Loop Knots for Soft Jerkbait - Yea or Nay?

[SpellCaster]

I fished soft jerkbaits a whole lot last year. Almost always braid-to-mono leader, tied with a Palomar. 

 

I've seen some folks tie a loop knot for this presentation and was wondering if anyone here recommends them? If so, which loop knot do you tie?

 

Thanks!

[JediAmoeba]

To me a loop knot is a terrible weakness I wpuld always avoid.

[Pat Brown]

Not saying I disagree with you @JediAmoeba , just wondering if you can clarify, because lots of good anglers use this knot to impart more action on their bait.

 

I personally feel like the loop knot seems a lot more  likely to catch sticks and things fished around cover and it exposes a lot more of the lines surface area to abrasion from the hook eye.

 

I also only tie a double pitzen, a palomar (for braid) or a double uni (for my leaders).

 

Don't have a ton of confidence in knots that aren't doubled.

 

I stopped breaking fish off when I started using the double pitzen, which is about the best thing a knot has ever done for me.  I don't set the hook super duper hard and fast - generally go for a firm and speedy sweeping set with most baits.  It's  just heavy heavy cover and those knots, even doubled, have to be retied every hour or two on the boat.

[RipzLipz]

No expert by any means but for the most part I’d only consider a loop knot for topwater cadence retrieved lures or vertical jigging with grubs or similar (mainly panfish though).

[PaulVE64]

I use a loop knot for flukes, jerkbaits and topwater.

[Reel]

No

For me a loop knot is a sliping knot and slipping is not good on any type of line.  And why would you want more action when the tendency today is toward less action for more realism.

[Captain Phil]

We use loop knots often in salt water fishing where heavy mono leaders are necessary.  A loop knot allows your bait to have more action.   The only time I have used it when bass fishing is when I fish a Rapala Minnow.   A correctly tied loop knot used to tie mono does not slip.  I wouldn't use it with braid. 

[Bankc]

I could see it being a good idea.  But personally, I use a clip just about any time I can get away with one.  I use something around a 40lbs test (#1) Duo Lock for stuff like jerkbaits and most cranks.  If for no other reason than I tend to switch them out a lot and a clip might save me from dying a dozen or more knots in a day. 

[JackstrawIII]

I tie loop knots on almost everything. Any lure that depends on side to size movement gets a loop knot. 
 

Lefty’s loop knot. 
 

Super strong, super easy. Hasn’t failed me yet. 

[thediscochef]

8 hours ago, Bankc said:

I could see it being a good idea.  But personally, I use a clip just about any time I can get away with one.  I use something around a 40lbs test (#1) Duo Lock for stuff like jerkbaits and most cranks.  If for no other reason than I tend to switch them out a lot and a clip might save me from dying a dozen or more knots in a day. 

A duo lock on a walking bait is an ultimate life hack. Love them on a red eye shad too, allows thump at lower speed

[fin]

I've had the loop get caught in the gap of the hook eye. It cut the line when I hooked a nice fish. That was the end of my loop knot phase.

 

There's two sides to that argument about it giving more action. True, it's more free to move, but you lose contact, so you're not in control of the movement. Sometimes that's okay, sometimes not.

[TnRiver46]

Only with jighead fluke, not weightless fluke. Plenty of action without it 

[gim]

On 1/1/2024 at 4:07 PM, SpellCaster said:

Almost always braid-to-mono leader, tied with a Palomar

How do you tie a palomar knot connecting braid to mono? There’s nothing to loop it through.

[SpellCaster]

4 minutes ago, gimruis said:

How do you tie a palomar knot connecting braid to mono? There’s nothing to loop it through.

 

My bad - I meant I use a Palomar to tie my hook on to the leader... I always use a Double Uni for connecting the braid to mono.

[Captain Phil]

8 hours ago, gimruis said:

How do you tie a palomar knot connecting braid to mono? There’s nothing to loop it through.

 

Blood Knot.

[FishTank]

I haven't used a loop knot since I was a kid and then it was only for live bait,  fishing for bluegills.