Tag Archives: wire trace

How to tie a wire trace (instructional video) In this YouTube video I show you all you need to know to tie strong, reliable, safe 2-hook wire traces (also refered to as “snap tackle”) for pike & zander fishing with deadbaits. I go through the tools and components you need and then show you how to tie a wire trace from scratch. I have used this type of quality home-made wire trace for the majority of my pike & zander fishing, for over 20 years and caught countless predatory fish using them. I also wrote a step-by-step “how-to” article on making a wire trace here. Related Video: How to unhook pike safely If you are relatively new to pike fishing, you should also view my video to show you how to unhook pike. These fragile predators need good fish care and handling skills to ensure they are not damaged in the process. Approaching the unhooking process with confidence is a key part of this, and hopefully my short video will help with this. More DIY fishing tackle making tips & hacks I’m quite a hands-on guy and I’m regularly tinkering with things to improve them, adapt them or make them …

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There are two main, commonly practised methods of making wire traces for pike fishing. The first is a method called “twisting” or “twiddling“. Whilst some anglers swear by this technique, I find it to be unnecessarily fiddly, untidy and unreliable. The other common method is called “crimping“, which is the method I shall describe here. Whilst no hooklength can ever be 100% reliable, I have refined my crimping techniques over the years and nowadays it is very, very rare that one of my home-made pike traces lets me down. Remember, if you’re unsure about tying your own traces, or you don’t have the time or patience, many of the big manufacturers sell ready-tied traces which are good value. The bonus with making your own is that you can customise them to suit your bait size, hook size, rigs, conditions, etc. Plus, if one of your traces becomes unusable through kinking or other damage, you can re-use expensive components such as hooks and swivels. Remember – whether you buy traces or make your own, never fish with a damaged wire trace. A kinked trace will snap under far less pressure than a perfect trace will. Always carry spares ready-tied in a …

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This is a short instructional video showing essential pike handling techniques to enable safe unhooking. The terminal tackle used in the video is a wire trace with a single, treble hook. The unhooking tool is a standard pair of long-nosed forceps.

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What I’ve seen so far from Pro Logic’s new range of predator products, has impressed me. None more than the excellent Deluxe Rig Roll.  It is the biggest advance in pike trace storage that I’ve ever seen. So much so that I doubt I’ll ever buy a traditional “pipe lagging & a comb in a tub”-type rig bin ever again! To attach traces to the rig tube, the standard “inverted hair comb” has been done away with, in favour of slots which are cut into the foam.  These grip the wire trace just below the swivel. They’re a little fiddly to start with, but get easier with practice.  You may wish to improve the design further by using push-pins to secure the swivels instead.  The rest of the trace is wrapped around the tube, as you would with a traditional rig bin. In total, you can store up to 18 standard 2 x treble-hook traces comfortably inside the bin.  I tested with trebles ranging from size 8 to size 2, and it accepted them all with ease. A very worthwhile, practical product with several unique features which make it stand out from all of its rivals.  I have always been …

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