Palomar Knot Vs. Improved Clinch Knot

[countryfried]

title says it all, which do you give the edge too ???

[kylek]

I use the polomar knot for everything I fish with.

[islandbass]

The edge in what regard? Strength? Convenience in tying? The reason I ask is because these are my two primary knots and the situation I am in dictates which I will most likely use.

Strength

The Palomar in terms of strength might have a little edge but it probably isn't by much.

Convenience

The Palomar is easier to tie for sure, less steps and therefore less chances to screw it up.

On the other hand, having to make a large loop to accommodate larger lures IMHO is a waste of line and time, not to mention the risk of weakening the lure during the final tightening when you're impatient to get to fishing as you tighten up.

This is where the improved clinch knot comes in because the size of the lure does not influence the knot tying.

Situations

Small lures, hooks, quick and simple? ==> Palomar Knot

Larger lures like 1/2 jigs with skirts, larger jerk baits and crank baits ==> Improved Clinch Knot

Super cold, sub freezing weather? Palomar, fo sho'. You know it's bitter cold when it takes you 30 seconds to tie a palomar knot, lol.

Braid or fishing the drop shot? ==> Palomar.

[tomustang]

I don't give an edge to any, both are very good knots.

[BFG79]

I use the palomar with mono and the improved clinch with fluro

[JamesD]

The improved clinch is the only knot I learned for tying lures and I can average a tie on in less than a minute now... sometimes braided line takes a bit longer but mono makes it easy...

[steelslinger86]

palomar

[SirSnookalot]

Just about any knot tied correctly is going to work well. It is not my nature to over think and over analyze, I keep things as simple as possible. If any knot fails chances are it was tied poorly or it has been fatigued and needs to be retied.

I cannot remember a bass of any size, whether it was in open water or slop, where my ordinary clinch failed. I keep the same knots on both my swivel and leaders for weeks without re tying.

Jumping it up just a little bit, I catch a lot of saltwater fish, not to be condescending but those fish are bigger, stronger, faster and don't come in near as quick, yet the clinch or improved clinch does not fail.........I make sure I tie them right, it they aren't I tie it over until it is right. If the palomar is "your knot", no reason not to say with it.

Quite honestly I don't see a 5 or 10# fish breaking any knot, tie it right and you won't have a problem. The key to whatever knot you are using is your drag, the drag takes a lot of stress off the the knot.

[Sam]

^{At last year's Boy Scout Jamboree I worked the Berkley/Shakespear booth where we had one of Berkley's line strength tester machine.}

^{The scouts would use 10 pound mono and tie their favorite knots.}

^{The Palamore was the strongest time after time after time.}

^{I use the Palamore on all baits, even spinnerbaits and jigs, but you have to have patient to tie it correctly as the skirts get tangled up in the process.}

[SirSnookalot]

Sam, the machines used for knot strength I believe do not allow for a drag. In reality we do not fish with the drag locked down as tight as it goes, at least I don't. In no way am I questioning the strength of the palomar, just don't think a machine fishes like an experienced human.

[LgMouthGambler]

I use the palomar for braid only. I use the original clinch knot for my nylon lines.

[OK Bass Hunter]

Used to use nothing but the improved clinch till I learned the Palomar now it's just about the only thing I use.

[M-D]

The edge in what regard? Strength? Convenience in tying? The reason I ask is because these are my two primary knots and the situation I am in dictates which I will most likely use.

Strength

The Palomar in terms of strength might have a little edge but it probably isn't by much.

Convenience

The Palomar is easier to tie for sure, less steps and therefore less chances to screw it up.

On the other hand, having to make a large loop to accommodate larger lures IMHO is a waste of line and time, not to mention the risk of weakening the lure during the final tightening when you're impatient to get to fishing as you tighten up.

This is where the improved clinch knot comes in because the size of the lure does not influence the knot tying.

Situations

Small lures, hooks, quick and simple? ==> Palomar Knot

Larger lures like 1/2 jigs with skirts, larger jerk baits and crank baits ==> Improved Clinch Knot

Super cold, sub freezing weather? Palomar, fo sho'. You know it's bitter cold when it takes you 30 seconds to tie a palomar knot, lol.

Braid or fishing the drop shot? ==> Palomar.

^^This^^ pretty well sums it up for me too.

[out_doors_guy]

Palomar knot, hands down. Higher knot strength (IMO) and way easier to tie.

[hike4steel]

palomar

[James Yalem]

For many years I used the improved clinck knot. I could tie it in seconds in the dark. But then in the early 1990's, I switched to braid line. The improved clinch does not work with braid line, but the palomar does. So for the last 20 years, I have used the palomar knot. Now without my reading glasses, I can't see the loops to tie knots like the improved clinch in low light. So I use the palomar knot.

[Capt.Bob]

Use them both, there both great knots and very reliable. I use the Improved clinch most, just because it takes less line most times, I usually can tie the clinch without leaving a tail that needs trimmed, not always but hard to do with the palomar, and as stated, impossible with cranks and bulky tackle.

[B@ssCrzy]

I use palomar for braid and improved clinch for mono. Both are great knots.

[thehooligan]

I use palomar for braid and improved clinch for mono. Both are great knots.

same here

[SirSnookalot]

For those that have had trouble using the improved clinch with braid, this a tip I saw on a inshore SW program, and it works. Before cinching down your knot give it an extra wrap around the loop. Personally I only do this when I'm offshore ocean, inshore the standard improved clinch works just fine.

[QUAKEnSHAKE]

I only use braid. I use the knot in the PowerPro manual -through the eye twice UNI knot - beat the palomar knot in the knot wars testing

[Basswhippa]

Used to use nothing but the improved clinch till I learned the Palomar now it's just about the only thing I use.

What OK Bss Hunter said!

[Bankbeater]

I use the palomar for jigs and plastics. I use the clinch knot for anything with a treble hook, or with spinnerbaits.

[Sam]

Sam, the machines used for knot strength I believe do not allow for a drag. In reality we do not fish with the drag locked down as tight as it goes, at least I don't. In no way am I questioning the strength of the palomar, just don't think a machine fishes like an experienced human.

Sir, of course you are correct.

But to take the same pressure for different knots and notice that the Palomar was heads and shoulders above the others, especially the two clinch knots, was interesting to witness.

So I use the Palomar knot excusively.

[A-Rob]

I use the palomar with mono and the improved clinch with fluro

x2

but i have switched to san diego jam for fc more recently and love it