Spider Hitch Knot Review [Easiest Way To Tie & Strength Test]
- By: Luke Simonds
- on
- Found In: Braid Loop Knot, Fishing Knots, Fishing Tips
This post will show you the easiest way to tie the very popular spider hitch knot.
The core purpose of this knot is to create a strong doubled line which then can be used to connect your main line to the leader.
And at the end, you’ll see how its strength compares to other top knots that are used to connect to the main leader (both double and single knots).
Here’s what you’ll learn in this post:
- Easiest way to tie the Spider Hitch Knot
- How its strength compares to other loop knots
So let’s get started.
How To Tie The Spider Hitch Knot
The popularity of the spider hitch knot is due to the fact that it’s a quick knot to tie while enabling a strong connection.
The standard way to tie this knot is to made wraps around your fingers, but I believe the method shown in the video below is the easier route to take.
Spider Hitch Knot Steps
- Pull roughly 8 inches of the tag end back and lay it over the mainline to create your loop
- Secure both lines with your hand (both lines: mainline + tag end)
- Pull loop up and around as if you are tying a basic overhand knot
- Make 5 wraps of the original loop end around the 2nd loop (details shown at the 1:35 mark in video)
- Pull the original loop end through the 2nd loop
- Grab the original loop end with one hand, and the tags + mainline with the other hand, and pull it all tight.
Spider Hitch Knot Video Tutorial
Click here to see the knot strength contest I did for loop knots like this on braid fishing line.
Conclusion
The spider hitch knot is a great knot for anglers who need to form a loop in their line in a hurry because it is a very easy knot to tie and it appears to be the strongest of all the quick options (Surgeon & King Sling).
But if time permits, the strength test did show that the Bimini Twist was the stronger option for forming a loop that is to be used for connection to a leader line.
The results of knots can differ depending on the lines that you’re using, so be sure to some knot tests of your own with the gear that you plan to use out on the water.
I sure wish that I would have started testing lines sooner because it has been very surprising to see my most trusted knots from before getting beat by ones that I simply never bothered trying.
If you want to skip doing the testing yourself, then click the link below to see the full ranking list of knots that I’ve tested out so far.
Go To Our Knot Testing Homepage [Full Knot Rankings]
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Which knot do you use to tie the mono to the spider hitch knot?
None… I tie the FG knot in a direct braid to leader connection after seeing it outperform the spider hitch combined with the top recommended mono connectors (bristol, double uni, yukatan, etc.).
Not sure how this knot qualifies to be identified as a hitch. Of the four knot classifications (hitches, bends, loops, lashings) this seems to meet none of the specifications for a hitch, but is rather a loop. Also, as far as I can tell and from my experience, this knot is simply a figure eight loop with multiple wraps of the bight before finally passing through the formed intermediate loop. Hence, a more appropriate name would be a “modified figure eight loop”. 🙂
Would be a modified overhand instead of figure eight since you only twist the first loop once, but trying it on a figure eight could be good.
Thanks Luke for your knots Love your instructions
Thanks for making time to leave the nice comment.
Another great video, Luke. I’m wondering if a drop of Superglue on any of these knots (FG, Bimini, etc.) makes them stronger?
Thanks Robert. Many people do use glue on knots, but I don’t do it because all knots will constrict as they approach their breaking point, and having superglue on it can result in cracks which could expose the line to sharp edges that can damage the line.