The Palomar knot is one of the fishing knots around to tie a hook, swivel, lure, or fly to either monofilament lines or braided lines, in fact, it’s stronger when done with braided lines.
Tying the Palomar knot is super quick once you have practiced it a bit and overall it’s relatively easy to tie as you see in the instructions below of how to tie the Palomar knot.
It’s a very popular fishing knot with saltwater anglers and you can even use it when fly fishing for big fish like GT’s or sailfish.
How To Tie A Palomar Knot
Step 1
First, double the end of the line you’re using as a leader, whether it’s monofilament, braided, or fluoro fishing line, about 6 inches or more. Increase this depending on the size of your lure or hook. Take the double fishing line and pass the tag end through the eye of the hook.
Step 2
Take the tag end and around the back of the doubled line (main fishing line) creating a loop. Pass the tag end through the loop and out forming an overhand knot.
Step 3
Open the loop sitting at the end of doubled tag end. Now pass it over the hook or lure so that the hook or lure goes through the loop. Bring it up to meet the overhand knot you made in Step 2.
Step 4
Wet the knot with saliva and pull the standing end of the line which is still a double line. It will slowly tighten and you must make sure it sits above the shank and holds on the bight right below the eye of the hook. Now trim off any excess tag ends and you have learned to tie the Palomar knot.
Tips
- If you’re trying a lure, fly, or big hook with a Palomar knot, make sure the loop in Step 3 is big enough to pass over it. This means you’ll need to double enough line in Step 1 and leave enough of the end out of the overhand knot in Step 2.
- If you do not secure the knot properly in Step 4, the hook or lure will not be free to rotate around the Palomar knot.
- Do not let your fishing lines cross over or twist when you tie the Palomar knot. This will reduce the knot strength considerably and it might break easily.
- While learning to tie a Palomar knot doesn’t sound simple, it’s actually easy to tie and you can do it quickly with practice.
- Here is a tutorial video for you to watch on how to tie a Palomar knot
FAQs
Is the Palomar knot the strongest?
No, the Palomar knot is not the strongest knot. It is a very popular and reliable knot for fishing, but there are other knots that are stronger. Examples of some of the strongest knots are the Double Fisherman’s, the Zeppelin Bend, and the Alpine Butterfly Loop.
Which knot is stronger uni or Palomar?
The Uni Knot is generally considered to be stronger than the Palomar Knot. It is a versatile knot that can be used for a variety of applications and is very strong when tied correctly. It is also easy to tie and can be used with a variety of line types.
What do you use a Palomar knot for?
The Palomar Knot is a great knot for fishing. It is most commonly used to tie a line to a hook, swivel, or lure. It is very strong and reliable and is one of the most popular knots among anglers.
Can you use a Palomar knot for everything?
No, the Palomar Knot is not suitable for all applications. It is most commonly used for tying a line to a hook, swivel, or lure, but it is not suitable for tying a line to a leader or other line. It is also not suitable for tying knots in heavy monofilament line.
Can you tie a Palomar knot with braid?
Yes, as I mentioned above, the Palomar knot actually works best with braid when compared to other line types such as mono or fluoro. You might not attach braid to your hooks as a leader but it’s ideal for tying on a swivel.
You can also see our post here for a full guide on tying orvis knots for fly fishing.
Is the Palomar knot the strongest?
The Palomar is one of the strongest fishing knots you can use to tie hooks onto mono and braided lines but particularly braid.
When tested, the Palomar knot has a knot strength of close to 100% of the breaking strain of the strength of the fishing lines you tied it with. This is thanks to the double line and the tying method used.
This means if you tied the Palomar knot with a 10lb braid it would be strong enough to handle 9.9lbs of pressure – so it has awesome knot strength.
It’s also has a high breaking strain with thinner mono and fluoro leader but it’s not the best fishing knot to use with thick mono leaders.
If you are interested in learning another knot, see our post here on Turle Knot.
Why is the Palomar knot so popular?
Aside from how strong, simple, easy, and versatile the Palomar knot it is, it’s also a very popular fishing knot for other reasons. The first is that it lets your lure or hook swing free around the Palomar knot, making it swim better and entice more fish.
The second is that the Palomar knot has a non-jamming release. You can take the loop sitting by the eye that you passed over the hook and pull the lines out a few inches to undo the knot.
The third is that when tied perfectly, the Palomar knot is almost impossible to untie without using the release, making it super strong and reliable.
See also our post here on slim beauty knot to learn the step by step tying guide.
How do you tie a double Palomar knot?
When tying a double Palomar knot you should follow the steps laid out above but you do something different in Step 2. Instead of wrapping the line once around the loop to make an overhand knot, you should wrap it two times. This adds a bit more strength to the fishing knot.
