Have you ever hooked a big fish and lost him? Did the scenario go something like this?

“I got one, I got one, and he feels huge!” I shouted excitedly.

“Don’t horse him now, let him wear himself out!” my buddy hollered.

“Dang it! I lost him! I think he broke my line!” I shouted in disgust.  

You can buy the best catfishing rod and reel, terminal tackle, and catfish rigs in the world, but if you don’t know how to tie them all together, what’s the point? Catfish are tough and fight hard, and it’s absolutely critical that you know how to securely attach each component together. The last thing you want to do is lose precious gear and catfish due to poor knot quality. At Whisker Seeker Tackle, we recommend you master tying the Palomar, Trilene, and Snell knots. These 3 fishing knots will cover the vast majority of common fishing scenarios.

My personal favorite fishing knot is the Palomar due to its ease of tying, incredible strength, and novel simplicity. Moreover, once you learn how to tie the Palomar knot, one can easily re-tie and be back in the action in less than 30 seconds. This is the workhorse knot for my friends and family, and when in doubt, it always gets the nod. I use it for attaching lines to reel spools and the majority of other applications- tying on hooks, jigs, swivels, etc… However, there are a couple situations where the Palomar knot is not ideal.

For example, when I’m fishing tiny hooks with small eyes that lack the clearance required for inserting the Palomar loop, I switch to the Trilene knot. One can still tie the Palomar after running the line through the hook eye twice, but I prefer to keep it simple and continue with the Trilene knot at this point to prevent confusion.

Another case where the Trilene knot is a better choice is when attaching pre-snelled leaders, catfish floats, or catfish rigs behind swivels already tied to a main line. In these situations, after threading a sinker slide and bumper stop on the main line, one can use a Palomar knot to attach the swivel. Next tie the leader to the terminal end of the swivel with a Trilene knot and you’re ready to fish.

The Snell knot is an extremely effective way to fish circle hooks with offset eyes for catfish. Not only is the Snell knot incredibly strong, it also keeps the hook eye and point in a straight line, dramatically improving the presentation of live or cut bait and increasing hook up percentages. It’s no secret the Snell knot has been the knot of choice for decades for pre-rigged presentations for all species. I’ll bet most folks reading this have seen or used pre-snelled hooks for everything from rubber worms for bass, to slip bobber rigs for panfish, to inline spinner rigs for walleyes.

No matter your experience level, knowing the right knot to tie in each situation will save time, reduce stress, and help catch more fish. Whether you use the workhorse Palomar knot, versatile Trilene knot, or old reliable Snell knot, having these 3 knots in your arsenal will make you a better angler and help you avoid losing fish. Take a few minutes to practice these knots today, and bookmark the videos provided on your mobile phone for future reference. Better yet, print off and laminate cheat-sheets that you can keep in your tackle box or boat for those brain fart moments.  

Good luck and tight lines!