, you lose it because the knot wasn’t good enough.

Here are some of the best fishing knots to use when you tie a hook onto fishing line.

Clinch Knot

The clinch knot is one of the go-to fishing knots. This not is easy to tie, remember and provides a good amount of durability when fishing.

Start by inserting the line through the eye of the hook and twisting it around the line 6 to 10 times. Then, run the line back through the eye of the hook and the look made by the line inside the eye of the hook.

After you have put the line through the eye of the hook and the loop made by the line, you want to loop it back through the larger loop created from twisting it around the line. Now, just pull it tight and you have a very strong fishing knot to use for successfully catching all kinds of fish.

Baja Knot

If you are using a heavier mono fishing line, a baja knot may be easier to tie and just as strong as the clinch knot. This knot is great for loop-to-loop connections.

Run the line through the eye of the hook and create a loop with the line. Then, create three loops with the line found before the hook by crossing it over itself. Pass the end of the line through the four loops you have created, go around them once and back through. Now, you can pull it tight and use pliers to secure the entire line.

Palomar Knot

If you are using braided fishing line, the palomar knot is the right choice. It may look pretty thick when you first tie it, but as you master it, the knot will start to look better. This is a quick and easy knot to tie, after a little practice.

Start by creating a loop with the end of the line and passing the loop through the eye of the hook. You will need about a six-inch loop to make this knot work properly.

Then, use the doubled loop you created and passed through the eye of the hook to tie a standard overhand knot. Don’t pull it tight, however.

Now, you want to slide the original doubled end you used to create the look under the hook and back up above the eye of the hook. Now, pull tight and you will have the knot you are looking for.

There are several other fishing knots you can learn to tie. However, when you are new to fishing and you just want to know how to tie a hook on a fishing line, these three are the best choices. Most anglers use a clinch knot or some version of it when using traditional fishing line. However, they will switch to a different type of knot when using thicker fishing line or braided fishing line.