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Back to the Basics: What are Knots, Sinkers, and Floats?

Anglers use several types of knots to attach the reel, line, and lure to each other. The most useful include the slip knot, for attaching line to reel; the blood knot and improved surgeon's knot, for attaching different size lines to one another; and the improved clinch knot, for attaching lure, hook, or fly to line or leader.

Instead of attaching lures and bait directly to the fishing line, bait-casters, spin-casters, and trollers often use a small barrel-shaped device called a snap-swivel. It has a loop on one end and a clip on the other. The fishing line is tied to the swivel's loop with a knot and the lure, bait, or leader attaches to the clip. The swivel prevents tangles when the bait spins and moves through the water. The swivel's clip also lets anglers switch lures and leaders easily and quickly instead of needing to cut and retie a new lure to the fishing line.

Floats and sinkers may be added to the line to make lures and bait float, sink, or remain suspended at a certain depth. Floats and sinkers are generally used when bait fishing, as artificial lures can be specifically designed to achieve a certain depth.

Contributed By:

Jay H. Cassell, M.A.
Senior Editor, Sports Afield. Member, Outdoor Writers Association of America. Contributor, Business Week, Camping Journal, and other publications.

"Fishing," Microsoft® Encarta® Online Encyclopedia 2000
http://encarta.msn.com © 1997-2000 Microsoft Corporation. All rights reserved.