Wire Rigs

Wire rigs can be an excellent addition to your spread.  Wire allows you to run deep, and some believe that it creates a noise that attracts fish.  When fighting a fish on wire, you feel every pull, every shake of the head.

Wire is unforgiving.  Tight drags will lose fish, kinks will break.  Bringing “fresh” fish to the boat can cause trouble.  Wire line will saw through downrigger cables and other lines, and if it ever gets into your propeller you are sure to have a hefty bill.

Set your drags light, fight the fish until it is exhausted and an experienced angler will have no problems.

Wire rigs are designed to run deep.  You can run a “pound ball” or a dipsy diver.

Your rig probably came to you with the rod in one box and the reel in another.  It simply is not practical to ship them assembled.

You must be very careful when threading the wire on the rod, that you do not let the line go loose and twist.

Cut the wire where I have tied on the ball bearing swivel/snap.  Thread the wire through the rod.  Put two of the crimps on the wire, loop the wire through the swivel and thread the end back through both crimps.  Pull down until you have a small, about 1/8” loop in the wire, do NOT pull it tight.

Before crimping, take the end of the wire and feed it back through the crimps.  Pull the end until you have a very small loop showing on top of the crimps.  Crimp the wire.  This is done so that if you have any slippage at all, the tension will try to pull that loop into the crimps, and that loop simply will not fit.  Trim any excess wire.

I take and use a large rubber band, loop it over the reel and attach the snap and wind the line tight.  That maintains tension on the wire and prevents kinks and tangling during storage.

The first time you use the rig, attach a lb. ball to the end with nothing else.  Let out about 200 feet of line and let it untwist.  You may wish to do this occasionally. 

Attach your lb ball or dipsy to the swivel.  I use a 5 foot 30 lb leader off of the lb. ball to the bait.  Do not attach the lb ball ahead of the swivel on the wire.  Always attach the lb ball on the bait side of the ball bearings.  You want no twist transmitted to the wire.

Always use a high quality ball bearing swivel on the end of the line.

Always inspect the line for kinks.  Cut off any kinks immediately, the wire will break if you do not do so.  Inspect the crimps.  Look for signs that they are slipping (the loop will disappear).  Inspect the rod guides often.

As I said, wire can be a great addition to your spread if used properly.  I took the 2^nd biggest fish at the Lake Link Outing in Manitowoc in 2005 on a wire rig, and it was a blast.  Enjoy!