There are many reasons why fishing is a great hobby to begin: Just ask your local angler! It’s a good way to enjoy the outdoors, it can be incredibly relaxing, it gives you a great sense of satisfaction, and fish is one of the healthiest foods you can eat.
If you’re interested in learning more about fishing but aren’t sure where to begin, then this is the fishing guide for you. We’ve covered a variety of basic fishing topics, such as how to tie a fishing knot, which fishing hook is the best option, and whether to use live bait or fishing lures to catch the type of fish you’re after.
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Fishing Knots
In this fishing guide, we take a look at a wide variety of fishing line knots as well as diagrams that explain how to tie fishing line into each type of knot. You will learn how to tie line-to-hook knots, which are used to secure hooks, lures, and swivels to the fishing line; line-to-line knots, which will tie one fishing line to another; and loop knots, which help the lure or bait to swing more naturally in the water to better attract a fish. Below is a list of the different types of fishing knots you will find in this guide. It’s a great idea to learn these knots before you set sail on your fishing boat or yacht.
Line-to-Hook Knots
- Snell Knot
- Improved Clinch Knot
- Palomar Knot
- Turle Knot
- Uni Knot
- Trilene Knot
- Rapala Knot
- San Diego Jam Knot
- Arbor Knot
Line-to-Line Knots
- Blood Knot
- Yucatan Knot
- Surgeon’s Knot
- Double Uni Knot
- Nail Knot
- Albright Knot
Loop Knots
- Dropper Loop
- Surgeon’s Loop
- Perfection Loop
- Spider Hitch
- Rapala Knot
- Bimini Twist
What Is the Strongest Fishing Knot?
The strongest fishing knot is the Snell Knot due to its ability to distribute friction evenly along the system, making it the strongest for hook-to-line connections. It’s a great option for almost all types of fishing line: braided, monofilament, and fluorocarbon. The Palomar Knot is another that’s considered to be one of the strongest fishing knots, with some even saying it’s stronger than the Snell Knot. The Palomar is a great option for most line types but performs best as a braided fishing line knot.
Fishing Hooks
Using this fishing guide, you’ll learn about ten common fishing hook types and what they are best used for. Some hooks are a better option for catch and release, while others are meant to be used in a lake or pond full of vegetation. A couple of the fish hooks are even considered to be more “fish-friendly” because they don’t injure or hook the fish too deeply.
Commonly Used Fishing Hooks
- Bait Holder Hook
- Worm Hook
- Jig Hook
- Circle Hook
- Weedless Hook
- Treble Hook
- Siwash Hook
- Octopus Hook
- Arberdeen Hook
- Kahle Hook
Live Bait and Lures
Now that you know all about tying a fishing knot and the different fishing hooks, it’s time for the fishing bait and lures. We explore a variety of common types of fishing lures here as well as the different types of live bait anglers like to use aboard their fishing yachts when fishing in freshwater or saltwater.
Live Bait
Freshwater
- Worms: red worms, night crawlers
- Leeches
- Insects: grubs, meal worms, crickets, grasshoppers
- Minnows: fatheads, creek chubs, shad, shiners, suckers
Saltwater
- Bait fish: mullet, sardines, ballyhoo, herring, eels
- Crustaceans: crabs, shrimp, lobsters
- Cephalopods: octopus, squid
- Shellfish: clams, mussels, conchs, whelks
Lures
- Jigs
- Plugs
- Spinners
- Spoons
- Flies
- Soft plastics
When it comes to the best fishing lures or the best live bait option to catch a fish, which would you choose?
