Taming Wind Knots

Written by Capt. Chris Myers | 20 October 2009

I haven’t met a fisherman yet, whether they prefer fly or spinning tackle, that has not been a victim of the dreaded “wind knot”. This untimely phenomenon is sure to occur at the exact moment the fish appear in front of the boat. While a stiff breeze can certainly increase number of knots, I have seen them occur on countless occasions when there was not a breath of wind.

The number one way to reduce the number of knots in braided line is to close the bail by hand at the end of each cast. Running a close second is always having tension on the line during the retrieve. The first few turns of the handle are often made with little or no tension and are loosely wrapped around the spool. As the line flows off the spool on the next cast, it eventually reaches the loose wraps and they can all jump off at once causing the “wind knot”. In very windy conditions, the amount of slack anglers experience during a cast often increases, especially when using light lines and lures. Extra care must be taken in these conditions to avoid reeling up slack. When retrieving light lures, twitch your rod up or back then slowly drop your rod as you reel. The line should remain tight from the tip to the lure during the entire process.

A couple other factors will influence the tendency for your braided line to tangle. Lighter lines are thinner and more limp than heavier test and are more subject to knots. Using 20 pound braid instead of 10 can reduce your knots but will also significantly decrease your casting distance when using light lures. Completely filling the spool will increase your casting distance but makes it easier for multiple loose wraps to come off simultaneously. If you follow the tips above, you can use very light braid with a full spool for maximum casting distance and no knots.

Capt. Chris Myers
Central Florida Sight Fishing Charters
http://www.floridafishinglessons.com
(321) 229-2848