Bass Class: Teaching kids how to tie knots

Every one of us knows that the most important link between the boat and the fish is the knot connecting the lure to the line. If you tied the knot correctly, you land the fish. A poorly tied knot is almost a guarantee for a lost fish.

But fishing knots are like algebra to kids. Youngsters often don’t understand the knot’s purpose or its importance to fishing. Knot tying is also one of the most difficult fishing tasks to teach a youngster. One of the best methods for teaching this difficult lesson is the one developed through the Aquatic Resources Education Program.

Thanks to the Sport Fish Restoration Act (Wallop-Breaux), every state in the country has an Aquatic Resources Education Program. Through these state programs, volunteer anglers teach others about fishing and the aquatic ecology. Anyone with some spare time should give some volunteer hours to this program. Contact your state’s fisheries department for more information on becoming a volunteer.

As a volunteer in Connecticut, I used this method to teach hundreds of youngsters how to tie fishing knots. The system works. Within a few minutes, your students will be tying textbook-perfect knots.

First, as always, keep your lessons simple and short. The average kid only has a five- to 10-minute attention span when tying knots. You can improve on the attention span by making the activity fun. Add a few jokes and other entertaining tidbits to break up the tying monotony. Also, try throwing in a story how you lost a big fish because of a bad knot:

I remember once hooking into a big smallmouth bass. It was every bit of 8 pounds. The giant fish jumped over and over up into the air at least five or six feet. With each jump, my heart would pound harder. Then all of a sudden . . . Boink!

Sorry, I digress. But you get the point. Pass on an interesting story to drive home the importance of a good knot.

Start out with an easy knot, like the simple clinch knot. With a very young child, you may want to start with a non-fishing knot. The two-half hitch is a great knot for the younger set. This knot will hold a hook against bluegills, so it does have a place in the child’s knot tying education. You never want to introduce more complicated knots until the youngster has thoroughly mastered the easy knot.

For the actual tying lessons, use monofilament lines in the 20- to 25-pound test class. Heavier line is too thick and difficult for children to tie. Lighter lines are too flimsy and harder for the children to hold and see. Some instructors start teaching with twine or rope. I personally don’t like that idea. Rope doesn’t behave or tighten like monofilament. Get your young anglers accustomed to working with material he or she will actually use in the field.

When you are teaching, avoid using hooks. There are too many hands – yours and the students’ – playing with the line. Hook pricks are bound to happen. Paper clips make great substitutes for hooks. As added enticement, have the student bend the paper clip into the shape of a hook.

Begin the knot tying process by having the student watch you tie the knot. Go through the motion very slowly. It helps to exaggerate your actions to provide the attentive eyes with every opportunity to see exactly how it is done.

Next, have the student help you tie the same knot. For example, the student can wrap the line three times around the main line and then insert the tag end through the knot loop while you hold the hook and line. This helps the youth get the “feel” of the line and the knot itself.

Once the youngster seems comfortable with that part of the knot tying process, have him or her try tying the knot using you as an assistant. In other words, reverse the roles you played above. Let the youth tell you how to wrap the line three times and insert the tag end through the knot loop. This phase also gives the youngster confidence in knot tying because they can tell you how to tie the knot.

From this point on, your educated student will be able to tie the knot without your help. If the youngster has trouble, go through the above process all over again. Should the youngster become frustrated because of knot tying problems, put the line away and go on to something else. Be subtle when you stop tying because of youthful frustration. We don’t want the student to think we are giving up. We just want to rest a bit until the frustration level decreases.

Eventually, the youngster will grasp the knot-tying concept. Then comes the practice period. The youngster should tie the same knot at least three times a day for the next week or so. If you start the process on Monday, your new fishing buddy will be quite adept at tying hooks to the line by the upcoming weekend trip.

One word of caution: Don’t overload your students with knots. Teach them only one knot at a time. Wait at least two weeks to a month before teaching them different knots. Too many knots too quickly can lead to confusion and frustration. Besides, the Super Improved Palomar Surgeon’s Knot doesn’t quite work!

Frank McKane Jr. is a nationally known outdoor writer with over 4,000 magazine and newspaper pieces published during his 12-year career. He caught his first fish at 6 months of age and, ever since, has studied the ways of the outdoorsman. With a degree in environmental chemistry, he is dedicated to protecting the environment and promoting outdoor sports for children and adults.