The San Diego Jam Knot

The San Diego Jam Knot is a strong knot that is a great choice for connecting hooks to fishing line. This knot was originally designed by west coast fishermen to tie fishing line to heavy iron jigs when targeting big tuna. It’s a great knot for:

• A quick and reliable terminal knot connection
• A knot that can be used with braid & monofilament line
• A good knot for connecting mainline straight to the hook

In this article, I go over the step-by-step instructions on how to tie the San Diego Jam Knot. And at the bottom of this post, you can see a detailed video showing you exactly how to tie this knot.

Step-by-Step: The San Diego Jam Knot

In this section, we go over each step for tying the San Diego Jam Knot.

For this knot, we used braided line for a terminal knot connection.

Note: We also made some slight improvements in the tying process to make the knot more effective for braid.

Step 1: Put the Tag End of Your Line Through the Eye of the Hook

Put the tag end of your fishing line through the eye of the hook. Pull about six to eight inches of tag end through the eye of the hook.

Step 2: Put the Tag End Through the Eye of the Hook Again

Put the tag end back through the eye of the hook a second time. Pull the tag end taut so the line is tight around the eye of the hook.

Step 3: Pinch the Tag End and Mainline Halfway Down the Overlap. Then Fold the Tag End Toward the Hook

Pinch the tag end of your line and mainline about halfway down of where the two lines overlap. Then, fold the tag end of your line toward the fishing hook.

Step 4: Make 10 Wraps Around the Doubled Lines Using the Tag End

Using the tag end of your line, make 10 wraps around the doubled braided lines. If you’re using mono or fluorocarbon line, you only need to make five wraps during this step.  Make sure all your wraps go in the same direction down the lines toward the hook. Your two fingers holding the double lines should now be holding a loop.

Step 5: Put the Tag End Through the Loop Above the Hook Eye

Put the tag end of your line through the loop just above the hook eye.

Step 6: Put Your Tag End Through the Loop You Made in Step 4 and Pull Finger-Tight

Take the tag end and put it through the loop you created during Step 4. Pull both the tag end and mainline finger-tight to make sure the knot begins to coil correctly.

Step 7: Wet the Knot, Release the Tag End and Pull the Mainline Tight so the Knot Slides Down to the Hook. Cut the Tag End 

Wet the knot with water or spit and release the tag end. Then, pull the mainline tight so the knot slides down to the hook. Cut the tag end. Your San Diego Jam Knot is complete.

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San Diego Jam Knot Video Tutorial

The video below shows you the entire process on how to tie the San Diego Jam Knot (with a couple improvements for braided line).

Conclusion

The San Diego Jam Knot is fairly simple and strong. It’s a good knot for terminal connections (currently our 2nd favorite behind the modified uni knot) for connecting braided line to hooks.

For mono, I recommend using a loop knot like the Non-Slip Loop Knot if using artificial lures that need action in the water.

But if strength is the top concern, the Palomar Knot has proven to have a stronger breaking point compared to the San Diego Jam knot so far in our testing.

If you want to see the full knot ranking list, then check out our guide to the strongest fishing knots of all time.

If you have any questions or comments about this knot, let us know in the comments section below.

Tight Lines!

Go To Our Knot Testing Homepage [Full Knot Rankings]

Related Posts:

1. How to Tie the Rapala Knot [Step-by-Step Picture and Video Tutorial]

2. How to Tie the Blood Knot [Video & Picture Tutorials]

3. How to Tie the Non-Slip Loop Knot [Video & Picture Tutorials]