As more and more anglers have become aware of the advantages of stinger hooks for trolled baits, the more inquires and comments I have received in regards to the complexity to twisting the singe strand wire. Although many folks have no problem with the single strand wire, there are many that have physical limitations with hands and/or eyes that keep them from being able to complete this process. No problem. I have an (easy to follow) video on the website that will walk you thru this, but to put it all in a nutshell, it is simply crimping cable over a pin for a precision fit (on and off) the point and barb of the hook. This connection is easily removable (on and off) the hook, if deformed by a fish during the strike and/or fight.
First things first, you must select the “pin” that fits the hook and barb of the jig or trolling lure you wish to use. An 1/8 (.125) inch drill bit fits the 8/0 Mustad 34185 hook, and a 3/32 (.093) inch drill bit works for the 7/0 Chin Weight hook. Do a little “scratch and sniff” on your own to figure out what size pin and cable works for fish you are trying to catch, and the hook you are trying to make this connection to. There are several cable manufactures and cable sizes that will work just fine, however, I am showing you the ones that work best for me.
I have used American Fishing Wire (7 strand cable) for years , but I am positive there are others that will work. Different textures of cable will work for different applications. I like to snell the hook end of the connection, however, the the “cat’s paw” connection can be used very effectively. American Fishing wire has the “soft strand” cable, that is very soft and easy to work with. If you choose to crimp or snell the cable to connect the hook, this is a good choice as it will easily snell, and is the best for making the precision bend around the pin (and around the hook point and barb) for the perfect fit. I will not get into all the details in this article, however, you can see and hear all the details in the video that make this process as easy as 1, 2, 3.
First, make your connection, cable to stinger hook, using the cats’s paw connection, snelled etc…
Second, using the 90#, 175# or 275# cable, slide the 1.0 double sleeve crimp onto the cable, and insert the tag end of the cable into the other side of the 1.0 double sleeve.
Third, grasp the 1.0 double sleeve with the crimping pliers, and slide the crimp snugly up to, and snugly onto the .093 or .125 drill bit or dowel pin nail etc…
Note: Use a quality pair of crimping pliers. I prefer the (Sea Striker) HD 800 crimping pliers. See the video “tools you will need” on the website for all these details.
Fourth, relax the “snug” fit onto the pin, and (FIRMLY) squeeze the crimping pliers to make the connection solid. remove pin.
Now you have a (precision) open crimped loop that fits onto the hook one way, (inverted) and will not come off until inverted and slid back over the barb.
Go to www.barefootfishing.net, click on videos, and search for the “crimped cable over pin” video in the “how to” section for all the details.
All the best fishing,
Capt. Tim Barefoot
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