Fish and fishingof Côte d’Ivoire and the Gulf of Guinea FREN
Home / Guide / Knots / Palomar knot
Knot · Tie on a hook, swivel or lure

The Palomar knot

Tie on a hook, swivel or lure. The most reliable attachment knot, in nylon and braid alike.

Technical sheet
Indicative strength
  • 89 % of line strength, in nylon
  • 82 % of line strength, in fluorocarbon
  • 63 % of line strength, in fine braid on a lure
Source: Field & Stream, “Tie the strongest fishing knots”, John Merwin’s tensile tests, updated in 2026. Indicative values: they vary with the line and the care taken when tightening.
DifficultyEasy
UseTie on a hook, swivel or lure
Compatible linesnylon, fluorocarbon, braid

See it in 3D, step by step

The Palomar knot
The Palomar knot 1 double the line and pass the loop through the eye. 2 tie a loose overhand knot with the doubled line. 3 pass the whole hook through the loop. 4 wet, pull on both strands, trim short.

Step by step

  1. Double the line and pass the loop through the eye
  2. Tie a loose overhand knot with the doubled line
  3. Pass the whole hook through the loop
  4. Moisten, pull on both strands, trim short
The test before fishing

Pull firmly on the hook held in pliers: the knot must neither slip nor ride up over the eye.

Similar knots

The improved clinch knotTrilene knotUni knotSnell knot

Rigs that use it

The lagoon running ledger rigThe handlineTwo-hook surfcastingLive baitThe heavy bottom rig for rockThe feather rigCasting with a steel traceCoastal trolling

Which fish

West African Spanish mackerel 8Wahoo 9Common dolphinfish 10Crevalle jack 16Cunene horse mackerel 21Guinean barracuda 25Mafou (Cobia) 28White grouper 29Mérou de Gorée (African hind) 30Canary dentex 31Denté à bosse (Pink dentex) 32Pagre à points bleus (Bluespotted seabream) 34Pageot à têche rouge (Red pandora) 35West African goatfish 37Vivaneau à dents de chien (African brown snapper) 38Vivaneau guinéen (African red snapper) 39Grogneur sompat (Sompat grunt) 42Grogneur de Roger (Pigsnout grunt) 43Grogneur métis (Bastard grunt) 44Diagramme gris (Rubberlip grunt) 45Croupia roche (Tripletail) 49Rascasse de Kuhl (Offshore rockfish) 55Bagrid catfish 63Grand capitaine (Giant African threadfin) 70Petit capitaine (Lesser African threadfin) 71Cassava croaker 75Otolithe nanka (Longneck croaker) 76

All knots · The technical notebook