Tie

Egg Loop Knot

Shank-wrap bait loop for egg and bait presentations.

Intermediate · Monofilament / Fluorocarbon

Tie it · 5 steps Check the finishAll diagrams Applications

Connection card

Egg Loop Knot

For snell → hook shank, line → hook.

What it joins Snell → hook shank · Line → hook. In monofilament, fluorocarbon.

Turns 10 to 20, then 5. Count them before you seat it; afterwards you are guessing.

Shape Terminal wrap stack at eye or along shank

Tag end Tag exits clean and short

Seated Fully seated to eye or shank

Start again if Shank wraps stacked on each other. Column cuts the line or walks onto the bend

This card does not say how strong the knot is. A retention figure comes from a bench, in one material, at one diameter, tied by somebody who ties it all day — and the line in your hand is none of those. What it does tell you is whether the thing you have just tied is the thing the record describes.

What this plate is telling you

Shank-wrap bait loop for egg and bait presentations.

Save this as a picture and it works with a dead signal and a nearly dead battery, which is when a joint is most often tied badly. The rest of this page — the steps, the seating sequence, the failure modes and the bench — is for the evening before.

Why this knot

What it earns its place with, what it costs, and what to reach for instead.

Best for

Snelling a hookHook to line

Not ideal for

Lure-only terminals
Quick lure changes

Common mistakes

Stopping the leader end short of the bend, so the first wraps miss it
Wraps climbing over each other or leaving gaps on the shank
Feeding the leader back through the eye the same way as the first pass
Pulling the second set of wraps tight by hand, so the leader cannot slide

Alternatives

Snell KnotIntermediate
Tying a leader or tippet directly to a baited hook, so the line runs straight along the hook shank
Uni Snell KnotIntermediate
Snelling a hook with uni knot turns taken around both the shank and the line, for an even, straight-line pull to the fish

Before you start

·Start with about 1.2 m (4 ft) of leader. The whole length is pulled back through the eye to finish the knot.
·The loop on top of the shank holds eggs or a roe sack. Take Me Fishing also uses it for soft baits such as chicken liver or dough bait.
·Keep a firm pinch on the first wraps from when they go on until the leader has been pulled through.
·Take Me Fishing suggests keeping the knot lubricated while you tie it.

Line + hardware: Mono or fluoro, Hook with shank suitable for wraps

How to tie it — Step 1 of 5 · move 1 of 1

1Tag along the shank

2Long part of the leader

swipe to step

01.1

Push one end of the leader through the eye and lay it along the shank to the bend

Hold:: Left hand holds the hook by the bend
Move:: Right hand feeds the end through the eye, then thumb and forefinger pinch it to the shank

You should now see: The end of the leader flat along the shank to the bend, with the long part of the leader coming out of the other side of the eye.

Written step 01

Take about 1.2 m (4 ft) of leader, push one end through the hook eye and lay it along the shank to the bend. Pinch it against the shank with thumb and forefinger.

You should now see

The end of the leader lies flat along the shank to the bend, with the long part of the leader coming out of the eye on the other side.

If it goes wrong

Stopping the tag short of the bend or letting it drift to the side of the shank. The first wraps then miss it and the knot pulls loose.

Fix: Lay the tag straight down the shank again and keep it pinched there until several wraps are on.

Why: The wraps in the next step grip the hook by trapping this end against the shank, so it needs to reach as far as the wraps will go.

What fails if this is wrong

Loop size set after the wraps — Bait sits wrong and the loop will not hold. Set hair/loop length before the shank column.

arrow keys work

Tying procedure — Egg Loop Knot

Step 01 / 5
Take about 1.2 m (4 ft) of leader, push one end through the hook eye and lay it along the shank to the bend. Pinch it against the shank with thumb and forefinger.
You should now see: The end of the leader lies flat along the shank to the bend, with the long part of the leader coming out of the eye on the other side.
If it goes wrong: Stopping the tag short of the bend or letting it drift to the side of the shank. The first wraps then miss it and the knot pulls loose.
Fix: Lay the tag straight down the shank again and keep it pinched there until several wraps are on.
Why: The wraps in the next step grip the hook by trapping this end against the shank, so it needs to reach as far as the wraps will go.
1Tag along the shank
2Long part of the leader
Step 1 of 5 · move 1 of 1
Push one end of the leader through the eye and lay it along the shank to the bend
Hold: Left hand holds the hook by the bend
Move: Right hand feeds the end through the eye, then thumb and forefinger pinch it to the shank
You should now see: The end of the leader flat along the shank to the bend, with the long part of the leader coming out of the other side of the eye.
Step 02 / 5
Starting at the eye, wrap the long part of the leader tightly around the shank and the tag, working toward the bend. Make 10 to 20 wraps.
You should now see: A tight column of wraps lying side by side from the eye toward the bend, covering the tag, with no shank showing between turns.
If it goes wrong: Wraps climbing over each other or spreading apart with gaps. A crossed wrap bites into the line beneath it and the column loosens when loaded.
Fix: Unwind back to the last neat wrap and lay the rest side by side, keeping tension on the leader between turns.
Why: This first column does most of the gripping, as in a snell. Even, adjacent turns share the load along the shank.
1First wraps, toward the bend
2Tag under the wraps
Step 2 of 5 · move 1 of 1
From the eye, wrap the long part round shank and tag toward the bend, 10 to 20 times
Hold: Left thumb and forefinger pinch the tag against the shank
Move: Right hand takes the leader round and round, laying each wrap beside the last
You should now see: A tight column of wraps side by side from the eye toward the bend, covering the tag, with no shank showing between them (ten drawn).
Step 03 / 5
Hold the wraps firmly and push the free end of the long leader back through the eye from the bottom, the opposite way to the first pass, until about 2.5 cm (1 in) sticks out.
You should now see: The leader end pokes out of the eye on the opposite side from where it first went in, a large loop of leader hangs beside the hook, and the first wraps are still tight.
If it goes wrong: Letting go of the wraps to thread the eye, so the column unwinds, or feeding the end through the same way as the first pass, which leaves no loop to wrap with.
Fix: Keep your pinch on the wraps while you thread. If the column has loosened or the end went the wrong way, pull it back out and rewrap from the eye.
Why: The large loop hanging beside the hook makes the second set of wraps, and part of it later becomes the bait loop.
1Leader end through the eye
2Loop beside the hook
Step 3 of 5 · move 1 of 1
Hold the wraps and push the leader's free end back through the eye the opposite way
Hold: Left thumb and forefinger keep the wraps pinched tight on the shank
Move: Right hand pushes the free end of the leader through the eye from the far side until about an inch shows
You should now see: The leader end poking about an inch out of the eye on the other side, a large loop of leader hanging beside the hook, and the first wraps still tight.
Step 04 / 5
Using the loop of leader hanging beside the hook, make 5 more wraps around the shank, over both the tag and the leader end, just tight enough to stay in place.
You should now see: A short second set of wraps beside the first, loose enough that the leader end running under them still slides when tugged.
If it goes wrong: Pulling these wraps tight by hand. They pinch the leader underneath so it cannot be drawn through, and the bait loop cannot form.
Fix: Loosen the second wraps until the leader end slides under them, then carry on.
Why: These wraps are closed in the next step by pulling the leader end through the eye, which draws them down evenly.
1Five loop wraps
2Leader end under the wraps
Step 4 of 5 · move 1 of 1
With the hanging loop, make 5 more wraps round the shank, over the tag and the leader end
Hold: Left hand pinches the first wraps and the leader end to the shank
Move: Right hand passes the loop round the hook five times, snug but not pulled tight
You should now see: A short second set of five wraps beside the first, loose enough that the leader end running under them still slides when tugged.
Step 05 / 5
Pinch the hook and wraps, then slowly pull the leader end until the whole leader has come through the eye. Push a little leader back through the eye to open a loop on top of the shank.
You should now see: Two tight sets of wraps on the shank and a small loop of line standing up along the top of the hook, ready to hold eggs or a spawn sack.
If it goes wrong: Pulling the leader through without pinching the wraps. The second set slides or unwinds, and there is no loop left to open.
Fix: If the wraps have spread, cut the leader off and tie again. If they held but the loop is too small, push a little more leader back through the eye.
Why: The loop is adjustable. Pushing line back through the eye opens it for the bait, and pulling the leader closes it down on the bait.
1Second wraps closed
2Leader pulled through
Step 5 of 5 · move 1 of 2
Pinch hook and wraps, and slowly pull the leader end until the whole leader is through
Hold: Left thumb and forefinger pinch the hook and both sets of wraps
Move: Right hand draws the leader end steadily out through the eye
1Egg loop
Step 5 of 5 · move 2 of 2
Push a little leader back through the eye to open a loop on top of the shank
Hold: Left hand holds the hook and wraps
Move: Right hand feeds a little leader back into the eye and lifts the loop open
You should now see: Two tight sets of wraps on the shank and a small loop of line standing up along the top of the hook, ready to hold eggs or a spawn sack.

What this is based onReference review, not yet tied

Record: Reviewed 2026-08-13. 4 sources are cited for this record.
Drawing: Checked against published references and found to be this knot. Not yet tied from the drawing. Recorded 2026-09-21.
Known limits: None that stop a reader following it were confirmed in the plate audit of 2026-09-24; smaller findings were not all re-checked.
Strength: Not established. No credible, comparable strength data exists for this knot, so no figure is shown.

Watch the tie

Fishing Knots: Egg Loop Knot - How to Tie an Egg Loop KnotFishthatwontquit · Opens on YouTube

External video from a creator we follow — not produced by us. Nothing on this page loads from YouTube until you follow the link.

Seating sequence — where failures are born

The step list compresses the finish. Run these phases in order, one at a time.

01 Moisten
Wet the structure before any load reaches it.
Zero. Nothing tightens yet.
02 Load
Take up slack slowly until the wraps begin to gather.
Light and even — both ends moving together.
03 Dress
Watch the wraps stack in order; stop and back off if any cross.
Hold, do not pull. Correction happens here or not at all.
04 Set
One continuous pull to full seat — no sawing, no jerks.
Firm, single direction, standing line against the terminal end.
05 Trim
Cut the tag square, leaving a short stub proud of the knot.
None. Never trim under load.

Finished structure — what correct looks like

Drawn from a rope model of this knot: which strand passes over which comes from where the rope actually lies.

Structure: Terminal wrap stack at eye or along shank
Standing line: Standing line on-axis with load
Tag end: Tag exits clean and short
Wraps: Even wraps, no crossings
Seating: Fully seated to eye or shank

Verify before you load it

Every line is pass or fail. One fail means retie — do not load a knot you argued with.

01Terminal wrap stack at eye or along shank
02Fully seated to eye or shank
03Tag exits clean and short
04Even wraps, no crossings
05None
06egg-loop

Something failed → open Diagnose

Field notes — dark, cold, gloves

·Retie by feel first, light second — the seat is a tactile event, not a visual one.
·Gloves off for the dress phase. Fabric hides a crossing wrap.
·Wrong twice in a row means the material or the hardware is fighting you. Change one, not your technique.

Egg Loop Knot — finished-state checks, on the shared reference layout — Hook the Horizon reference plate

Failure modes

When this family fails, it fails as these. The recovered end still outranks the name.

Snell family

Wraps on the shank that capture the eye; the hook is the hardware.

!Wraps walked off the shank
!Eye never captured — the snell is a clinch in disguise
!Bait loop closed, or the hair not trapped

Fails when

!Leader end short of the bend, so the wraps do not trap it and the knot pulls loose
!First wraps crossed or gapped, so the column loosens under load
!Wraps not pinched while the leader is threaded or pulled through, so they unwind
!Second wraps pulled tight by hand, which jams the leader and no bait loop forms

Geometry

Shank wraps stacked on each other
Column cuts the line or walks onto the bend
Even shank wraps to the eye carry the bait loop · step 02
Seat closed the bait loop
A closed egg loop cannot hold bait
The open bait loop is the job — dress wraps without shrinking it · step 03
Loop size set after the wraps
Bait sits wrong and the loop will not hold
Set hair/loop length before the shank column · step 01

If you saw this

Loop collapses or slides
Check
- ?Parallel wrap inspection
- ?Loop size under light tension
Then
- →Retie with even wraps
Finished check failed — Loop collapses under light tension
Check
- ?Loop sized for bait holds after seating
- ?Shank wraps ordered
- ?Loop does not collapse
Then
- →Retie. A collapsed egg loop dumps bait on the first cast.
Shank wraps stacked on each other
Check
- ?Column cuts the line or walks onto the bend
- ?Inspect step 02
Then
- →Retie. Do not dress a defective structure and call it seated.
Seat closed the bait loop
Check
- ?A closed egg loop cannot hold bait
- ?Inspect step 03
Then
- →Retie. Do not dress a defective structure and call it seated.
Loop size set after the wraps
Check
- ?Bait sits wrong and the loop will not hold
- ?Inspect step 01
Then
- →Retie. Do not dress a defective structure and call it seated.

Same family

Same failure class, different geometry. Open the plates — Diagnose still starts from the symptom.

This failed — start Diagnose

The bench · rep 1

Get it right with everything in your favour0/5 clean

Nothing logged on this knot yet, so it starts on the bottom rung.

Good light, dry hands, a table. Until the sequence is automatic here there is nothing for the harder rungs to test — you would only be learning that difficult conditions are difficult, which you already knew.

How · Tie it, check it against the list, log it. Five clean and the ladder opens.

Conditions for this rep

Main lineJoined to

What went wrong, if anything

Nothing marked. Log it clean, or mark what happened first.

Strength, and where the number comes from

Not established

No published break test; nothing citable states a retention figure for any egg-loop variant.

Percentages come from published tests on their own line, their own knot-tyer and their own pull rate. Yours is a different system. Treat a figure as a reason to test, not as a result you already have.

Sources for this record

FishingKnots.com strength database (Egg Loop band)
Recovered from the historical MODEL_SOURCES registry.
Hook the Horizon — Egg Loop
Recovered from the same record’s historical Hook the Horizon resource URL.
NetKnots — Egg Loop Knot
Take Me Fishing — Egg Loop Knot

Record reviewed 2026-08-13

Vetted references

Egg Loop Knot
Hook the Horizon
Fishing Knots: Egg Loop Knot - How to Tie an Egg Loop Knot
Fishthatwontquit

Related knots

Already tied it?

Check the finished knot against what correct looks like before you load it.