WIre for Divers

[longbow]

What wire brand do you all use for your divers.  I don't use copper or the like, but I am using Blood Run 7 strand s.s..  One reel of it worked beautiful last year and one reel kinked like hell.  How much do you all use and do you use backing on it etc.etc.  thanks

[Legacy]

Blood Run Tackle all the way. If you had an issue you should email them, they have great customer service. IMO, their wire is the highest quality wire on the market today so your fishing with the right stuff. Its an .015 marine grade stainless wire with a 43# breaking strength which equals small diameter, great raw material, and high breaking strength.

 

As for reel setups... I use Okuma 30 series reels. We spool on an entire 1000' of wire but in order to have a full spool (which is important to keep the counter correct), I also spool on 90 yards of 30# mono as "backer".

My routine is this...

Okuma 30 series reel. I put one wrap of electrical tape on the entire spool. I connect the 30# mono to the spool using an arbor knot and spool on 90 yards. I then connect the mono backer the the SS wire with an albright knot and spool on a 1000' of wire with a lot of tension. I connect a heavy duty swivel to the business end with a simple overhand knot. Wire is tough to spool by hand and close to impossible to get it right. The first time I use this setup on the boat I deploy 900' of the wire with a tripped diver attached to it and reel it back in. Then i know all of the wire is tight on the spool.

[John E Powell]

In addition to the Blood Run and other good 7-strand wires out there, a lot of guys like the Torpedo 19-strand wire. 19-strand is softer than 7-strand. Softer wire is easier on rod guides. 

 

With wire, a kink and failure is something that sooner or later happens to everyone. With 7-strand, you don't get much warning that the failure is about to happen. However, the 19-strand gives you a little warning because some of the very fine wires around the outside will fail and form a small birdsnest on the wire. Usually you will see this before it completely fails. 

 

This means you can repair it before you lose your diver, ball bearing swivels, flasher and fly, etc. 

 

7-strand fails less frequently, but it's harder on rod guides and greater chance of losing all your gear.

19-strand fails slightly more frequently, but it's easier on rod guides and less of a chance of losing all your gear.

 

For reels, I am using Okuma Catalina CT-305Da.

To prevent overfilling and having to cut the wire, or underfilling, I wind the setup on backwards so the backing is on top. I add whatever amount of backing fills the reel, then transfer it to a second reel. At each splice, I write down the line counter number so I can then duplicate it on other reels. 

 

Wire and super braids like Power-Pro will slip on a reel's metal spool. To prevent this from happening, guys do a number of things. Rob mentions in the above post using electrical tape, but I don't like the idea of using something with an adhesive, it's not necessary. I just use regular mono next to the spool for about three passes of the levelwind; mono doesn't slip on the spool either and it doesn't have an adhesive.

 

To fill the reel backwards, I spool on all the wire, then splice 65lb power pro to the wire and fill the reel. I'll take the other reel and tie on 30lb big game with a spool knot. Wind on just enough 30lb to make three passes across the spool. splice the Power Pro from the first reel to the Big game on the second reel and transfer all the backing and wire from the first reel to the second reel. When you get to the splice between the power pro and wire, note the line counter reading on the second reel.

 

To fill more reels the same size, just put on three layers of 30lb, splice on power pro backing and load the PP to the same line counter reading you recorded from the previous reel and top with the full 1000' spool of wire. All your reels will be equally and fully filled.

 

The final and important step that people tend to overlook is to run out over deep water to properly tension your new wire and backing on the reel. As mentioned above it's difficult to get this right when you initially wind on the wire. While trolling, let out all your wire and backing (down to the mono) with a 1lb weight or tripped diver (to give proper resistance), and then reel the entire rig back in. This will assure the backing and wire is properly tensioned on the spool. If you don't do this, you run the risk of the wire pulling below loosely-spooled wire on your reel and kinking your new wire.

Edited March 20, 2015 by John E Powell

[Tim Bromund]

I have both Malin 7 strand and Torpedo Diver 19 Strand (2 setups of each) and like both of them.  I've been using Malin for at least 12 or 13 years now.  The current Malin rods are at least 5 seasons of use since I last replaced it and no problems at all.  Don't have a lot of time on the TD wire rods yet but no complaints either.

 

I haven't tried the Blood Run Wire yet, but I like their copper and other lines, so I'm sure it is very good as well.

 

Tim

Edited March 20, 2015 by Tim Bromund

[Chas0218]

I think mine are malin 7 strand

[Big Dave]

Most of the kinking happens when there is slack in the wire.  It gets loops then when they pull tight , KINK !  Keep the wire tight even when not using it. And when bring the bait or fish. into the boat.

Edited March 20, 2015 by Big Dave

[TyeeTanic]

I use torpedo 7 strand 30 lbs or 45 lb test. Smokey color.

Works fine - I have reels over 4 years old with them. Sometimes I have to cut off

the last 2 or 3 ft, if I see some frays, but not much.

 

If you treat it nice, it lasts a long time.

[emtystringer]

What wire brand do you all use for your divers.  I don't use copper or the like, but I am using Blood Run 7 strand s.s..  One reel of it worked beautiful last year and one reel kinked like hell.  How much do you all use and do you use backing on it etc.etc.  thanks

THERE ARE ONLY A FEW GOOD MANUFACTURES IN THE U.S.A. AND THEY MAKE THE WIRE FOR THE DIFFERENT TACKLE SUPPLIERS, THEY BUY FROM THEM AND STICK THERE LABEL ON THE SPOOLS .SO WHETHER YOU BUY MALIN OR BLOOD RUN OR ANY OTHER BRAND IT MAY BE THE SAME WIRE.

[bear]

blood run

[BAZOOKAJOE]

It's not all the same. Try some different brands and you will see/feel some slight differences. It all does the same thing. And will all kink on you if you don't keep tension on it. Cut out any pig tails. And re-terminate as needed.

[Yankee Troller]

Wire doesn't just kink. You had to let slack into it. Any wire outside the 19 strand will kink if not managed properly. I've fished with a lot of people, and I'm not saying your like this, but I'm amazed at how people are care free with the wire set-ups on their rides. You'll never see my wire get loose. Another reason I keep my divers attached all the time. The weight of the diver just keeps enough tension to avoid it from kinking.

[TyeeTanic]

Yankee, how do you keep the divers from floppy everywhere and damaging the pole when you're underway? I'm just afraid to have all that weight hanging off the end of my rod.

[Nautitroller]

Great advice on the filling and use of wire, thanks. I have found that my roller rod helps the wire last longer/ kink less than just a twilly tip. Do any of you use reel magic on your wire or rollers? Seems to help my rigs go out smoother.

BTW I use malin7, happy with it so far.

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[BAZOOKAJOE]

Yankee, how do you keep the divers from floppy everywhere and damaging the pole when you're underway? I'm just afraid to have all that weight hanging off the end of my rod.

Check out his video on his website

[Yankee Troller]

[Has Been]

Use 65# braid. Problem solved.

[on the lam]

Torpedo, 7 or 19 strand

[Silver Fox]

Torpedo, 7 or 19 strand

X2

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[KING ME]

torpedo wire both 7 and 19 strand.

Added note simple,easy and very effective way to get around the wire kink issue that we have been doing for many years without any problems. After you fill your reel with your wire add a spro inline swivel like many use for copper then add 25' to 50' of 50lb flouro carbon . Problem solved you can work on the rods and store them without any problems or kinks!

[capt ace]

20lb Mason, 30lb Malin. 30lb Cabela's Musky braid dacron for backing.

Edited March 24, 2015 by capt ace

[longbow]

Just ordered some AccuStrand off Amazon.  1000ft.  It is a soft 7 strand fishing wire made in Calif. by Cable Strand Co.  I am going to replace wire from last year to refill my 2 diver reels.  What knot do folks use for this?  Thanks

[bayofquintecharters]

Great info on this thread. Just to throw my vote in the hat. I like the 19 strand torpedo wire. In fairness I haven't used a lot of other brands. I started with the 19 strand and it has always been good to me so I've stuck with it.

Cool tip Yankee. Thank you for posting.

Scott

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[John E Powell]

At the terminal end of things, the LOTSA knot...

 

http://www.lotsa.org/Wire%20Line%20Knot.htm

 

For wire to backing, use the Albright knot. You could also use a small spro swivel, but it's not really necessary to have a swivel 1000' into the reel.

Edited March 25, 2015 by John E Powell

[longbow]

Nail or Albright or Modified Albright, ok thanks for the info Longbow! 

[Rich L]

HEY Longbow, check with Holy Mackeral. He has a surefire way of securing terminal tackle to wire line.  By the way, how's the motor coming along?