Over five million people tried fishing for the first time last year. Most quit within a season — usually not because they didn't catch fish, but because nobody ever showed them the basics without making it weird.
So here's the no-shame version. Five knots cover ninety-five percent of bass fishing: the Palomar for almost everything, the Uni for when the Palomar's awkward, the Double Uni to join braid to a leader, the Snell for flipping hooks, and a loop knot for baits that need to swim free.
Practice each one ten times with the TV on. Cheap mono, big hook with the point clipped, living room. The bank is the worst classroom because the water has an audience.
Step-by-step photos for each, slow, below. And when you tie your first Palomar in the dark without looking — that's the moment you stop being a tourist.