The Bimini twist is a doubled-line twist that, tied correctly, is guaranteed to be stronger than your single line, so it always breaks in the single strand and never at the loop. It is the crucial saltwater knot for doubling your line, building IGFA-legal leaders, and joining light line to heavier line. In this How 2 Tuesday I show you the easy step-by-step way to tie a 30-turn Bimini and prove it on the machine.
Listen now: press play in the player above and follow along.
The Bimini twist is really a twist, not much of a knot, and when you tie it correctly the doubled loop is always stronger than the single line. In my test the knot broke down in the single strand while the loop stayed completely intact, which is exactly what you want. Because the break happens in the single line rather than at the connection, the doubled section is effectively stronger than the line itself, regardless of the pound test you are using.
The Bimini twist is a crucial saltwater knot because it lets you double your line over. If I want to fish 12 pound test for sailfish, I want as little 12 pound line in the water as possible, so I keep a spool of 20 pound and use the Bimini to create a doubled section. Under IGFA rules you can run 15 inches of class tippet and a 12 inch shock tippet for fish like tarpon, or even wire for toothy fish, then build heavier line back to the reel. Any time you want a leader joined to heavier line, the Bimini twist is the foundation.
Double your line over leaving plenty to work with, hold the line with your left hand, put two right fingers in the loop and turn it 30 times while pinching tight. Place the loop over a reel handle so you can pull on it, put the tag end in your mouth, and ease tension so the line rolls back over all those twists to the last one. Trap it with your index finger, make a half hitch around one leg, then the other, then two or three half hitches around both legs, finish with a three turn half hitch, pull tight, and trim.
Because the doubled twist is stronger than a single strand, the weakest point in the system is the single line above or below the knot, so that is where it gives way. With a loop knot like a perfection loop or a double surgeon's loop, you actually create a weak point at the loop that can be weaker than the single line. The Bimini avoids that, which is why a correctly tied Bimini loop is always stronger than the single line.
I tied this one with 30 strands, meaning 30 turns in the loop before rolling the line back over the twists. Thirty is a solid, reliable number for a strong Bimini. The key is keeping the line pinched tight with your left hand while you turn, then easing tension carefully so the twists roll back evenly and the knot seats correctly. Done right, that twist is what makes the doubled line stronger than the single strand.
Honestly it is one of the easiest knots we tie, even though it does not look easy when you watch me do it. If you go step by step, turn it 30 times, use a reel handle to hold tension, put the tag in your mouth and roll the line back, then finish with the half hitches, it comes together every time. I promise it is an easy knot once you break it into those steps, and you can follow along in the video.
The Bimini twist lets me double my line over, which matters any time I want as little light line in the water as possible, like fishing 12 pound for sailfish off a 20 pound spool. It is also the base for IGFA-legal leader systems with class and shock tippet. I explain all the reasons I rely on it in the episode, so press play in the player above.
Here is the step-by-step I promise is easier than it looks. I walk through each move in the episode.
I unpack each step in the episode. Press play in the player above.
When I tested this Bimini with 30 strands, it broke down in the single line while the loop stayed completely intact, exactly what you want. A loop knot like a perfection loop can create a weak point at the loop, but the Bimini twist makes the doubled section stronger than the single line. I show the break on camera in the episode, so press play in the player above.
The whole thing hinges on pinching the line tight while you put in 30 turns, then easing tension so the line rolls back over those twists evenly to the last one. That is what seats the knot and makes the loop bulletproof. I demonstrate the tension trick with a reel handle in the episode, so press play in the player above.
Do not let the Bimini twist intimidate you. Broken into steps it is one of the easiest knots I tie, and it rewards you with a loop that is always stronger than your single line.
Tie it correctly and the break will always happen in the single strand. Press play in the player above.
How 2 Tuesday is my weekly series where I break down one fishing skill at a time, from knots and casting to gear, tactics, and the habits that make you a better angler. Watch and listen to every How 2 Tuesday episode from Tom Rowland.
Bimini twist · IGFA · class tippet · shock tippet · sailfish · tarpon · leader systems · Danco pliers · Star brite · Nikon · How 2 Tuesday · Saltwater Experience
I'm Tom Rowland, a professional fishing guide based in the Florida Keys, host of the Tom Rowland Podcast, and the longtime host of the Saltwater Experience television show. On the podcast's How 2 Tuesday series I break down one practical skill or lesson at a time, from fishing technique and gear to the habits that make you a better angler, in short, focused episodes you can put to use right away.
Subscribe to get the latest episodes, show notes, and exclusive content delivered straight to your inbox.