The first step is to clip away any coiled or frayed pieces from the end of your fishing line. A clean, fresh length of line is essential for a tight knot. Once this is complete you need to thread the line through the eye of the hook. Pull about eight to ten inches of line through the eye. Then grip the eye of the hook between your thumb and pointer fingers. This will allow you to maintain a space near the hook that you will use later. With your free hand take the end of the line and twist it five to eight times around the line coming from the pole. Be sure to maintain your hold on the eye of the hook.

The end of your line now has to be put through the bottom loop that you made just above the hook. Gently pull the line tight with one hand and push the wrapped line down towards the hook with the other hand. Now you should hold the line about twelve to eighteen inches from the end and grip the lower curve of the hook. Give the hook a few gentle tugs to assure that the coils of the knot have tightened. You can now use a pair of scissors or a fishing knife to clip away the excess line.

There are several factors that you should be aware of that can alter the quality of your knot. First is the age of your line, It is a good practice to replace your line every season to assure trouble free fishing. You will also notice that heavier, larger diameter lines will not coil and set as tight as the lighter casting lines. In these instances it may be wise to use an easier Palomar knot to secure your tackle. Remember that practice makes perfect and that with a little practice your knots will only take you seconds to tie, and they will squeeze so tight that your arm may break before your line does.

This year the DEC put out a baitfish publication. They have a list of baitfish that are allowed anywhere in New York State. This list is called the “green list”, if a baitfish is not on the green list, it either has a restricted use, or is no longer allowed.

Many anglers will notice immediately, as I did that Sawbellies are not on the green list. Don’t panic though; they can still be used in areas where they are necessary. When looking through the brochure just remember that a Sawbelly is a small species of Herring and you’ll find it listed under its real name “Alewife”

For the convenience of the Mighty Angler users I have tracked down and installed a copy of the brochure here.
It is in PDF format just like our maps, so if you do not already have Adobe Reader you can get it here.