# Pulled the hook, I am going "knots"



## tundra5555 (Feb 15, 2012)

Went fishing last weekend on the AS with a friend of mine from Romeo, went 0 for 1 on Sunday. I set the hook on the only bite I had all day, hooked it, fought it for a good while and then it happened, the hook pulled out and old Steele was on his way to freedom.
I voiced my frustrations, I am sure I could be heard up and down the river, it didn't help the matter but it made me feel better. Am I using the proper knot ( modified clinch knot)?
What knots are you guys using?:help:

Thanks,
tundra5555


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## oldrank (Dec 5, 2006)

I retie my leader frequently and always keep an eye out for weakening line.


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## piscatorial warrior (Sep 14, 2011)

Are you sure your line broke at the knot, or did your line just break because it was abraided ( nicks in the line? ). One way of telling is if there was a little curl at the very end of your line, If there was, it's a good chance your knot failed. If the line was fairly straight at the end but rough to the touch it was probably abraided and you need to check your leader more often. I check mine every other cast when I re-adjust my bait. In answer to your question I use the TRILENE knot. That's twice through the hook eye, then 7 wraps around the main line ( 7 for luck  ) then back through both loops above the hook eye, moisten and draw tight. I'm sure you'll get MANY suggestions. Everyone has their favorite and they all have their place. Learn to tie one of them properly, use it until you lose another steelie then learn another!!


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## Fishndude (Feb 22, 2003)

It sounds like the original poster described pulling the hook out of the fish's mouth, not breaking his line. If that is the case, boo-yah! I would rather lose a fish to pulling the hook out, than breaking one off. Steelhead don't have really "hard" mouths, like Salmon do. It is pretty easy to pull the hooks, especially since they fight so darned hard. There are a few spots where you can get a really good hookset in a Steelhead's mouth, but there are a lot of places where you can just get a hook in, and hope for the best. All the thrashing they do tends to wear a bigger hole, which allows the hook to come out quite often.


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## piscatorial warrior (Sep 14, 2011)

Then why would he ask which knots we use?


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## JigginRod (Dec 29, 2010)

I snell my hooks on a 4' leader with a loop on the end that I attach to the swivel.When I make the loop I leave a 6" tag end to attach my split shot to. The snell has never failed.


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## downfloat (May 3, 2007)

I sneel Every time! Very unlikely chance of knot failure! Like the tag end split shot trick!

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## JigginRod (Dec 29, 2010)

downfloat said:


> I sneel Every time! Very unlikely chance of knot failure! Like the tag end split shot trick!
> 
> Outdoor Hub mobile, the outdoor information engine


I always tie up a dozen leaders while watching the boob tube so I don't have to waste time tying on the river.It's alot faster than messing with 3 way swivels and surgical tubing.Don't forget to tie a knot on the end of the tag end so the split shot won't slide off.


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## Fishndude (Feb 22, 2003)

I mostly use an Improved Clinch Knot, although I use other knots at times. I can tie 3 knots to re-rig a bottom bouncing setup in 4 minutes flat, with weight and spawnbag added. That really comes in handy on the Ausable, since you lose a lot of terminal tackle fishing that river. I know Palomar knots, and Rapala knots, and snells (I use snells for tying crawler harnesses, and for tying yarn flies), etc. But I grew up tying the Improved Clinch, and it still is one tough knot. I often "double" the line to tie it, when I am tying mainline-to-swivel, because it is even stronger. I don't break that knot, ever.

Most knots can work. If you broke off, and have older line on your reel, check it for strength (grab it in both hands and give it a hard yank apart). If it breaks too easily, you need new line. 
Again, if you just pulled the hook out of a fish, that is part of fishing for Steelhead. I like to use fairly heavy tackle - usually 10# mainline and 8# leader. I almost never break fish off, and when I do I almost always find that I am using line that is older and got weakened. Flourocarbon is notorious for getting weak/brittle after about a year. But if you pulled the hook, you just fought that fish harder than it could be fought. They pull like crazy, which is why we all love them so much. Sometimes you pull the hooks. Sometimes they break off. Sometimes the hook wears a hole in their mouth. Sometimes you land them. It is all fishing. 

FWIW, one of my favorite memories of fishing was getting spooled by a King while fishing a pier, a long time ago. I did everything I could to turn that fish, and it never slowed down. This was in Summer, and the Kings were not ready to spawn by a long shot. I was fishing for Skams, and just got schooled. It took every inch of my line (probably about 150 yards), and snapped it at the spool. After I got over the shock, I was just in awe for hours. I learned to carry a backup spool at all times that day. I didn't have a good night of sleep for weeks. :lol:


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## tannhd (Dec 3, 2010)

Improved clinch. Never had a knot untie. The leader should break(typically at the knot), or the hook should straighten before that knot ever comes undone.


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## Burksee (Jan 15, 2003)

Fishndude said:


> .....Flourocarbon is notorious for getting weak/brittle after about a year...........


 also, make sure you wet the heck out of it before cinching the knot or you'll burn it and you wont be able to land a bluegill let alone a steely. That's another reason I'm not a fan of floro and continue to use mono or a hybrid for my leaders. 

Also, I've not used a three way in years. I went to a slider set up and have enjoyed much success with it. Three knots, two Palomar, one improved clinch and I&#8217;m done! I run my main line thru a small snap-swivel and a bead, tie on a small barrel swivel, tie on my leader line, tie on my fly, clip the appropriate size weight onto the snap swivel and off we go the races!


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## Fishndude (Feb 22, 2003)

Great point, Burksee. Always wet your knots before pulling them tight. ALWAYS. It doesn't matter what kind of line you are using. 

We still don't know if the original poster broke his fish off, or pulled the hooks out. I live with pulling hooks. I kick myself when I break fish off.


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## jatc (Oct 24, 2008)

Burksee said:


> also, make sure you wet the heck out of it before cinching the knot or you'll burn it and you wont be able to land a bluegill let alone a steely. That's another reason I'm not a fan of floro and continue to use mono or a hybrid for my leaders.
> 
> Also, I've not used a three way in years. I went to a slider set up and have enjoyed much success with it. Three knots, two Palomar, one improved clinch and Im done! I run my main line thru a small snap-swivel and a bead, tie on a small barrel swivel, tie on my leader line, tie on my fly, clip the appropriate size weight onto the snap swivel and off we go the races!


That's pretty much the rig I use other than I use reverse clinch knots. I never even knew what the knot I use was called until a couple of years ago when I happened to come across it in a knot book. My Grandpa called it a barrel knot and taught me to tie it when I was five. I've been using it for over thirty years and can tie it in about 10 seconds in the complete darkness with frozen hands while holding my rod against my side in the middle of a river. Only time it ever failed was when I tied it improperly. Often times guys blame the knot when in fact, especially with any knot that uses a "wrap" of some sort, failure is usually from the "wraps" crossing over the top of each other when tied. That and not wetting them as has been already mentioned.

Just pick a good knot, and there is a bunch of them, and LEARN to tie it properly. Once you think you have it down, do it blindfolded or in a dark room. Once you master that, breakoffs will be a thing of the past as long as the line itself is good. Some lines are much better than others as far as knot strength is concerned, but that point is moot if you can't tie the knot properly to begin with.


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## dead short (Sep 15, 2009)

If you have an iPhone, check out the "knot wars" app. It's free and has animated videos on how to tie different knots for mono, braid, and flouro with the tested breaking strength. 


Posted from my iPhone.


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## sullyxlh (Oct 28, 2004)

dead short said:


> If you have an iPhone, check out the "knot wars" app. It's free and has animated videos on how to tie different knots for mono, braid, and flouro with the tested breaking strength.


Thanks!!
Just downloaded it.


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## tcriver (Nov 3, 2008)

tundra5555 said:


> Went fishing last weekend on the AS with a friend of mine from Romeo, went 0 for 1 on Sunday. I set the hook on the only bite I had all day, hooked it, fought it for a good while and then it happened, the hook pulled out and old Steele was on his way to freedom.
> I voiced my frustrations, I am sure I could be heard up and down the river, it didn't help the matter but it made me feel better. Am I using the proper knot ( modified clinch knot)?
> What knots are you guys using?:help:
> 
> ...


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## dead short (Sep 15, 2009)

North American Fisherman had the winner this year on today's show. It beat the palomar handily. 


Posted from my iPhone.


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## tcriver (Nov 3, 2008)

tcriver said:


> tundra5555 said:
> 
> 
> > Went fishing last weekend on the AS with a friend of mine from Romeo, went 0 for 1 on Sunday. I set the hook on the only bite I had all day, hooked it, fought it for a good while and then it happened, the hook pulled out and old Steele was on his way to freedom.
> ...


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## Abaddon (Sep 14, 2011)

I use nanofil so I tie on a swivel on, the nanofil side i use a polomar knot, then for the leader wich is mono I use an improved clinch knot.

http://www.livewelltales.com/forum/images/Improved clinch.jpg

I used to have alot of issues with mono knots breaking til I started using the improved clinch, now I am good to go.


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## john warren (Jan 25, 2005)

appairently i use something called a "wretched mess" or so said a well known fly instructor.


but it stays tied.


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## dead short (Sep 15, 2009)

Other than for fishing, one of the ones I have used since I was a kid is the willit knot. Will it hold, or will it not.....

Relatively easy to tie, basically a bunch of loops and pass throughs and pull the tag ends tight. 


Posted from my iPhone.


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