Scuba Chris
Well-known member
Go Direct to a Ball Bearing Swivel? Or Crimp on a Leader? Maybe Both?
For me it's a balance of personal choice & cost. The Mustad Ball Bearing Swivel w/the Coast Lock Snap is my first go to. Cost is way less than the Spros. Most times i'm forced to buy Spros as the Mustads are all sold out. And i tried the cheap China knock-offs. I broke one just by flexing on it! I gave that bag to a kid who was just starting at Chocolate Beach last year.
I like just tying my mainline to my swivel directly. I did try running a 1-1/2in opaque line saver (which is really a hard thin diameter freezer tubeline) above the swivel but that made the lure run straighter & it made the rig more visible. The length of the swivel will help ward off teeth from certain species. But if i'm trolling the 40fm i will use a tied/crimped on heavier mono/fluoro leader & attach my swivel to that. Trolling that line in the Aloha State will draw Wahoo to strike. They have SHARP teeth!
So it's just personal preference. But i loose no more lures running with my mainline tied directly to my Ball Bearing Swivel as compared to running a thicker short leaderline & attaching that swivel to it.
For me it's a balance of personal choice & cost. The Mustad Ball Bearing Swivel w/the Coast Lock Snap is my first go to. Cost is way less than the Spros. Most times i'm forced to buy Spros as the Mustads are all sold out. And i tried the cheap China knock-offs. I broke one just by flexing on it! I gave that bag to a kid who was just starting at Chocolate Beach last year.
I like just tying my mainline to my swivel directly. I did try running a 1-1/2in opaque line saver (which is really a hard thin diameter freezer tubeline) above the swivel but that made the lure run straighter & it made the rig more visible. The length of the swivel will help ward off teeth from certain species. But if i'm trolling the 40fm i will use a tied/crimped on heavier mono/fluoro leader & attach my swivel to that. Trolling that line in the Aloha State will draw Wahoo to strike. They have SHARP teeth!
So it's just personal preference. But i loose no more lures running with my mainline tied directly to my Ball Bearing Swivel as compared to running a thicker short leaderline & attaching that swivel to it.