This is a tutorial on how I tie snell knots, the knots you typically see machine tied on factory hooks.
First I decide on which hooks I want to use typically I use either 1/0 or size 4 offset octopus circle hooks.
Offset meaning the barb and shank are offset from each other (this makes them easier to set).
Circle means the barb faces back towards the shank (this also makes them set easier).
(but because the shape is such that something actually needs to be in the gap of the hook - it needs to be in the fishes
lip) I have never seen one hook elsewhere.
This is important because it's less damaging to the fish.
Typically they also self set.
Back to why I go through the trouble.
Most snelled hooks I find are not the style or size I prefer, usually they're non offset and not circle hooks; I found myself using hooks that were too small and often gut hooked fish because they don't get a proper sized hook into their mouth.
Once I've decided what hooks I'll be tying as well as the leader I'll use with them usually I use 20lb non flourocarbon (it has too much memory, but the stretch resistance is good).
Second step in a good comfortable work area.
Take your running end of your leader for my knot you don't need to pre trim, (still attached to the spool is fine).
Holding my hook in my right hand I run the leader through the eye of the hook bringing several inches of slack through, make a loop out of it and run it through a second time.
As you can see the leader material is still connected to the spool all the business happens in this knot down by the hook.
Once you have that, hold the hook by the eye wrapping the loop you made in the eye away from you, I tuck the tag end into the crook of the hook to keep it out of the way and things neat.
Wrap 7-12 bites ## Bites are where your line either engages itself, another line, or an object you're securing.
This works best if you keep them neat as they go on and push them up towards the eye of the hook as you go, because when you cinch it, thats where they'll end up in the end.
Make sure you don't pull your tag end into the bites and if you do put it back where it should be before it's entangled into the knot
Once at this point, just grab and pull the tag end cinching those bites up to the eye and taking all the slack up.
In the end it'll look like this, another reason I like tying them in this manner is sometimes I like stinger hooks.
A stinger is when you gang a second hook for finicky feeders.
To do that you simply use a bigger loop and a little more tag end but not so much as you can no longer keep it neat as you do so.
As such you'll wind up with something like this.
You won't be able to find a hook set up off the shelf as custom as this for less than a few dollars, that's if you can buy them at all.
All in all I tied these four hooks in under five minutes, at a fraction of the cost of pre tied; to my own specifics.
It has taken me longer to organize my pictures and write this article up.
I store them like this nearly ready to use.
The card stock allows me to store more per bag without them all turning into a giant tangle, I find depending on the length of the leader used I can store up to 3 on each side of the bag before tangling becomes a problem.
Just loosely roll them up and stick them in on either side of the card and stick two or three more on the other side.
I hope this finds you well, and that someone gets good use out of the information.
Thanks for reading.
Awesome post good advice thanks keep it coming...
Thank you, I may do a video on it just to clear anything up.
Congratulations @mikeycinmountp! You have completed some achievement on Steemit and have been rewarded with new badge(s) :
Click on any badge to view your own Board of Honor on SteemitBoard.
To support your work, I also upvoted your post!
For more information about SteemitBoard, click here
If you no longer want to receive notifications, reply to this comment with the word
STOP