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Best bobber stop knot

A stop that grips the line tightly enough to set depth and loosely enough to slide when you move it. It also has to pass the guides.

Bobber Stop Knot, finishedBobber Stop Knot, finished
Ranks first

Bobber Stop Knot

Strong field fit · 83% · 60 ruled out first

Why it wins

  • ·Compact through guides
  • ·Reels through the guides, so depth is not limited by rod length
  • ·Tied from scrap line in seconds and moved without re-rigging
  • ·60 knots were ruled out before ranking even started (Palomar Knot, Improved Clinch Knot, Uni Knot…)

Watch for

  • !Too few turns, so the stop creeps along the line over a few casts
  • !Pulled down hard enough to flatten or kink the main line under it
  • !Tags cut flush, so a stop that loosens cannot be snugged up and catches in a guide

What changes the answer

The same question with one condition added. Each row is its own engine run.

  • Cold, wet handsHolds
  • Wind and boat motionHolds
  • Low lightHolds
  • Retied all dayHolds
  • First time tying itHolds

How sure this is

High confidence: a clear leader on a traceable strength figure, with the conditions stated.

60 of 61 modelled connections were ruled out by hard constraints before anything was ranked. A knot that fails a constraint is never scored, however strong it is elsewhere.

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