Making pike traces. Part 1 Pike Snap Tackle

[Andrew Burgess]

I will be doing a step by step instructions on making wire traces and spining traces coming soon.

There are several ways of making them.

In the meanwhile there is a link on making them if you lot can't wait ;D

www.fishingmagic.com/news/article/mps/UAN/894/v/3/sp/

www.hooklinks.co.uk/pike/rigs/crtrace1.html

www.hooklinks.co.uk/pike/navigation2/pikeframe.html?=slip-hire.html

www.hooklinks.co.uk/pike/knots/whip1.html

www.hooklinks.co.uk/pike/rigs/sptrace1.html

[Carpy]

Great day today Andrew pike fishing on the Avon. The water was up again and discoloured.
But I and I think Eddie enjoyed the days fishing, brilliant weather for the time of the year. Plus we got to see a Pike trace made the right way.
Cheers Andrew we will get good river conditions eventually.

[Andrew Burgess]

Right this is not easy to do and its does require patience and practice.

This is my version of make a pike snap tackle and spinning trace

The main important thing you need to get is a work board is made of wood. This will be your main feature for making your prototype pike snap tackle and spinning traces.

The wooden board must be over 40” long x 20” long this will cover a maximum of 6 different pikerigs trace.

You also need some masking tape where they go down on the board like this



On the masking tape you need to work out and mark out where the hooks, swivels, etc etc like this



The general rule is the pike snap tackle must be over 18" long and the hook spacing can be anywhere between 2" to 3 1/2" long but mine are variable depending on the size of deadbait or livebait.



Now you can go out and buy some bits and pieces for the trace making.

My preferences are Fox Pike Tackle because I have used them over the years and always been reliable to me but it is up to you on what brands of tackle you buy, but you will have to make some few modifications.

Tackle Items that you may require to make pike snap tackle and spinning traces

Fox Trace Blade/cutter
Fox Easy Twist Trace Wire – 20lb B.S. or 30lb B.S.
Fox Easy Twist Twiddling Stick or a forceps will do.
Fox Trace Crimp Covers
Fox Treble Hook Covers
Fox Treble Hooks in Size 6 & semi barbed - This is for general size which cover all piking situation
Fox Power Swivels in size 5 , 7, 10

My preferences are Fox Pike Tackle because I have used them over the years and always been reliable to me but it is up to you on what brands of tackle you buy, but you will have to make some few modifications. ;D ;D

[Andrew Burgess]

Continue from the last post ;D

Right to can either used the 20lb B.S 0r 30lb B.S. wire trace again it is up to you but in my case this is a 20lb B.S. which I am using at the moment.

1) Cut off a lenght of wire trace at 25" long



2) Heat up the first 1/2" by using a ligther - this help to make the wire softer which will make it easy to twist or wrap the wire.





Further instructions will follow later.

[Andrew Burgess]

Right once you have heated the first 1/2" of wire, then you need to bend into this



so the whole idea is to do this



(I painted it white to show how it fit into the bend of the treble hooks)

Then you start wrapping the wire trace around the shank of the hook six times


And thread the wire through the eye like this



When doing this you must keep the wire trace tight otherwise it won't work.

[Andrew Burgess]

Once the wire is nice and tight to need to put either a silicone tubing or one of the Fox Hooks Covers to keep the wire in place



thread the cover on to the hook so it end up like this



Right that the first section of the treble hook done now for the second fixing of the treble hook ;D

Depending on the size of either a deadbait or livebait hooks spacing should always in between2" to 4" apart anymore apart will risks the deephooking of a pike so the hooks spacing should be like this



So gently thread the wire through the eye of the second treble hook and into position like this




Fixing upper hook has lead to a great deal of ingenuity. The simple method of fixing a treble is shown in a drawing below


and this is done after the end hook has been attached. Pass the wire through the eye of the hook and back along the shank, between the bends of the hookand round the shank and wire five times finally passing it back through the eye of the treble. On rare occasions the section of wire between the bends of the hooks can becomes damaged, usually this is the result of pulling out a snag. You should always check traces throughly and retie all knots everytime you free your tackle from a snag

[Andrew Burgess]

Once the second treble is fix to the wire trace then you repeat the silicone hooks sleeve as you did the first treble.



So your second treble should be like this.



Now all there is left to do is to attacth the swivel in the wire trace. But before you do anything you must work out where to apply the swivel



As you see I painted it white so you can see the start of the swivel must go at the begining of the white paint but before you start threading anything you must repeat the heating the wire again



Heating up the wire will soften the wire which help to twist the coil on the main line neater.

Once the wire is cool down. Firstly you must do is a bend in the wire and thread the Fox Crimp Cover down the wire like this



Please note the pointed end of the Fox Crimp Cover must go in first like this



Then the Fox Power Swivel Number 7 which I did use here will also threaded down the wire. After that make the bend in the wire where you have heated the wire like this

[Andrew Burgess]

There are two ways of tying the wire to the swivel. In the diagram below the top one in the loop version which look easy but really hard to do. But once you get the hand of it then you will see how easy it looks.

The second one below where you thread the wire twice through the eye which is simpler to do. In my case this is the one I prefer to do.



As you make a choice on which way to thread the swivel to the wire.

Then place the Fox Twiddling stick in the swivel eye like this



Starting turning the twiddling stick up towards you and carry on twisting(about 20times) until there a nicely neat coil wrap around the main trace like this



Trim off any excess wire from the coil and apply the trace crimp cover over the swivel like this





And there you are the finish product



Well done if you got this far and made your first pike snap tackle trace. Once you know how to do it with a bit of practice - well could make one up in a few minutes.

[BUDGIE]

So I take it your keen on Fox stuff then Andrew? You swung some sort of sponsorship deal that your keeping quiet about ;D ;D

[Andrew Burgess]

BUDGIE said:

So I take it your keen on Fox stuff then Andrew? You swung some sort of sponsorship deal that your keeping quiet about ;D ;D

What the matter mate? I hope you are not getting jealous about me being sponsor by Fox

Anyway if I have swung a sponsorship with Fox you would be ringing me up every few minutes wanting that and that! ;D ;D ;D

[BUDGIE]

;D ;D ;D Good article though mate.Your method is a lot differnnt to mine (shown in one of Andys links) but Ive watched you do it and you certainly make it look easy.Also I know it works as Ive seen you land pike on it.

I think a lot of the choice of which method you use is down to the wire you use.Some (like the Marlin Steel I use) "spin" up brilliantly others dont and reguire either "twiddlin" like you use or crimping.All a matter of finding a material and method you are happy with I suppose.

Good to be aware of the alternatives though.When my supply of Marlin Steel finally runs out (it is no longer available) then I will have to decide on an alternative wire and possibley use an alternative method to make traces depending on the chosen wires properties.

[Andrew Burgess]

Budgie I do agreed what you are saying mate.

So when you eventuality ran out of the Marlin Steel ;D just give me a bell and I will send you a lifetime supply of Fox's Easy Twist Wire to used intead ;D ;D ;D curtsey from Fox ;D ;D

[BUDGIE]

"I will send you a lifetime supply of Fox's Easy Twist Wire to used intead curtsey from Fox "

;D  ;D I suppose I asked for that one really! ;D  ;D

[Andrew Burgess]

Well if any young pikers are out there you should be more confident in making trace now ;D