The Arbor Knot is a really simple knot to tie, and connects your line to your spool. Sure, there are stronger knots, but strength is not the main goal with the arbor knot since it’s about connecting the line to the arbor which after all is the center of the spool, to prevent it from spinning. Join us as we walk through the process of tying an arbor knot. 

Arbor Knot for Baitcasting

If you’re using a baitcaster, you will have to actually run the line around the spool, through the spool, and then tie the arbor knot.

Arbor Knot for Spinning Reel

First thing that you want to do is form a loop with your line. If you’re using a spinning reel, you can basically tie this knot by itself off the real, and then just put that loop around the real and cinch the line tight to the arbor (spool). 

Your First Loop

I’ll go ahead and demonstrate this way as all we’ve done so far is to loop the line around the spool. Then I’m going to grab the line right there, then loop the line back around so that the loops in the lines loop back around. 

Now, take that tag end and feed it through that loop you just created. 

Cinch the Knot Down

From here you can actually just go ahead and cinch that down nice and tight, but you’re not cinching it down to the spool yet, you’re just cinching that knot in place so it’s nice and tight. 

Overhand Knot Loops Through

Now you’re going to take the tag end that’s left, what you want to do is form a simple overhand knot with the tag end of the line by looping it and putting the tag end through that loop. 

Then cinch this not tight to itself so that once you put the line back around the spool you have one knot on the tag end which is going to cinch down against the other knot to keep that line secure.

Tighten the Knot

From here you’re going to pull that tight to the spool bringing that knot cinched up close and tight to the spool. What’s happened is that small knot that we tied on the tag in basically pulled up next to the knot that is tied directly to the line.

You can pull on this as much as you need to make it nice and  secure, without breaking (of course). 

Arbor Knot is for Friction, not Strength

Remember, this knot is not intended for strength, instead it’s meant for friction because you want your line to be nice and snug on that spool such that when you start putting the line on it’s not just free spinning and causing problems. With this knot, your line will spool on as soon as you start wrapping that line around the arbor. 

Cut the Tag End

Then cut the tag in close, and your arbor knot is ready to use.