Heat shrink over assist cord or not?
Printed From: The Fishing Website
Category: Saltwater Fishing
Forum Name: Heavy Metal - Jig fishing
Forum Description: Anything related to jig fishing here
URL: https://www.fishing.net.nz/forum/forum_posts.asp?TID=106298
Printed Date: 29 Jan 2026 at 11:15am
Topic: Heat shrink over assist cord or not?
Posted By: Davo
Subject: Heat shrink over assist cord or not?
Date Posted: 28 Dec 2014 at 12:55pm
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Hi Folks, I wondered if everyone covers there assist cord with heat shrink and if so why? If you're using doubled up cord...would it be ok to not heat shrink? Is it about protecting from teeth? Adding rigidity? Both? Anyone tried gluing or resining a doubled cord together for rigidity before? Sorry if this is a subject that's been done to death already but I thought I'd just check in on it. I like the idea of thinner looking connections to the hook... Im using the medium jigstar assist cord - targeting bass/bns mainly in 250-500m. Ive seen a few vids where assists arent covered but ive also seen plenty where they are. Do i need to do it? |
Replies:
Posted By: fish i
Date Posted: 28 Dec 2014 at 6:08pm
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There was an old thread that got done to death with all sorts of crazy rigging and ideas. I do. But it's not for protection, just to stiffen the cord where it connects to the hook to stop hook snagging on jig and rigging. Always a biatch when you find that after winding up from 200m+ wondering why you weren't hooking up when feeling knocks. Doesn't need to go all the way, just enough to cover the eyelet of the hook and a little way onto the cord, and so you can still loop around the base of the hook to take it on and off the solid ring. I keep mine as short as possible with still being able to remove considered, they hit it head on although bass/ puka will use quite a bit of suck too. I use YGK Zylon cord which I find really softens up after awhile so heat shrink becomes necessary. Some use the engineers heat shrink stuff that has glue activated from heat and the wall is a lot tougher. This stuff will add a bit of protection, but it's expensive. Those snakes will still slice through it thou. Those shout stainless assists intended for doggies are the only really bullet proof option. If you use a gradient of different diameter heat shrink you can get a nice profile going with a bit of added protection for the couta. I find you need to do this as 13/0 eyelets on the JM monsters are massive where as the cord it's going onto is hell skinny. Brown also put me onto having the jug boiling whilst rigging these with heat shrink. Just insert it or hold it over the steam for each layer. |
Posted By: Davo
Date Posted: 28 Dec 2014 at 6:54pm
| Cheers fish i. V helpful. Ive got both to try. Ive glued some of the unshielded ones and its made em super stiff. I guess that'll go after a few deep drops tho. Thanks heaps for the steam tip. |
Posted By: smelli
Date Posted: 28 Dec 2014 at 7:03pm
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I put heat shrink over the assist rigs i make up for customers. i use a pce about 30mm long and then also put a octopus skirt over the top of it..
as well as protecting the cord by the hook it also helps hold the skirt..
i use the glue one mentioned above and it has about a 2-3mm wall once shrunk down...
is a picture below but cant really see the heat shrink, can make one up tomorrow showing with heat shrink and send you a PM tomorrow
 ------------- http://www.trademe.co.nz/Members/Listings.aspx?member=717361 |
Posted By: laidbackdood
Date Posted: 28 Dec 2014 at 7:06pm
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Same as Fish i regards the rigidity but i have never had a couda rip through my assist rig.......the bottom pic caught 5 or 6 kings and 5 or 6 coudas and was just starting to show signs of dodgyness...........i went to ranfurly recently and used one rig for 4 days....i dont put heat shrink around the solid ring anymore....just up to it with about 5mm beneath it.....just use standard heat shrink and a heat gun....some have plastic tubing below but just tend to do the above .   ------------- Once the idiots turn up..Im outta here...No time for Drama Queens. |
Posted By: funandfunction
Date Posted: 29 Dec 2014 at 2:30pm
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Heat shrink shrinks to about half it's diameter when heated. With regard to getting the heat shrink over the eye and knot in the larger hook sizes, I expand one end of the heat shrink first into a cone or funnel shape. I used to use the prongs on two forks but found that a bit slow and fiddly. Could probably use any long nosed pliers .... but I sacrificed a pair of circlip pliers ( external circlip type) by grinding off the pins on the ends...... nice round tapered profile that does a good job.... just rotate the heat shrink a few times so all the stretch doesn't happen in one place and make it a bit thin. Definitely gives a bit more protection from couta teeth but Jon you definitely need to do more jigging !!! I've lost lots of hooks to couta but unlike you, don't have the photographic evidence. ------------- There are two types of people in the world: those that divide people into two types and those that don't. http://www.legasea.co.nz" rel="nofollow"> 
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Posted By: smelli
Date Posted: 29 Dec 2014 at 3:52pm
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Heres a pic with how i do the assists i sell too people... The hook on
the far right is with the glued heatshrink and the one on left is with
normal... I used to do them all the way almost to the top but most of the people i did them for say they preferred it only near the eye so that the rig is still flexible but some customers still want me to do the heatshrink all the way to the top  ------------- http://www.trademe.co.nz/Members/Listings.aspx?member=717361 |
Posted By: Davo
Date Posted: 29 Dec 2014 at 5:01pm
| Orsum thanks guys. V much appreciate your kind help |
Posted By: laidbackdood
Date Posted: 29 Dec 2014 at 6:15pm
just stretch the heat shrink from both ends with long nose pliers ....being careful to avoid splitting it........Have been using heat shrink ever since i started jigging mike(funandfunction) and as you know i have jigged all over the place and have never lost an assist to a couda......the combination of heat shrink and jigstar kevlar cord has been a dynamic one for me........try the jigstar cord dood and heat shrink that instead.....that might improve things for you. ------------- Once the idiots turn up..Im outta here...No time for Drama Queens. |
Posted By: fish i
Date Posted: 29 Dec 2014 at 9:37pm
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If you rig them up like smelli's pic there is no need to waste all those solids and spilts. |
Posted By: laidbackdood
Date Posted: 30 Dec 2014 at 3:21am
They are never wasted mate......just recycled or always available to me(especially splits..i know where they are!)....but i get what you mean.........with the short bit of heat shrink its easy to loop a new assist rig onto the solid ring ....on the downside the cord has very little protection......so you might well end up changing more often....pros and cons i guess....cant change the assist part over.....go to a new rig with solid ring. I used one of my assist cords for 4 days of fishing at Ranfurly.......Hook is still sharp......rings taken off and recycled for another assist when i feel like it........works for me but each to his own....kings/puka/bass have rough mouthes too as well as
 Couda.....thats why i cover most of it....the hooks i use are bloody expensive and i dont want to lose them.------------- Once the idiots turn up..Im outta here...No time for Drama Queens. |
fish i wrote:Posted By: laidbackdood
Date Posted: 30 Dec 2014 at 3:31am
Are they Jm 13/0 monster hooks Darryl or a hook of your own?......look like Jm s from here mate. ------------- Once the idiots turn up..Im outta here...No time for Drama Queens. |
Posted By: smelli
Date Posted: 30 Dec 2014 at 7:02am
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They are 13/0 VMC hooks LBD .. When people want the heatshrink all the way to the top i put the HS on and before i shrink it i then put the rings on, easier than trying to do it after.. ------------- http://www.trademe.co.nz/Members/Listings.aspx?member=717361 |