Rick Ferguson "DaGoose"
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Swaging
Jul. 19 2010, 10:42 PM
Jul. 19 2010, 10:42 PM
Swaging
Now that the offshore season is upon us, folks are getting prepared for the chase. The quiver of assorted lures is spread out all over the place as leaders, hooks, and chaff gear is replaced. Heaps of knots are tied in the process. You know the drill.
I did it this way for many years before learning how to swag connections (many call it crimping too). Initially it can be intimidating trying to sort through the myriad of sleeve sizes, tools and such. Truth be told, with just a few inexpensive parts and simple techniques, anyone can quickly and easily create professional quality rigging.
Here's all you need to rig 40lb – 150lb monofilament or fluorocarbon:
• A pair of hand swagers
• 3 sizes of aluminum sleeves in .8mm (40-60lb), 1.2mm (80-100lb) and 1.5mm (125-150lb)
• Surgical tubing with a 1/16" inner diameter, 1/8" outer diameter, and 1/32" walls
• A lighter
To get started with a loop, just cut your leader to the desired length adding approximately two inches for the swages on each end. Slide on the aluminum sleeve then about 1 ¼ inches of the tubing and pass the tag end back through the sleeve so it sticks out a few inches. Then take a lighter, burn the end so it forms a bulb, and let it cool down (you can also dip it in water to speed this up). You can also all sorts of other pre-made chaff gear too.
Once cool, pull the line tight so the bulb presses against the sleeve. Then compress the aluminum sleeve with the hand swager. The swager will have a few different sized slots. Each should be marked with the sleeve range in millimeters.
Now that the loop is done, it’s time for the business end! My personal preference is a stiff rigged single J-hook. 3/8 inch of tubing is a good starting point, but each hook style is different so some experimentation might be needed. You don’t want any slack so the hook stays put once the tubing is pulled tight around the eye.
For daisy chains, I like to terminate the end with a ball bearing swivel. This way I can quickly change whatever lure is behind it. Lure leader lengths are shorter for this, around 15 inches or so. It really depends on the size of the daisy chain teasers and the lure. This also works great for spreader bar mainlines too.
There you go! It’s really that quick and easy to get professional results.
Tight Lines All,
Best of Big Game
www.bestofbiggame.com
Now that the offshore season is upon us, folks are getting prepared for the chase. The quiver of assorted lures is spread out all over the place as leaders, hooks, and chaff gear is replaced. Heaps of knots are tied in the process. You know the drill.
I did it this way for many years before learning how to swag connections (many call it crimping too). Initially it can be intimidating trying to sort through the myriad of sleeve sizes, tools and such. Truth be told, with just a few inexpensive parts and simple techniques, anyone can quickly and easily create professional quality rigging.
Here's all you need to rig 40lb – 150lb monofilament or fluorocarbon:
• A pair of hand swagers
• 3 sizes of aluminum sleeves in .8mm (40-60lb), 1.2mm (80-100lb) and 1.5mm (125-150lb)
• Surgical tubing with a 1/16" inner diameter, 1/8" outer diameter, and 1/32" walls
• A lighter
To get started with a loop, just cut your leader to the desired length adding approximately two inches for the swages on each end. Slide on the aluminum sleeve then about 1 ¼ inches of the tubing and pass the tag end back through the sleeve so it sticks out a few inches. Then take a lighter, burn the end so it forms a bulb, and let it cool down (you can also dip it in water to speed this up). You can also all sorts of other pre-made chaff gear too.
Once cool, pull the line tight so the bulb presses against the sleeve. Then compress the aluminum sleeve with the hand swager. The swager will have a few different sized slots. Each should be marked with the sleeve range in millimeters.
Now that the loop is done, it’s time for the business end! My personal preference is a stiff rigged single J-hook. 3/8 inch of tubing is a good starting point, but each hook style is different so some experimentation might be needed. You don’t want any slack so the hook stays put once the tubing is pulled tight around the eye.
For daisy chains, I like to terminate the end with a ball bearing swivel. This way I can quickly change whatever lure is behind it. Lure leader lengths are shorter for this, around 15 inches or so. It really depends on the size of the daisy chain teasers and the lure. This also works great for spreader bar mainlines too.
There you go! It’s really that quick and easy to get professional results.
Tight Lines All,
Best of Big Game
www.bestofbiggame.com
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