How to Tie Fishing Line to a Jig

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The simplest description of a fishing jig is that it is a hook with a built-in weight, often with such adornments as a plastic skirt or trailer. Jigs come in many shapes and sizes, with the weighted head's shape often determining how the jig moves through the water. The majority of anglers do not use a swivel to join their fishing lines to a jig, instead opting to tie the line directly to the jig so that it moves through the water more freely, imitating natural bait. A simple knot for this purpose is the improved clinch knot.

Instructions

Difficulty: Moderately Easy

Things You’ll Need:

Fishing jig
Fishing rod and reel
Line clippers

Step 1

Hold the jig steady and thread the end of your line through the eye of the jig. Push the line through to give yourself plenty of line to work with when tying the knot, especially when you are first learning the improved clinch knot.

Step 2

Wrap the free end of the line around the line going into the eye of the jig (this is the standing end in knot-tying terminology) until you form at least five complete wraps around the line. When using a heavier line, you can reduce this number of wraps to as few as four. Keep the wraps tight, holding them in place with the thumb of the hand with which you grasp the jig.

Step 3

Locate the first loop that you created when you wrapped the free end around the standing end of line. This loop will be right next to the eye of the jig. Take the free end of the line and push it through this loop until it comes out the other side. By doing so, you will create another and larger loop where the line comes out of the last of your wraps and goes into the loop next to the eye.

Step 4

Pass the free end through the larger loop that you just formed. This step gives the improved clinch knot its name, as without it, the knot is simply a clinch knot. By making this extra tuck, says the Animated Knots by Grog website, you will increase the chances that the knot will hold up when you are fighting a large fish.

Step 5

Pull the entire knot tight, sliding the wraps down the line as you perform this step. Once tightened, you can take your line clippers and snip the extra line coming out of the final tuck so that it is close to the knot and not sticking out. Your jig is now secure to your fishing line and ready for action.

Article Written By John Lindell

John Lindell has written articles for "The Greyhound Review" and various other online publications. A Connecticut native, his work specializes in sports, fishing and nature. Lindell worked in greyhound racing for 25 years.

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