Lock Knot

The Lock Knot is a great way to use the tag end to finish off an Albright Knot, Bimini Twist or Reverse Knot for a neater appearance and to prevent excess wear on the tag end of these knots as they repeatedly pass through rod guides while casting and retrieving line. All three knots, when correctly tied, gain no added strength from adding the additional wraps of the Lock Knot. Instead the Lock Knot protects the tag end of the Albright, Bimini or Reverse and prevents it from unraveling or fraying, which would cause catastrophic knot failure.
When tying a Bimini Twist in 20- to 80-pound monofilament to make a double line for offshore trolling, the wraps of the Lock Knot also provide a smooth transition from the single strand of the unknotted mono line to the barrel wraps of the knot, much like a ramp, which prevents the knot from jamming in roller guides.

When tying the Lock Knot in Dacron braid or gel-spun braid to finish off an Albright or Reverse Knot, many anglers like to use seven to ten wraps, and add a drop of a cyanoacrylate glue like Loctite 406 or Zap-A-Gap to the finish wraps for maximum knot durability.

Step 1
Pass the tag end behind the double line to form a loop below the Bimini.

Step 2
Pass the tag end around the double line and through the loop to make five loose wraps.

Step 3
Pinch the last wrap. With the right hand pull the bottom of the loop behind and over the double line and pinch it with the left hand.

Step 4
Unwind all five wraps, pinching each wrap, until all five wraps are tight around the double line.

Step 5
Pull the tag end until the locking wraps are tight. Clip the tag end.

NOTE: For illustration purposes, Cortland 200-pound-test Hi-Vis Orange Dacron was used to tie the Lock Knot to a Bimini Twist for the photos taken by Linda Barrett.