1 crimp or 2? That is the question.

**MAKO19** · 08-05-2009 10:54 AM

Guys when rigging my 130# mono leaders for trolling lures I am finding myself using (2) 1.3 crimps only for the fact that I am looking at one of these small crimps and getting worried that it might pull. I feel as though I could be overdoing it but these slob Bluefins in our area right now all seem to be between 125-180# fish. I think I may be worrying a little too much here but just wanted to get a little feedback on what some of you thought.

Option 2 would be to go all old school and get rid of the crimps altogether and snell the hook and loop knot the end that connects to the snap swivel. I did this on the last trip and the rig looked pretty slick. Does anyone still do this or is everyone just using wind-on leaders. I am also thinking of going down to 100# leader as I think the 130# may also be a bit much as far as the fish seeing the leader.

Any thoughts?

**WAHOONBOX** · 08-05-2009 11:12 AM

I THINK THE IMPORTANT ISSUE IS DRAG ....DRAG SETTING ON THE REEL DUDE...

100 OR 130 ....YOUR DRAG IS X AMOUNT....SO HOW CAN A PROPERLY CRIMPED CRIMP NOT HOLD?

.....THINK ABOUT IT FOR A SEC'......

NOW GO TEST YOUR CRIMP WITH A 50 LB DRAG SCALE....

...PUSH YOUR DRAG WAY UP ON THE REEL....DON'T BE SHY......

WELL I'LL BE................IT HELD DIDN'T IT.....I THOUGHT SO

GOOD LUCK MY FRIEND....I HAVE CAUGHT 350 LB BFT ON 90 LB FLUORO....UNFORTUNATELY I WASN'T TARGETTING THEM NOR DID I WANT THEM THAT PARTICULAR DAY

**BTH284** · 08-05-2009 11:17 AM

1 crimp when done properly will do just fine. I would stick to 130 unless the fish seem skiddish then cut back to 100 which would be a ball to battle 180 class bft on.

**On The Edge** · 08-05-2009 11:25 AM

Agreed. 1 properly done crimp. If a second crimp is used because the first one does not seem to be holding, the second one will have the same fatal flaws as the first..

**Captain Michael Buffington** · 08-05-2009 11:33 AM

take a lighter and melt the end of your leader and mash it flat with the lighter and let it cool. Then snug it up to the crimp and crimp it up. Watched a guy on the long range boat land a 100+ yellowfin after forgetting to crimp his chunking leader

Mike

**Captain Fred Archer** · 08-05-2009 01:25 PM

All good advice here. As long as you use the right sized swage and swaging slot in the tool, one gets the job done, no prob.

I call what most call "crimps", "swages".

I especially like Michael's hint of melting a little ball at the end of the leader after you've passed it through the swage and then pulling it down to the swage (give it a couple of seconds to cool - that's all it takes) and then swage the sleeve, leaving the very ends flared out so that they don't cut the mono.

We swage thousands of connections a year and they are all done this way. And I too have seen unswaged sleeves with this ball on the end hold up to some very large fish. They were the result of occasional crew errors on my charterboat.

Note the melted ball pulled down to the swage in the photo (from the Marlin Book)...

Website & on-line store www.fredarchersworldoffishing.com

**sportfishingusa** · 08-05-2009 01:37 PM

I am a big on crimp and burn the end like everyone else has been saying..

I find it gives a 100 percent even pull on the line and holds better.

personally i think when you use two crimps it may screw with the strengh. IT is very hard to get the proper crimp and have them sit tight to each other..

**Persistence** · 08-05-2009 01:47 PM

I have started melting the ends of my leader like shown. I was losing an unacceptable amount of fish to break off's and suspected I was way over-crimping so with the end melted/capped, I don't have to gorilla the thing. Just do a nice even crimp, leave it flared and away you go. I also changed to 130 diamond line and so far, so good.