If you’re new to fishing, you may not know the importance of fishing knots. But the knot is one of the most important parts of fishing – it’s the link between the angler and the fish. Not all knots can be used in all scenarios though. We have created a list of some of the best knots for different fishing scenarios and have explained how to make these knots so you have an easy time learning them. Even if you’re an advanced angler, you may learn a new knot that can help you catch fish.
Basic Fishing Knots
The Six-Turn San Diego Jam knot is a mouthful to say, but it’s a great knot to use when tying on a lure or a fly. The knot uses wraps around the tag end and the standing line allowing it to cushion itself. It’s also stronger than clinch knots, a more popular and traditional choice for lure and fly knots, because they only wrap one strand.
To do the Six-Turn San Diego Jam you’ll need to:
Thread the line. Make sure to do it through the hook’s eye, carefully, and then double it back around 10 inches.
Wrap the tag end over itself. After you do that, wrap it around the standing line. Do this seven times, slowly moving towards the hook.
You will then need to pass the tag end through the first open loop at the hook eye (the opposite end of the hook). You may need to use a finger to make it easier for yourself. Then you’ll need to thread the tag end through the open loop.
Lastly, you’ll pull the tag end tight, making sure the wraps don’t overlap.
The J knot is a great knot to use when you need to tie the leader to the line.
To use this knot you’ll need to:
Lay the leader and the line over top each other for several inches.
You’ll then form a loop by tying an overhand knot. Make sure that the leader line is pulled through the loop.
Run the end of the line and the leader through the backside of the loop.
Repeat all of this, from the top to the bottom.
Moisten the lines with water and pull.
The Rapala knot is a great knot for tying on a lure. It can be also used for fly fishing, if you need your fly to be of a freer movement. The wraps that are used in the Rapala knot relieve stress where the standing line enters, and the standing line is cushioned by the overhand knot.
To use a Rapala knot:
You’ll need to tie an overhand knot above the tag end of your line.
Thread the tag end through the lure and then again through the overhand knot.
Make around three wraps around the standing line then pass the tag end through the loop that was formed.
Moisten the line and tighten it.
The Uni knot is a great, dependable knot. It’s really useful for when you need to tie monofilament and/or fluorocarbon lines to lures.
It’s also very simple, you only need to do three things to complete it:
First, you’ll need to run the line through the hook eye to form a loop.
Turn that line five times around in the loop.
Moisten the line and pull it tight.
The Blood knot is a great knot for fly fishing. It’s mostly used when you need to join two lines of a similar size.
To do a blood knot:
You’ll need to overlap the two lines. Twist them around each other seven times.
Repeat the above step, but do it the other way, the same amount of times.
Finally, pull the lines in opposite directions (slowly). The knot will gather together.
Lastly, the Bimini Twist, which is also known as the Albright knot, is a great, versatile, reliable knot that is great to use when you need to tie two different types of lines together. It can also be used if the lines are of the same type but just different diameters.
You’ll need to start the knot by:
Making a loop in the heavier line. Run the lighter line through it.
Wrap the light line about ten times over itself and the heavier line’s loop.
The tag end should be fed through the loop.
Slide the wraps on the heavy line to the end of the loop and tighten the line.
Every fisherman has his favorite knots, and I’m sure you can learn plenty more knots if you come out with us on the Kona Fishing Charters boat when you come out to fish with us. Who knows, we might even learn some new knots from you. At Kona Fishing Charters, you will have tons of fun fishing with us. Call us at (808) 960-1424 to learn more about Kona fishing charters!
We at Kona Fishing Charters welcome children on to our charter boat when they’re accompanied by an adult. We’re excited to share the joy of angling with the younger generation, and it’s important that they’re having as much fun as their parents, especially when game fish are involved. If you’re struggling with getting your children involved in angling, these tips should be able to help you make fishing a fun adventure for any kid!
15 Ways to Make Fishing Fun for Any Kid
Consider the Age of the Child – If your child is younger, try not to make fishing the entire trip, they’ll likely get bored or lose patience. Allow some time to play outdoors, whether that’s swimming in the water, floating leaves, playing hide and seek – try to make it fun for your kid so they’ll want to come again.
Don’t Bring All the Kids – If you have a lot of children, or if your child has a lot of friends, it may be tempting to bring a lot of them out at once. You probably don’t want to do that. Too many children on a fishing trip makes it more likely that accidents will happen. It also lowers the children’s attention span since they’ll be easily distracted by their friends and/or siblings.
Check Your Basic Skills – Make sure you have tackle, make sure the fish is hooked properly. And while you do this, have your child pay attention to what you do. Show them your fishing tackle (and make sure not to bring out any expensive tackle while teaching your child). The simpler the tackle is, the easier it will be for your child.
Bring Along Extra Gear – Bring extra hats, clothing, sunscreen, and snacks/drinks. The snacks and drinks are very important if your child is younger than 10 (water especially). Don’t forget to bring insect repellant as well, you don’t want your child and yourself to be covered in bug bites. A first aid kit is also a good idea.
Teach your Child about the Fishing Laws and Regulation – Make sure you have the proper license and that you’re fishing legally. Take this time to tell your child about in season fishing and size/number limits for species.
Supervise Your Child – Keep an eye on your child or children at all times so they won’t get hurt.
Easy Bait – Use bait that’s easy for a child to use such as crickets or worms. Or artificial bait in case the child is squeamish.
Wear life preservers – Encourage a good habit by making sure to bring and wear life preservers if you’re fishing on a boat. And if your child is small or young, make sure that they’re wearing a life preserver if swimming or wading in the water at any time.
Small Hooks are the Way to Go – Try not to grab hooks that are larger than a size 10. Fish won’t want to grab a bigger hook. And not being able to catch a fish will disappoint your child.
The Lighter the Line the More Fun Your Child Will Have – The line should be light and easy for a child to use. Plus unless you’re going for bigger fish, a light line should work fine.
The Best Rod and Reel Combo – For kids, a light spinning rod and reel combo should work great. It’s a lot easier for kids to use.
Use A Bobber – Bobbers are entertaining for kids. The way the bobber bobs on the surface excites them and helps the child see and feel when a fish is caught on their hook.
Be Prepared to Leave Early – These sessions should be short if your child is young. It’s better to leave a little early, in order to build anticipation for the next time then leave too late.
Don’t forget to bring a camera with you! It’ll be important to look back at these memories one day and your kid(s) will have fun posing with the camera.
We hope that these tips help you and your child have a great time fishing anywhere. But we especially hope this inspires you to take your kid(s) out on the water with us at Kona Fishing Charters for the best Kona Hawaii fishing. There are lots of fish to catch and lots of fun to be had. Even if they don’t want to fish, they’ll be able to enjoy the waters of Hawaii and spy lots of cool animals and fish in the water. Call us at (808) 960-1424 to book your fishing trip with us at Kona Fishing Charters on the Pacific!
If you’re new to fishing, we will help you out when you come fishing with us. However, you may be interested in learning some things before you come out on the water with us. In this article, we’ll be tackling what to do if there aren’t any fish biting! There are many things you can do when the fish just aren’t biting. From changing lures to moving to a better spot, we believe that this article gives a good summary of what to do when the fish won’t bite. We hope you enjoy learning more about fishing in this article and that it will encourage you to come out to the beautiful Pacific with us!
TIDAL WATER MOVEMENT
Tides can definitely affect the way the fish are biting! On an outgoing tide, you can catch a lot of fish because they’re biting regularly. But if the tides change and the current stops, then so could your fishing “luck”.
That’s because the lack of a current can turn away fish and turn off biting. This can even happen in offshore fishing because there are still currents happening even if you don’t notice them. If you are working with a slack tide and no current that probably means no fish, which isn’t good for your chances. If you can, try moving to a different spot.
WEATHER
The weather conditions can definitely affect whether you catch a fish or not. If there’s an oncoming storm or low-pressure conditions, fish will often swarm and feed, allowing you to easily get bites if you’re in the right spot. This is because the water will be stirred and the fish will know that a storm is coming – a storm coming means it will be harder to feed. The water will be murkier than normal after the storm making it harder to find prey, so the fish will hunt for their food, allowing you to fish for them. However, if a cold front is passing through your area (check your weather channel), high pressure will also invade and the fish won’t be interested in your bait. You may have to move your boat around and change with the weather conditions of the water.
WARM TEMPERATURES
Warm temperatures attract fish and colder temperatures do not. During a cold front, surface water is severely impacted by the cold temperatures, making it less likely to find a lot of fish near the surface. The further down the water column you get, the warmer the water is, and that is where all the fish will be in the case of a cold front. However, even if there isn’t a cold front and you’re still not finding fish, you may want to try looking for a plant or factory, somewhere where warm water is pumped in. The fish will swarm the area and you should be able to catch fish there – just make sure you’re allowed to fish there before doing so.
CHANGING LURES
If none of the above works, or if you’re unable to do any of the above suggestions, then you may want to try changing your lure. Try using very natural looking lures that mimic live bait or perhaps even try to use live bait in order to convince the fish to bite. There is more information about lures in previous blog posts if you’re interested in learning more about lures.
More information about Lures
First, is your lure moving fast? If it is then you might want to adjust. Slow moving fish don’t want to deal with quick lures like the spinnerbait, they want something easy to catch. If you give them something easy to catch then you’ll probably catch them!
Slower fish also prefer larger prey rather than smaller prey. Chasing after larger prey costs them less energy than a school of little fish that may easily escape their attack.
You should also try to use live bait when you can. Or at least natural lures that look like live bait.
In negative conditions such as a cold front, those loud colors and rackets in lures won’t work as well when compared to natural lures. The fish have more time to examine the bait before they bite in negative fishing conditions. Natural looking bait is more likely to convince them to go for the bait.
What Else Can You Do When the Fish Won’t Bite?
If all of this fails, is there anything else you can try? There are actually a few other things you can do in order to catch a fish in negative fishing conditions. You can fish tight to cover. This is useful to do when many fish are burying themselves in the thickest cover they can find. They won’t move for very much and if you want to catch them you practically have to land your bait on their head. Cast into the thickest cover you can as the closer you get your bait to the fish the more likely you are to catch something.
We hope this guide helps you when the fish won’t bite! Now you’ll at least understand why this can happen to the best of anglers – sometimes the weather or temperature just doesn’t suit the fish. If you’d like to try out your luck and fish with us on the Kona Fishing Charters, call us at (808) 960-1424 to book your Kona fishing trip! We can guarantee you’ll have a blast no matter what!
