Fishing knots and rigs – step by step

Five knots cover almost everything: improved clinch, palomar, uni, FG and the surgeon's loop. Always wet the knot before tightening and leave a short tag.

By Filip Nyman · Updated 2026-10-21

Knots

Knot	Use	Notes
Improved clinch	Mono or fluoro to hook, swivel or lure	Classic, 5–7 turns; not for braid
Palomar	Braid or mono to hook/swivel	Very strong, easy; great for drop shot (leave a long tag)
Uni knot	Line to tackle, or uni-to-uni to join lines	Versatile, works with braid
FG knot	Braid to fluoro/mono leader	Slim, passes through guides; the best braid-to-leader knot
Double uni	Braid to leader, quick version	Easier than FG, a bit bulkier
Surgeon's loop	Loop at line end	Loop-to-loop connections, droppers
Rapala / non-slip loop	Loop to lure	Lets crankbaits and jerkbaits move freely
Arbor knot	Line to reel spool	Use tape or mono backing under braid so it doesn't slip

Rigs

Drop shot: hook tied with a palomar 20–50 cm above a weight at the line end; the bait hovers above bottom. Perch, zander, bass.
Texas rig: bullet weight sliding above an offset hook buried in a soft plastic; weedless. Weedy water, bass, perch, pike.
Carolina rig: sliding weight, bead, swivel, then a 50–100 cm leader to the bait; covers bottom at distance.
Ned rig: short soft plastic on a mushroom jig head, dragged slowly. Tough conditions, perch, bass.
Jig head + shad: the standard for zander, perch and cod; 5–30 g depending on depth and current.
Float rig (waggler): float locked by shot, bulk shot near the hook, small dropper shot; set depth so the bait sits just above or on bottom.
Running ledger: sinker slides on the main line, stopped by a bead and swivel; fish takes the bait without feeling weight.
Paternoster: weight at the bottom, one or two hooks on short droppers above. Flounder, cod, perch.
Method feeder: groundbait pressed around a feeder, short hooklink with the hookbait in the pile. Bream and carp.
Hair rig: bait on a short hair below the hook, leaving the point free. Carp and tench.
Pike float / dead bait rig: two trebles or singles on a wire trace, bait under a pike float or on the bottom; strike early to avoid deep hooking.
Feather / sabiki rig: several small flies on droppers with a sinker or pirk at the end. Mackerel and herring.