Making A Pike Trace By Crimping

The materials you need

MAKING A PIKE TRACE

The materials in the picture are my current choice for making a pike trace, but not my only choice. There are many good wires and hooks on the market.

1. Collect all your materials and tools together.

2. Cutters and crimping tool

   Cut the wire with a pair of sharp scissors or cutters made especially for the job so that the wire has no frayed edges. Slide it through a crimp sleeve then through the eye of a treble, then back through the crimp and back through the crimp again. This is important – the wire should go through the crimp three times in total.

3. Thread wire through crimping sleeve three times

   Crimp in three places, in the middle, and then one each side – but not right at the edge.

4. Crimp in three places

   Trim the wire as close as you can to the crimp.

5. Trim wire tight to crimp

   Neat job

   Slide the second treble onto the wire to the right distance from the bottom treble (according to size of bait).

6. Slide second treble to distance required

   Take the free end of the wire under the bend of the treble and make 5 or 6 turns around the shank before threading it back through the eye of the hook.

7. Take wire under bend of hook

   And make 5 or 6 turns

   The finished hooks

   Trim the wire to 3 or 4 inches longer than the length you require and then crimp on a strong swivel.

   Strong swivels

   Crimp on the swivel

   Store in a good rig bin