While many fishermen use a single or double clinch knot to secure the swivel to the main line on an offshore rig, I have a simple, more durable alternative that I use exclusively with 30-, 50- and 80-pound trolling tackle.
First, I tie a Bimini twist with 3 to 5 feet of double line. Rather than using an offshore swivel knot to attach the swivel to the double line, I use a Palomar knot, which is easier and just as strong, wetting the knot and pulling it tight. Like the offshore swivel knot, the Palomar has no tag end to clip off - the most difficult part is getting the two sides of the double line equal.
Making a double line above the swivel may seem like a lot of trouble, but many times after a hard day of fishing I have found large nicks and abrasions in the double-line section that would probably have resulted in lost fish if we were using a single line tied to the snap swivel.
- Robert Patterson
Indian Head, Maryland
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