Wire Assists
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=28337
Printed Date: 04 Feb 2026 at 7:19am
Topic: Wire Assists
Posted By: Trolley Bouy
Subject: Wire Assists
Date Posted: 02 Apr 2008 at 1:58pm
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Anyone using or tried wire assists and/or leaders
We are heading to Samoa next month for 3 weeks fishing along with about 10 other White Pointer boats from NZ. At the top of our target species list will be doggies on heavy metal. I have had a few comments from members saying that we will need to go to using wire assists for obvious reasons...
On the other side I was speaking to a tackle retailer who has a friend running a charter business in the islands who doesn't use wire assists while jigging due to the fact that the hook up rate is less than with standard kevlar assists. He would rather lose a few jigs and have a far better strike rate. He doesn't have a reason or theory why the strike rate is worse, just going by experience.
Any thoughts.....???
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Replies:
Posted By: JigNut
Date Posted: 02 Apr 2008 at 2:14pm
LF when the snakes are running rampant in the cook strait i swear buy crimped wire assist hooks and it  dosnt make any difference to hookup rate and that has been proved------------- https://www.facebook.com/pages/Fans-Of-Synit-Rods/137662896327800 |
Posted By: Trolley Bouy
Date Posted: 02 Apr 2008 at 2:29pm
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Looks good cheers Torsa.
When losing gear do you find its mostly on the assist or on the leader as well? Tried wire leaders...?
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Posted By: JigNut
Date Posted: 02 Apr 2008 at 2:40pm
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Usually lose gear above jig at PR knot or at leader so go to 300-400lb leader not shore what its like in the tropics but doggies sound like great fun ------------- https://www.facebook.com/pages/Fans-Of-Synit-Rods/137662896327800 |
Posted By: seansurfy
Date Posted: 02 Apr 2008 at 4:53pm
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I've used this method fopr wahoo/dogtooth with good results  A short length (230mm - 300mm) of 49 strand wire is joined to mono/fluoro leader by the use of two double sleeves. The sleeves are crimped & the sleeved area finished off with the heat shrink tubing. Just gotta make sure the leader and the wire are of similar diameter
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Posted By: JigNut
Date Posted: 02 Apr 2008 at 5:04pm
 ------------- https://www.facebook.com/pages/Fans-Of-Synit-Rods/137662896327800 |
seansurfy wrote:Posted By: seansurfy
Date Posted: 02 Apr 2008 at 6:47pm
No loops for the wire/mono join, just two double sleeves......one one side goes the mono...on the other goes the wire. Then attach the leader to mainline with whatever works for you(PR, albright...etc) and crimp your lure/assist hook/snap to the wire. I used the line guard with a leader loop for switching between skirted lures(no wire) and big bibbless lures(wire). I have not had this system fail....as long as the crimps are the right size.
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Posted By: Bunzo
Date Posted: 02 Apr 2008 at 7:35pm
| That system works a treat, also can be used for twisted leaders and heavy FC bite leader. |
Posted By: JigNut
Date Posted: 02 Apr 2008 at 10:38pm
Thats great idea so it dose work  i thought about that some time ago but never gave it a go with small boat and running on skeleton tackle {lunch box and jig wrap spool of 200lb and bobbin}couldnt be bothered with crimping tools out in the boat but to pre make leaders awsome guyz {thinking outside the square}Thanx for the info i will give it a try just cocerns me with steel leader and visibillity in clean H2o but then i dont believe in fluro.------------- https://www.facebook.com/pages/Fans-Of-Synit-Rods/137662896327800 |
Posted By: sooshee
Date Posted: 03 Apr 2008 at 1:00am
LiquidFix, I agree with Torsa and others that wire assist shouldn't affect strike rate. Its not like it is much more visible than kevlar cord. I have heard of a theory that wire gives off a magnetic field that puts off the fish. Well, all I can say is the jig is made of metal (even has a length of S/S through the body), so is the split/solid ring, etc. But then if you use a thick piece of #8 fencing wire........
 I think the key is that the assist needs to be free swinging to get good hookups. Furthermore, specialist jigging hooks have a slight bend in the eye, designed to allow for the kevlar cord to sit inline with the hook if the cord is inserted from the front of the eye. However if you were to crimp a wire loop directly to the eye, you will not get the cord inline with the hook shank due to the bent eye, which could lead to bad hook sets. Just a theory....and hope you know what I mean as I dom't thimk I've explained it very well!
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Posted By: Benk
Date Posted: 03 Apr 2008 at 7:47am
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I used 3mm stainless single strand, as I didnt have anything better on the boat for about a year. Works really well. I still prefer kevlar as the single strand is a b*stard to twist the ends up (2 pairs of plyers and some brute strength and ignorance required), but its just as good in terms of hookups. I used to use electrical tape around where I twisted the single strand back up itself, to sort of semi stiff rig it. ------------- http://www.manutere.co.nz - http://www.manutere.co.nz - Tauranga Charter Boat - Jigging - Bottom Fishing - Hapuka Fishing |
Posted By: Ozjig
Date Posted: 03 Apr 2008 at 5:11pm
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http://www.shout-net.com/hook/metal-assist/metal-assist.html - http://www.shout-net.com/hook/metal-assist/metal-assist.html had these for a while and they work fine over here on sambo's,kings atc..
Also River2sea are looking at a metal assist.
 9x9 strand 200lb on decoy cutlass hooks and crimped. i think they were on 9/0 & 10/0 hooks.
Ash. |
Posted By: JigNut
Date Posted: 03 Apr 2008 at 5:25pm
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Ozjig do they have solid rings attatched ? ------------- https://www.facebook.com/pages/Fans-Of-Synit-Rods/137662896327800 |
Posted By: seansurfy
Date Posted: 03 Apr 2008 at 5:45pm
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http://www.wellsystackle.com/shop/ - http://www.wellsystackle.com/shop/
these guys do made to order wire combination leaders, wire assists.....etc.
$10 postage and very professional
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Posted By: Trolley Bouy
Date Posted: 04 Apr 2008 at 7:13am
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Thanks for your comments here guys. Some excellent feedback and tips.
Looking forward to putting into practice and having some serious string pulled......
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Posted By: Ozjig
Date Posted: 05 Apr 2008 at 5:08pm
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Torsa, they were the prototypes(in the pic) and we told R2S they would need solids on them, so i'm sure that when they arrive they will definately have them bro.
Ash.
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