A step by step guide to building a blue shark wire trace.
The ideal length for a shark trace is 15-feet. This gives enough length to stop the shark rolling up in the wire and reaching the main reel line. Also when the shark dives for the bottom the wire trace will be alongside the shark’s body and the 15-foot length guards against abrasion.
1. Take a 15ft 6in length of 49-Strand 200lb wire.
2. Using a figure of eight crimp, pass one end of the wire through the crimp, then through the eye of a size 4/0 rolling swivel
3. Bring the end of the wire back on its self to form a loop, then pass the end of the wire in and out of this loop and again through the eye of the swivel three times. This is called a Flemish Loop and gives the connection strength.
4. Fully tighten the Flemish Loop as much as you can, then pass the end of the wire back through the same crimp and close the crimp tightly with proper crimping pliers. Do not leave a tag end of wire sticking out of the crimp as this can cut hands when handling a shark at the side of the boat.
5. At the other end of the trace, using a figure eight crimp, pass one end of the wire through the crimp, then through the eye of a size 8/0 Mustad O’Shaughnessy 3406 hook.
6. Bring the end of the wire back on its self to form a loop, then pass the end of the wire in and out of this loop and through the eye of the swivel three times, again tightening the Flemish Loop as much as possible.
7. Pass the end of the wire back through the same crimp and close the crimp tightly with proper crimping pliers.
You can add a rolling swivel in the middle of the wire trace, but this adds a potential weakness and is not necessary for blues. The hook size is plenty big enough at 8/0. Any bigger and you start to have problems sinking the hook at range when using light lines. Keep the hook point ultra sharp at all times.
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