Anglers learn really quickly that a good knot is essential and that a bad – or poorly tied knot – is worthless. Nothing about that changes when the mercury plummets and the ice gets thick.
That said, most ice fishing calls for nylon monofilament, as braid just absorbs too much water, encouraging freezing. Fluorocarbon can have a place on the ice, too, but it’s largely unnecessary given mono’s equivalent strength, diameter, and abrasion resistance.
And since mono bites well against itself and ties easily, long-time readers of USAngler will recognize that this means you’ll have some really strong, easy-to-tie knots at your disposal.
If you want to know which knots are the most useful on the ice, keep reading.
We’ll run down your best choices, explain when and why to use them, and offer simple instructions to tie them well.
Table of Contents (clickable)
Related:
The Best Ice Fishing Knots
The Palomar Knot
When you need a secure connection to a barrel swivel, hook, or jig, the Palomar Knot is very hard to beat.
Extremely strong (89% to 98% of your line’s rated test), the Palomar resists pulling free, making it an ideal choice for hooks, jigs, and swivels that will experience the strain of large, powerful fish like lake trout, steelhead, coho, pike, and muskie. That’s not to say that you can’t use it when fishing for perch, bluegill, or trout!
Another advantage of the Palomar is that it ties securely in any line type, especially if you add a second loop for braid.
It’s also fast, easy to execute, and quick to learn.
But there are potential problems with the Paloma, just as with any knot:
- Never trim the tag end too short. Leave about ½ inch.
- Never cross your lines. They need to lay parallel.
- Never tie the Palomar Knot in frayed or damaged line.
- Always wet your knot and cinch it down carefully.
Here are step-by-step instructions to tie the Palomar Knot:
- Double-over your line and pass it through the eye. Make sure to double 6-8 inches of line so that you have a loop long enough to pass over the lure, swivel, or hook.
- Bring your doubled tag end back to your doubled main.
- Tie a simple overhand by passing your doubled tag over and through the doubled main.
- Pass the doubled tag line over the entire lure or hook.
- To tie the Improved Palomar for braid, simply wrap the loop one more time with your doubled line (repeat step 3), proceeding normally after that.
- Wet your knot and gently cinch it down.
Be sure that your lines lie parallel to each other. They should not cross!
The double Uni is essentially two opposing knots that use both lines to increase integrity.
- Start with both lines side by side.
- Loop the tag end of one around both lines, repeating 5 to 6 times. You’re essentially duplicating a standard Uni, but rather than doubling the main line, you’re wrapping the two lines you wish to join. Don’t tighten it down!
- Loop the other tag end around both lines, repeating 5 to 6 times. Don’t tighten it down!
- Wet your knots and carefully cinch them down.
The Dropper Loop
Perch Pounder Rigs and Double Fly Rigs both demand two leaders projecting from the main line. And while there are a number of ways to accomplish this, the Dropper Loop is among the best.
Very, very strong as it’s not a true “knot,” the Dropper Loop is also easy to tie with cold hands. Moreover, it’s easy to adjust and move up or down your line, allowing you to easily reposition your hooks.
But keep in mind that the Dropper Loop relies on stiff line (heavy mono or fluorocarbon) to avoid tangling, and in braid or light mono, it’s just not going to get the job done for you.
Here are some things to remember about the Dropper Loop:
- Never tie this knot in frayed or damaged line.
- You’ll need stiff line to keep this loop from tangling, especially if you use it as leader for live bait.
Step-by-step instructions for tying a Dropper Loop:
- Make a small loop in your line. The size of this loop will directly affect the size of the final loop.
- Tie a simple overhand knot, and continue passing the tag end through the loop 5 times.
- Make a small opening between the tag and standing lines, and continue with 5 more passes of the tag end.
- Hold that small opening open with your teeth and pass the opposite side of the overhand knot through the opening.
- Pull everything tight, carefully cinching down this loop.
Final Thoughts
There are a number of excellent knots for ice fishing, and this list covers most of the best.
And whether you need to tie on a fly for trout, create a Perch Pounder Rig with a few Dropper Loops, or just secure a hook, swivel, or sinker, they should have you covered!
As always, we’d love to hear any comments, concerns, or questions you might have, so please leave a comment below.
Source: usangler.com