Crimp Methods
Printed From: The Fishing Website
Category: Saltwater Fishing
Forum Name: The Work-Up
Forum Description: Game fishing related topics here
URL: https://www.fishing.net.nz/forum/forum_posts.asp?TID=82945
Printed Date: 04 Feb 2026 at 12:42pm
Topic: Crimp Methods
Posted By: Catchelot
Subject: Crimp Methods
Date Posted: 27 Sep 2012 at 6:49pm
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How do the experts apply crimps to their lines? This is what I do and have always wondered if I am doing the right thing, albeit that I test all of my rigs later, but still just incase there is a slight advantage or strength gain from another method. I use a hand crimp tool Boone from memory and with out going into specific measurements it has three hole position to accomodate three crimp sizes. I apply the tool on the crimp three times, first in the middle quite hard with fairly intense pressure on the tool and then I spin the crimp 180 degrees and place another half way between the middle and end of the crimp itself but here I apply just a good firm squash to allow the crimp to slightly bell outwards where the mono exits the crimp, allowing the line to have a bit of freedom of movement and hopefully not squashing the mono to cause a wear point or brreakage of the outer mono shell. Then I spin the crimp 180 again and do the other end with the same manner to bell out the end. With crimping wire Peter Perfect says to start from line side and work towards the end where the loop - hook end is... And are bench crimpers better? Obviously a lot less work with only operating it once instead of three time with a hand tool... so which is best and safest with keeping your hardware as perfect as you can. ------------- "The sea, once it casts its spell, holds one in its net of wonder forever." - Jacques Cousteau |
Replies:
Posted By: Blue Asparagus
Date Posted: 27 Sep 2012 at 7:24pm
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burn the end of the mono tag then pull up and crimp, but dont take my word for it ------------- Ultimate GAME Fishing Adventures. Northland |
Posted By: wanabe
Date Posted: 27 Sep 2012 at 8:17pm
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over crimping with a bench press can cause a pressure point and break at that point so they have to be used lightly, I burn the end on the single crimps and not on the doubles if any. I will do a hand crimp but start at the end where it sits on the burnt end turn 180 the middle press and back for the last as I find the ali stretches towards the loop end tightening it up and makes for a more solid together crimped end Most nylon has a natural curve as it is in a roll form when burning i hold the nylon pointing up and burn the outside of the curve , so when you pull it all together the burn is on the outside stopping the line clashing in the center and makes a straight crimped loop possibly not a science rather just how I do it |
Posted By: krow
Date Posted: 27 Sep 2012 at 8:28pm
| I'm sure PP has the shizzle on his site or was it Matts blue water? As above I melt the end to make it easier to line-up, set lengths etc. From memory only and what I do crimp the two ends then turn over and do the middle. If the loop end is going to be tight on something (like a thimble) then start at that end as the mono will stretch. A very important thing to avoid failure would be using the correct size. |
Posted By: Catchelot
Date Posted: 27 Sep 2012 at 8:52pm
Yes I burn the end and form it into a mushroom and wait till it cools and hardens before I pull it down to the crimpt end...forgot to mention that... but also thought you bought one of those big bench types mate? ------------- "The sea, once it casts its spell, holds one in its net of wonder forever." - Jacques Cousteau |
Blue Asparagus wrote:Posted By: Catchelot
Date Posted: 27 Sep 2012 at 8:54pm
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...and two different methods from Wanabe and Mr Krow above...interesting ------------- "The sea, once it casts its spell, holds one in its net of wonder forever." - Jacques Cousteau |
Posted By: Blue Asparagus
Date Posted: 27 Sep 2012 at 10:16pm
no I was going to only to crimp 600lb crimps but found I did not need to, oh and I crimp from 1 end to the other about 3mm in and roll as I go this to stop the crimp bending like a banana.
------------- Ultimate GAME Fishing Adventures. Northland |
Posted By: waynorth
Date Posted: 28 Sep 2012 at 9:57am
I've always been a bit wary of mushrooming the tag end - the inside edge of the mushroom 'head' sits against the load-bearing leg of the line (with a single barrel crimp) and can cause chafe. I think this is what wanabe might be referring to above. Mushrooming adds nothing to the strength of the crimped connection - if it slips you haven't crimped properly - it just helps with the prep work. Keeping the outside pressings 2-3mm back from the crimp ends so it bells out as you suggested Catchelot also help avoid chafe from the inside edge of the crimp itself. Because the alloy crimps 'grow' as you crimp them, I crimp from the thimble end out (unlike wanabe) to avoid jamming the thimble up against the end of the crimp, and possibly distorting it or pre-stressing the portion of the line that runs around the thimble.
------------- treat fish like fish |
Posted By: smelli
Date Posted: 28 Sep 2012 at 10:11am
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So if when using hand crimpers on different lines sizes etc how do you know how hard to squeeze down etc ? So that you know you havnt crimped it too much or too little ?
------------- http://www.trademe.co.nz/Members/Listings.aspx?member=717361 |
Posted By: waynorth
Date Posted: 28 Sep 2012 at 10:59am
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I don't think you can over-crimp using a hand crimper, so long as you are using the correct size crimps & line, and the correct hole position - the jaw gap is self limiting. With alloy crimps & nylon/fluorocarbon its all about creating internal friction, unlike copper crimps used with wire where the hard stainless wire strands are driven into the softer copper. I've always given them the full 4-weetbix squeeze and not had any issues. A few years ago I wrote an article for NZ Fisherman (OK - quite a few years ago) after a destructive comparison test between crimps and knots. Abridged version below for those interested. Each length of nylon had a knot at one end and a crimp at the other, with a short loop of parachute cord forming the connection between the towball of the car used as the anchor and the Landrover winch used to do the pulling.Three leader weights from 100 - 400lb were used, knots were both improved clinch and the uni, and the experiment included stainless thimbles, plastic thimbles, armour sheathing, and Flemish eyes in both the knotted and crimped ends. - in every case, the nylon broke at the knot - no crimps showed any sign of slipping or damaging the nylon - the plastic thimbles were completely destroyed in every test - the Flemish eyes became Flemish knots, and the nylon broke at the eye on one occasion - the parachute cord squeezed in between the coils of the armour sheathing in several cases, but no damage to the nylon was apparent, and no armoured loops broke - one stainless thimble was badly distorted on the knotted end, but all others came through the test undamaged - due to running out of the correct size crimps, a couple of times a short third length of nylon was inserted into the crimp to bulk it out, without having any apparent effect on the strength of the crimped join ------------- treat fish like fish |
Posted By: Blue Asparagus
Date Posted: 28 Sep 2012 at 11:02am
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Smelli, I crimp with reasonable force and I feel the right crimp for the right hole on the crimping tool, it should be closed when crimping or pretty close to it, I don't buy the story of to much not being good, have never had a crimp let go and never had a leader break at the crimp, specially if you do it properly as has been described 1/ use the right crimp for the mono being used. 2/ use the correct hole on the crimping tool for the crimp. ------------- Ultimate GAME Fishing Adventures. Northland |
Posted By: Blue Asparagus
Date Posted: 28 Sep 2012 at 11:04am
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snap mate lol ------------- Ultimate GAME Fishing Adventures. Northland |
Posted By: smelli
Date Posted: 28 Sep 2012 at 11:08am
Ok thnx WN & BA. Sweet,im doing it right then. I find the right hole etc and then squeeze it till the jaws touch so all good.. Wanted to confirm that wasnt over-doing it so to speak.. 
------------- http://www.trademe.co.nz/Members/Listings.aspx?member=717361 |
Posted By: waynorth
Date Posted: 28 Sep 2012 at 11:11am
 Its like 2 people trying to win a bid on TradeMe at the last minute - refresh, bid, refresh, refresh... ------------- treat fish like fish |
Posted By: waynorth
Date Posted: 28 Sep 2012 at 11:14am
Jeez mate be careful people have been banned for comments like that.. ------------- treat fish like fish |
Posted By: smelli
Date Posted: 28 Sep 2012 at 11:15am
 Your a bad man... LMFAO.. ------------- http://www.trademe.co.nz/Members/Listings.aspx?member=717361 |
Posted By: Jet_ski_fisher
Date Posted: 28 Sep 2012 at 11:24am
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hey smellii you have any zmans at all? |
Posted By: Tipper
Date Posted: 28 Sep 2012 at 11:27am
I got quite excited, and then realised this was my FISHING site ------------- Please make sure you have the full 'witty' Plug-In installed on your Internet Browser, or the default 'half-witty' output may affect your profile |
Posted By: krow
Date Posted: 28 Sep 2012 at 2:10pm
| Some people who shall remain nameless have had failures by not crimping them at all. |
Posted By: Catchelot
Date Posted: 28 Sep 2012 at 2:16pm
 Bit like those that biff lures over and forget to clip the trace to the snap ------------- "The sea, once it casts its spell, holds one in its net of wonder forever." - Jacques Cousteau |
Posted By: phantomdeviant
Date Posted: 28 Sep 2012 at 5:27pm
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Alan, you can crimp your lures however you like cos no one's gonna let you run them on their boat anyway
------------- Skirt Pulla |
Posted By: Blue Asparagus
Date Posted: 28 Sep 2012 at 5:30pm
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^^^^^^^^^^LMFAO ^^^^^^^^^^^ but we do care Al.  ------------- Ultimate GAME Fishing Adventures. Northland |
Posted By: Catchelot
Date Posted: 04 Oct 2012 at 7:09pm
I bring them on your boat cos your lures are tutai brudda ------------- "The sea, once it casts its spell, holds one in its net of wonder forever." - Jacques Cousteau |
Posted By: phantomdeviant
Date Posted: 04 Oct 2012 at 7:11pm
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bwah ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha. Oh F@ck! ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha
------------- Skirt Pulla |
Posted By: Blue Asparagus
Date Posted: 04 Oct 2012 at 7:23pm
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I think it is the red wool which makes them run funny bro. ------------- Ultimate GAME Fishing Adventures. Northland |
Posted By: EmilioAntonuccio7318
Date Posted: 02 Feb 2025 at 2:22pm
| Awesome, great subject |
Posted By: Got-ya
Date Posted: 15 Mar 2025 at 11:13am
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Yeah, old topic but very informative. Will add, was helping a pretty successful skipper rerig his lures for the game session this year and we found on one where the crimp had not been crimped at all. That lure had caught at least one marlin and all that was holding it was the mushroom. He won't live that one down in a hurry, but it does show the value of putting a mushroom on single crimps. ------------- THERE ARE TWO KINDS OF FISHERMAN, THOSE WHO FISH FOR SPORT AND THOSE THAT CATCH SOMETHING. |