Let's talk swivels and knots

Outdoors, by J.D. Richey, Journal ColumnistIt?s definitely not the most sexy of conversation topics, but how you attach your lures to the end of your line can often determine if you?re bringing fish or skunk home for dinner.So let?s roll up our sleeves here and get down to business and make sure we?re all using the right connections and connectors. I?m going to cover several popular lure styles and which types of knots and swivels you should use to fasten them to your line.PlugsWobbling plugs will take just about any species of fish that swims. In our area, we troll Rebels and Rapalas for big brown trout and Bombers and Rebels for striped bass; we cast crankbaits like Rat-L-Traps, Yo-Zuris, Lucky Crafts, Fat Raps, etc. for reservoir bass; we drag Kwikfish and Flatfish for river salmon and Lake Tahoe mackinaw; and, in the winter, we back-troll plugs like Wiggle Warts and Hot Shots for steelhead. The side-to-side action of a plug is what attracts fish, so you don?t want to compromise that in any way by using too heavy of a swivel. In fact, I only use a very light duolock snap ? sometimes called a ?Kwikfish? snap ? when using any of the above lures. Stay away from heavy ball bearing, cross-lock or crane style swivels. Also, don?t tie the standard improved clinch knot to your snap because a direct tie will not allow the plug as much freedom of movement as a loop-style knot like the so-called ?Rapala Knot.? SpinnersSpinners are popular lures for a plethora of species from salmon to smallmouth, though they most often get used for stream and lake trout in Foothill and Sierra area waters ? especially stuff like Panther Martins, Rooster Tails and Mepps. While a spinner?s blade, in theory, is the only thing that?s supposed to spin, you still can get some tragic line twist when fishing with this kind of lure, so a swivel is a must. To prevent the line twist (don?t you hate it when your twisted line wraps around your rod tip every cast?), tie a quality barrel snap swivel onto your main line with a improved Clinch ?Trilene? knot or a Palomar knot.I like to use a subdued color like black and go with as small a swivel as I can get away with. Something like a size No. 12-16 when you?re fishing lakes and larger streams will work well, but in small creeks, I?ll drop down to a No. 18-20 swivel. If you?re fishing somewhere that holds big fish, you may want to consider some type of swivel that not only curbs line twist but also is less likely to open up under the pressure of a lunker. Standard snap swivels are a good choice when big fish are involved, so try a crane snap swivel or a barrel with a duolock snap. You?d hate to hook the brown of a lifetime and have it pull open your swivel.Spoons Spoons like Wob-L-Rites, Little Cleos, Dardevles, Kastmasters and Needlefish have been hooking fish of all flavors for legions of anglers for countless seasons. It?s hard to believe that a bent piece of metal could be so productive, but the proof is irrefutable. To get the most out of your spoons, you need to consider what you?re going to be using it for and what kind of spoon it is.In general, you?re going to want to use a swivel with just about every spoon. The side-to-side sashay action of a spoon doesn?t cause a ton of line twist, but they will start to spin if retrieved too quickly and that can cause lots of problems for your mono. Remember, twisted line isn?t just a nuisance. It?s a big fish break-off waiting to happen. Twisting causes the line?s strength to be compromised. Under most circumstances, you can use the same basic rules I outlined in the spinner section. Most spinners come with a split ring line attachment point, so you can go direct without a swivel in a pinch, but I don?t recommend making a habit out of it. Dardevles and assorted other spoons don?t have that split ring. Instead, there?s a hole punched through the leading edge of the bait and that?s where you?re supposed to attach your line. Whatever you do, don?t tie directly to the hole. The edges are often sharp and will cause your line to fail at the least opportune moment ? when a fish hits. You must use a swivel if you plan to fish this style of lure. The one situation in which I don?t employ the use of a swivel when spoon fishing is when I?m trolling thin-bladed lures like Needlefish, Sockeye Slammers, Dick Nites and the like for trout and kokanee. I tie direct to the spoon with the Rapala Knot to make sure that lure is wobbling as much as possible.Well, there you have it. If you?d like to learn how to tie some of the knots I?ve mentioned here, point your web browser to: http://www.activeangler.com/articles/how-to/articles/knots/index.aspThis one is in Spanish and has a ridiculously long web address, but it has great close up drawings of the Rapala Knot:http://members.tripod.com.ve/adm/popup/roadmap.shtml?member_name=manuelmosquera&path=rapalaknot.htm&client_ip=198.81.26.136&ts=1032977466&ad_type=POPUP&id=dae58ce5f3e8bdf31da8ae6e13c45d90J.D. Richey is a 1986 Placer High graduate, and his outdoors pieces have been published nationally. He can be reached at (916) 456-5463 or JDRicheyOutdoors@aol.com.