Terminal Tackle

Terminal tackle is an equally important link between you and quarry. It is just as important as that rod and reel you spent several hundred dollars for. That premium invisible line and those whiz-bang super duper fishing lures are useless if the connections break or stop functioning properly. Yeah, were talking about swivels. How boring can it get?

In the above photo there is multiple sizes and styles. The top row is the old style brass snap swivels and they still have plenty of uses. I use them for small trout or crappie fishing in the smaller sizes. #10 or #12. For dropper lines attaching to large ball sinkers, I use them in sixes 3 or 4. I never use them in a situation where they will be in the link between me and a large fish. For that I always use the duo snaps or the cross locks. Basically the same thing but different names.

With the old style brass, there is the potential for them to come undone with enough strain. With the locking types, we will break something else before that snap is pulled apart. So if we are going to concern ourselves with snaps coming undone than we also need to think about the strength of the barrel itself. Most manufacturers will print a rating on the package for barrel swivels. For my tuna fishing I am using barrels rated at 200-250 pounds break strength. For salmon fishing I go down to 100-150. I like a large cushion just because of manufacturing process errors or other unseen weaknesses. I never want my terminal tackle to be the weakest link.

Most of the time I want whatever I attach to the actual lure to be as small as is reasonable but still make a strong connection. Some lures come with attached split rings or duo lock snaps. For crankbaits and large trolling plugs I prefer the duo locks as it makes changing lures easier. With a split ring I have to retie to the split ring each time I make a change.

 With crankbaits, you have to experiment. Some crankbaits run better than others out of the box and how you attach them to your line will make a difference in how they run.  For spinnerbaits and spinners I will usually tie them directly to my line.

Ball bearing swivels are expensive. But they have a following as they are smoother than a typical barrel swivel. The fish flash attractors I use come with them already attached. The flashers spin constantly and if the swivel fails they will just spin your line or your leader into an unusable mess.

 Ball bearing swivels are reliable and do the job but just like anything used in saltwater they need to be regularly checked. I hold the top of the swivels and give the flasher a spin. If it is not perfectly smooth without hesitation than it is okay. Any thing out of the normal and the swivels get replaced.

Saltwater is real hard on anything metal. Stainless is not always stainless. Manufacturing processes vary and so does the life span of your terminal tackle. Buy quality..

Bead chains are used a lot in salmon fishing but I have also seen them used when bass fishing plastics such as splitshottin when the plastic bait tends to spin. Any bait or lure that spins is going to twist your line or leader if you don't use the right swivel. Salmon fisherman use bead chains regularly when fishing with herring or anchovies. The best presentation of a herring for salmon is a rolling or spinning action. For king salmon or spring chinook, you rig the herring so it will roll in a wide circle. For coho salmon, a tighter spin is preferable. All of this spinning puts a lot of twist in the leaders and will twist 6 feet of leader into a useless ball very quickly. Bead chain to the rescue. Tying a bead chain somewhere near the middle of that 6 foot leader will eliminate the twisting of your line. The multiple barrels of the bead chain prevent the spinning torque from being transferred to the rest of your line.

Most commonly split rings are used to attach hooks to fishing lures. Or to attach a barrel swivel to a fishing lure. Since this is metal to metal contact, those exposed to saltwater will wear and corrode over the years. Just replace them. They are not very expensive.

 They are also an attachment point for your mainline to some lures. A good knot is important when tying to a split ring as they have some flex and give being it is a double loop of metal.

 Check your knots regularly.

Beads are used everywhere in fishing. I will cover just a couple of the main uses here. In the above photo they are used to protect the knot from sliders. With a sliding sinker the metal of the sinker against the metal of the swivel means you are pinching your knot between two pieces of metal. Not something conducive to long knot life. Better to put a plastic bead between them so it becomes metal to plastic.

In saltwater I use a lot of the very large duo snaps or cross locks. For lines of 200 pound test which I use for tuna leaders and making daisy chains, knots become hard to tie and so I use crimps. Properly sized crimps will not significantly weaken your line. Besides, we are talking 200 pound line for 20-30 pound fish. We have some cushion here. A good crimper and quality crimps and sleeves make a big difference. I use a P-line crimper and Jinkai and Sevenstrand sleeves. Initially it seems expensive but over time not really.

Terminal tackle is just another area where you get what you pay for. Look at what other fisherman are using. See what the pro's have tied on their gear. Or go to a tackle store that is geared to commercial fisherman. When someone is fishing for a living, they only buy tried and true and they only buy the best.