Wire and Copper "repair" ? or toss it?

[HoundsNTrout]

Wasn't sure where to post this.   Is this a crazy question or do people do this?  I'm not overly cheap, but seems like a waste, but I have a new roll of 300 Copper and also a full spooled rod of wire that I got 'effed' up, the copper was not even in the water, the wire was a tangle.  I lost 100 ft of copper ( well I don't trust it all whacked out or whatever) and same on the wire. I have partial rolls of each, is it not adviseabe to re-attach some new stuff or is that not 'safe'?  Would it just be an issue of going through the eyes and also deploying it?  Or would it twist while trolling or cause some other s$$t ? or attract fleas and such,    Or just toss it all start from scratch. WIre only has 2 trips on it.  For the money might has well buy new but just thought what a waste.  
Thanks. 

 

Edited November 17, 2021 by Hounds

[jerryriggin]

Copper is fine to patch together to get back to 300 feet. The diver wire I would strip off and start over

[Fishstix]

 I have always been told that the reel linecounter is calibrated off a full spool.1000 ft. I do not know about splicing copper but I do splice my wire. I do not fish Ontario much anymore so I do not have to worry about a salmon making a 800ft run. I will spool off the existing wire and if I have to add say 200ft I will put splice deep in spool and then add the wire I spooled off.  A 30lb test sproo swivel and a couple figure 8 knots works well to splice.. I also use the sproo swivels to add about 10ft of brad to the end of the wire. This way you can break the rods down and not kink the wire. Never had the wire come apart at the swivel. Im cheap to...

 

I have never spliced downrigger cable.

[Sk8man]

One of the main things to consider is "confidence" in your equipment and line (whether wire or not) being a major component.

The copper wire loss of 100 ft. could either be made into a 200 ft or scrapped and another new 300 ft. put on. Copper wire can be spliced but it is never as strong as the original new wire and constantly running over the guides and tip can degrade  it further. A 300 ft. spool of copper isn't real expensive and what price is confidence in your equipment worth?

 

With stranded wire (I'm assuming as you didn't say "stranded") a loss of 100 ft usually isn't critical as the 900 ft left equates to the length of three football fields which should still give you plenty of room to play large kings etc. The loss of the 100 ft may however affect the accuracy of your line counter but even that shouldn't be a major concern.