The Palomar knot is one of the strongest and most reliable knots in fishing. It works with monofilament, fluorocarbon, and braid, holds close to 100% of the line’s rated strength when tied correctly, and takes about 30 seconds to learn. If you only know one fishing knot, make it this one.
How to tie the Palomar knot — step by step
- Step 1: Double about 6 inches of line to form a loop. Pass the loop through the eye of the hook.
- Step 2: Tie a simple overhand knot with the doubled line — leave the hook hanging loose at the bottom. Don’t tighten it yet.
- Step 3: Pass the loop over the hook completely, so the loop slides down and sits behind the hook’s eye.
- Step 4: Pull both the tag end and the standing line to tighten. Wet the knot first, then seat it firmly against the eye of the hook.
- Step 5: Trim the tag end close.
Why the Palomar is so strong
Most knots weaken line by creating a tight bend at one point — that pinch point is where the line breaks. The Palomar avoids this by wrapping doubled line through the eye, distributing the load across two strands instead of one. When tied and seated correctly, it regularly tests at 95–100% of the line’s rated strength in pull tests, which is hard to beat for a knot this simple.
Palomar on braid — one extra step
Braid is very slippery, and a standard Palomar can occasionally slip under hard load. When using braid, pass the loop through the hook eye twice before tying the overhand knot. This double-pass version is sometimes called the Double Palomar and eliminates the slippage issue without adding much complexity.
Common mistakes
- Not wetting the knot before tightening. Dry line generates heat when cinched and weakens the knot. Always wet it.
- Tying with too short a loop. If the loop is too short, you can’t pass it over the hook easily, and the knot won’t seat properly. Use at least 5–6 inches of doubled line.
- Passing the loop over only part of the hook. The loop must clear the entire hook — point, bend, and all — to seat correctly.
When to use a different knot
The Palomar is nearly universal, but it has two limitations. First, it doesn’t work on lures with two hooks (like treble-hook crankbaits) because passing the loop over two hooks at once is awkward. Second, when fishing with a leader, you’ll need a line-to-line knot (like an FG or double uni) to join the sections — the Palomar is a terminal knot for attaching line to a hook or lure.