Best Knot for Steelhead jig

As many of you know I am working on a new jig fishing book. I have my own opinions on knots to tie on a jig with, but want your input. What is your favorite jig knot and why?

Lefty Kreh's non-slip loop knot.... a loop imparts the most natural swimming action for the jig. Lefty's knot has better knot strength than a uni-loop, and it won't slip down snug against the eye when you snag up or hook a fish.

I mostly use a palomar knot.

I use an improved Trilene clinch knot about 99% of the time for everything.

I use the surgeon's loop knot. It has 100% line strength, the jig hangs naturally in the water and features better action than a clinch knot. Some people don't think it will hang right but it does once it's in the water.

...and the surgeon's loop is so simple to tie. I have never had it slip...

palomar

i would rather that my knot remain tight against the eye of the hook. that way i can cock the jig and keep it cocked. this results in way better hook ups.... and in my mind... better action........the float and the underwater currents imparts the action on the jig not the jig imparting action on itself due to a loop knot. that would cause the jig to hang vertically too often which is just the opossite of what i want my jig to do

i forget the name of the knot that i use but it is from rob crandell i believe and it begins by running the line thru the eye twice to make a loop, then tying a regular cinch knot and running the tag end thru both the first loop you made and the normal loop created when tying a cinch knot. it has the strength of a double knot with out the bulk or three tag ends of a rivers inlet knot

I used to use that knot, Lupo. It's one of the few knots that I can consistently get to *fail*. Who knows, maybe I was doing something wrong? Needless to say, I stopped using that knot a long time ago.

But, to anwer Dave's question.

I don't fish jigs much, but I when tying on a jig, I'm more concerned about the jig getting vertical on the line. I always want my jigs horizontal in the water.

I just tie a basic cinch knot on the jig and and cut the line. This knot on the jig acts as a line stop. I will now re tie on the mainline, above this stop, by using a simple cinch knot. That seems to keep the jig in place and the simple sinch knot is fine.

I have already tried the Palomar knot on jigs. Seemed to work, but I haven't used it enough to really tell.

Less see....For all of the 2003-2004 season, I bet I used a jig no more than a half dozen times. Most of that was just messing around for some stupid cohos.

Although I know jigs are painfully effective, fishing jigs with a training wheel just doesn't make me happy. I'd almost always just fish a hunk-o-bait (sandshrimp tail) and cerise yarn under a training wheel than a jig. Dunno why, but jigs just don't do it for me.

PS to DanS and Tony D. - when are you guys gonna actually catch something (when I'm there) with those whacky training wheels and jigs you keep bringing down to the Lewis? And no, recycled summer runs don't count.

parker,

I know it's hard to believe, but sometimes you have to fish a jig more than a cast or two before you catch one. And every time I reach for that float rod, Keith loses his mind, so I find it better to just leave the float rod laying there.

I did fish the jig for a while the first time I joined Keith........and yes, I hooked a couple fish.

If you wanna lay 6:1 odds, I'll bring the jig rod down and relieve you of some money.

I guess it all depends on if you want the jig to "float" loose on the line or be tied tight. So, either surgeons loop or palomar (or similar).

What do you like Dave?