Attn. those just learning to crimp

Mello-Yello · 05-05-2003, 10:29 PM

Well, it appears I am in need of crimping lessons. I made up a handful of halibut leaders last week, and out of sheer boredome, decided to stress test one of them. Man, am I glad I did. One good firm tug and POW! Either they broke at the crimp or one end slipped out. Granted, I was testing only the leader so there was no pole bend or stretch of any kind, but then again, my halibut pole hasn't much bend nor does my Tuff-line stretch much. I bought a $37 crimper and supposedly the proper crimps for the 120# plastic coated line, but either I'm getting stronger in my old age, or I can't crimp worth a krahpp. Gee, wonder which it is...

I made up some more using some 200# handline material. I'm guessing this will work fine. It certainly passed my stress test (I suddenly wasn't very strong anymore).

Mr. Fisherman · 05-05-2003, 10:56 PM

M Y , Pilar taught me that you want to check the fit of the ferrel on the wire before you buy them. Also, don't over crimp them. They should fit fairly snug. I usually crimp two times (I use the long ferrels) and just make them good and snug. After you do a hundred or so you get a feel for it.
I'm sure Pilar will jump in here and offer advice as he was/is my mentor.
I doubt I'll have time to get pics posted this week but I will post or email them when I can.
Still doing last minute stuff to get Sea Lion ready for the hill.

Lepper · 05-05-2003, 11:07 PM

Been lifting a lot of waits uh mello?
dave

Mello-Yello · 05-05-2003, 11:16 PM

Lepper! The one-handed typist! haha

Yes, I lift a lot of weight every time I get out of my chair...

You still goin out this week if the weatherman cooperates?

Orca · 05-06-2003, 06:50 AM

A flemish-eye should fix your problem. The knot (flemish-eye) will get tighter and tigher before it tries to pull your tag end out of the crimp with any force.

http://www.marinews.com/fishing/Knot...fk_flemeye.htm

I use wire and a flemish-eye at each crimp.

[ 05-06-2003, 07:53 AM: Message edited by: Orca ]

Threemuch · 05-06-2003, 07:19 AM

Good call Orca, that's what I was thinking. Want to stress test your leaders? Hang from them. I use a hook in my garage, and see how much of my weight they will support. Then I got more scientific and I use steel weights, from an exercise set I never use. After many with no failure, there is no longer any testing.

You must have the right crimps, or you will fail. I check the manufacturers reccomendation for the crimp, then check the leader material diameter I have with calipers.

The flemish eye will help a bunch. Good luck.

05-06-2003, 07:31 AM

Crimps

Lepper · 05-06-2003, 08:02 AM

hey hey.. I wouldn't consider my self the one handed typist anymore.. :smile: I can type just fine thank you.. :smile: and I'm a planning on it.. If I could just get this stupid cast off I could even hold the pole a lot better then I can now... so halibuts BEWARE!!!
dave

Pilar · 05-06-2003, 09:11 AM

Orca, thanks for the animated link.

Mello-Yello · 05-06-2003, 09:49 AM

It looks like my biggest problem was just that I'm just too strong for my own good. Appears I was probably crimping way too hard (the stronger the crimp, the stronger the connection, WRONG!). Virtually all my breaks were at the crimp.

I'll get back at it this evening and see if I can't use a little more finesse.

Thanks to everyone for their help!

M-Y

fishwhenican · 05-06-2003, 08:20 PM

hook up a scale that leaves a "marker" at the highest setting. You would be amazed at how much 40 pounds of pull is through the rod, and how hard the line is to pull off the reel by hand. I found that I was setting the drag way looser than I thought. 10 pounds of drag seems like double that when trying to pull it out by hand.

Threemuch · 05-07-2003, 06:39 AM

Good point fishwhenican. You will fight very few fish with more that 20 pounds of tension on the line on standup gear. A big, fast fish like a billfish, wahoo, or a tuna can generate more force than that by pulling on the belly of the line. But flatties, no way. That 75% of that leader strength is for abrasion resistance.

KB

edsr · 05-14-2003, 01:20 PM

If my memory serves me a Flemish eye was the classic knot used in a long bow string. One end was served with a permanent eye and the other end was tied with a Flemish eye so that in damp or dry conditions the correct height distance from the bow to the string could be maintained by adjusting the Flemish eye.

edsr

blubeast · 05-14-2003, 11:15 PM

After reading this post last week, I took out several of the rigs I'd crimped. These were the first I'd tried to crimp. .. Out of the 7 I tested (will do the rest later)... all passed my arm pull test. Each had at least two crimps (one at each end by the Flemish eye).

I crimped all of mine by carefully using my workbench vice. You might try this rather than your crimping tool. At least it appears to have worked for me.

[ 05-15-2003, 11:55 AM: Message edited by: blubeast ]