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For drop shot assembly the palomar knot is undoubtedly the most widely used knot, or at any rate the knot historically linked to it. However, while this knot is extremely simple and quick to make, it doesn't always offer a perfect presentation of its hook.
So here's another equally simple alternative to the Palomar knot.
Step 1
Pass your line through the eye of your hook, making sure the point is facing upwards (towards the reel).
Step 2
Make a loop upstream of the hook (line on the reel side).
Step 3
Slide your hook over the wire to position it at the loop.
Step 4
Make 3 turns with your hook around the other strand.
Step 5
Moisten the wires with saliva and tighten them by pulling from both sides. To do this, I like to immobilize my hook by pricking it or passing it through a ring or the pick-up on my reel, for example, so that the coils don't unravel when tightened.
Step 6
Once your knot is perfectly tightened, your hook is trapped between two wires and presented perfectly, shank horizontal and point upwards.
The disadvantages of knots
While the use of a knot is a guarantee of discretion and should be preferred for the finest fishing, the major problems when using a drop shot rig with a knot are :
- remount if you want to lengthen the distance between hook and sinker.
- Breakage often occurs at the hook in the event of snagging, as you can't use "brittle wire" for lead.
To meet these constraints, there are hooks designed specifically for drop shot. They come in two types: with an eye like a swivel, or with a clip like traditional drop shot sinkers.
Double-eye hooks
Double-eye hooks take the same form as a swivel but require a knot to be made on either side of the hook. While this has the advantage of providing optimum presentation of your lure and allowing you to put your sinker on a brittle line, it does require you to retie a leader and a knot each time you want to change the distance between the sinker and the hook. For this reason, I prefer to use the following.
Hooks with pliers
Clamp hooks are designed on the same principle as the previous ones, but the bottom eye is replaced by a clamp; all you have to do is clamp the wire connecting the sinker to it. Changing the presentation depth of your lure or leader takes just a second!
