It’s January, the weather is too lousy to go fishing, and you have some time to kill before the Browns game Sunday.

Sounds like a perfect time to get knotty.

Fishing knots are important, but all too often tied hastily and even improperly. That is unfortunate because nasty knots will fail and leave anglers with the disappointment of reeling in limp lines.

Tying knots properly is not difficult, but it does take a bit of practice to get them just right to reduce the risk of breaking off the trophy fish we all hope to catch. Anglers can benefit from mastering two or three knots they can use to connect lures to lines and leaders to main lines.

I recommend three knots that will get the job done for just about any angling application.

I like the palomar for connecting offset hooks, jigs, crankbaits, spinnerbaits and topwater lures to mono, fluorocarbon and braided lines.

The snell knot works great for securing straight shank and circle hooks to the main line.

To join two lines, such as a leader to braid, the double uni knot gets my nod.

Whether palomar, snell or double uni, the knot must be tied properly. Fishing line manufacturers often include easy-to-understand knot-tying diagrams in their packages. The internet is another resource for reliable knot-tying instructions. Study the diagrams and practice duplicating the instructions with your own fishing lines.

Diagrams and instructions are great in your shop or out in the garage, but consulting them out on the water is not always practical.

For that reason, it’s a good idea to memorize the twists and turns and loops and wraps now so that they are second nature when the time comes to execute on the boat or on the bank.

The difference between a perfectly executed knot and one that will fail when a little pressure is applied often seems insignificant. It can be a loop that doesn’t nest correctly or applying a bit too much friction during tightening that results in a weak spot.

Your goal ought to be to tie failure-resistant knots every time.

Fishing is an exercise in managing all the variables and maximizing the opportunities to succeed. Much can go wrong, most of it completely out of anglers’ control.

The quality and reliability of your knot is one of the things that anglers can control.

Our down time this winter can be invested in knot perfection. Master the basics. Learn new and stronger knots. Above all, make certain you can trust the knot at the end of your line.