How to Tie a Rapala Knot

The Rapala knot is a non-slip loop knot that is used to connect your fishing lure to your leader. Like other loop knots, this knot allows your lure to move freely and naturally through the water. The primary advantage of tying a Rapala Knot is that it is one of the strongest loop knots, making it a wise choice when targeting larger fish species.

When to Use a Rapala Loop Knot

While there are other loop fishing knots you can use, such as the Non-Slip Loop knot and Perfection Loop knot, the Rapala Knot retains much of its original line strength. If you want to attach your lure or hook to a fluorocarbon leader, this is one of the best terminal loop knots to know. The only downside is that it takes a bit longer to tie than other loop knots.

For example, are you learning how to fish for species like striped bass, redfish (red drum), or muskellunge using topwater lures or trolling plugs? If so, this knot is a smart addition to your knot tying skill set.

Steps to Tying a Rapala Knot

You can tie a Rapala fishing knot in six steps. If you practice these steps a few times, you'll find that learning the best fishing knots like the Rapala is easier than you might think.
 

1. Make a simple overhand loop about two to three inches above the tag end of your leader line, and then thread the tag end of your line through the eye of your lure or hook.
2. Next, bring the tag end of your leader through the downward-facing side of the overhand loop you made in the previous step. Pinch the tag end and mainline between your fingers, and then pull both so that the overhand loop slides against the eye of your lure or hook. Pinch the loop between your fingers.
3. Make three to five wraps with your tag end around the standing leader line.
4. Bring the tag end of your line up through the bottom-facing side of the overhand loop you made in the first step. When you do this, you should have a new loop above your original overhand loop.
5. Take the tag end of your line and bring it through the new loop (above the overhand loop) that you just made.
6. Pull your tag end and mainline tight in one direction while pulling the hook in the other direction. Let go of the tag end before pulling the mainline and lure or hook in opposite directions in order to make the knot as tight as possible. Cut the tag end, and that's it!

If you want to feel more confident about tying the Rapala knot (one of the best fishing knots for lures and fluorocarbon leader), you can also watch a video on "How to Tie Rapala Knot."