Egg Loop Knot
Egg Loop Knot
Creates a loop on the hook shank to hold salmon eggs, shrimp, and soft baits. The egg loop secures bait in place and keeps it from flying off on the cast — essential for Pacific salmon fishing.
Video by Sportfishing Report on YouTube
About the Egg Loop Knot
The Egg Loop Knot (also called the Yarn Knot) creates a snell-style connection to the hook shank plus a loop of line that holds bait securely against the shank. Salmon eggs, shrimp, yarn, sand shrimp, and soft cured baits slip under the loop and stay put through casting and current.
It's considered an essential knot for Pacific Northwest and Alaska salmon and steelhead fishing. Without the egg loop, soft baits fly off on the cast or fall apart in strong current. With the loop, they stay perfectly positioned on every drift.
Best Used For
Ideal applications
- ✓ Salmon and steelhead egg clusters
- ✓ Cured salmon roe and shrimp
- ✓ Soft baits that need to be secured to the shank
- ✓ River and tidal drift fishing
Not ideal for
- ✗ Hard baits and lures
- ✗ Braided line (mono and fluoro hold the loop better)
Step-by-Step Instructions
Follow these 5 steps to tie the Egg Loop Knot. Watch the video above while following along.
Step 1: Thread through the eye and run along shank
Pass 14 inches of tag end through the hook eye. Run the tag end back along the hook shank toward the bend.
Step 2: Wrap 6-8 times toward the eye
Begin wrapping the tag end around both the shank and the standing line, moving toward the hook eye. Make 6-8 tight wraps.
Step 3: Form the egg loop
After the wraps, create a loop by doubling the remaining tag end. This loop will hold the bait. Keep it about 1-1.5 inches long.
Step 4: Continue wrapping over the loop
Wrap the tag end back over the hook shank and over the legs of the loop you just made, continuing toward the hook eye. Make 4-5 more wraps to lock the loop.
Step 5: Thread through eye and tighten
Pass the tag end through the hook eye from the bend side. Pull the standing line to compress all wraps against the eye. The loop should remain open and free. Trim the tag end close.
Pro Tips
- Keep the loop legs even as you wrap over them
- Loop size should match your bait — big eggs need a bigger loop
- Slide the bait under the loop before hitting the water
- Fluorocarbon holds this knot more securely than mono on smaller hooks
Common Mistakes
- Loop too small to accommodate the bait
- Wraps over the loop are too loose — the loop collapses under the bait's weight
- Not enough initial wraps before forming the loop
- Bait not inserted under the loop before fishing