I'm starting out with carp fishing on the Mondego River and I want to know which is the most secure knot for attaching live bait. I've tried several but some break when the fish pulls hard. Can someone explain it to me in detail?
I had similar problems when I started fishing on the Mondego a few years ago, and I found that the improved clinch knot holds up much better because it distributes the tension more evenly when the carp pulls hard - normally the knot breaks at the point where it tightens, and this one fixes that.
But what really matters is testing the knot's strength before you get in the water, pulling hard on both ends to see if it slips or gives, because there are tons of knots that work fine in theory but in practice with a big fish thrashing around they fail completely.
Don't make the mistake of trusting just the knot when your line is old or damaged, because even the best knots fail if the material can't handle it.
I started having problems with live bait coming loose when I was trying to hook a carp, and the fault wasn't really with the knot but with my line that had some small scratches on it - after I changed it everything worked much better.
The improved clinch is really more reliable than the Palomar for carp because it distributes the tension more evenly when the fish pulls hard, but before you switch knots make sure your line is actually in good condition.
The palomar knot is definitely solid for that, but if it's actually breaking with big carp you can try the improved clinch knot - it distributes pressure better when the fish pulls hard.
The key is to make at least five or six wraps before tightening, and test the knot by pulling hard before you get in the water so you don't get any nasty surprises out there.
Carp in the Mondego tend to be respectable fish, so it's worth spending a few minutes to tie it properly.
The thing is, besides the knot itself, the material you're using makes a huge difference - if your line is too old or has small damage, any knot will give way when a big carp pulls.
I'd recommend checking the line before you switch knots, like around 30cm before the hook, and then test the improved clinch that people mentioned.
It's also worth leaving a tiny little gap between the knot and the hook eye to distribute the tension better, instead of tightening it right up close - it makes a real difference when the fish pulls hard.
For carp specifically, what really works is testing the improved clinch knot, but before you blame just the knot you need to check if your line isn't degraded - an old line or one with small tears will always give way, no matter how good the knot is.
I still prefer to test new line in the water a few days before taking expensive gear out fishing, because sometimes the problem isn't technical at all, it's just the wear on the line that nobody notices at first glance.
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