Wahoo Lure Hook Set For High Speed Trolling

by Michael Gwiazda

Things you will need to build your favorite high speed trolling wahoo lure:

  • 5’ 600 lb 49 strand Stainless Steel cable
  • (6) 2.0mm copper crimps
  • 3/8 adhesive lined shrink tubing
  • 3/16 adhesive lined shrink tubing
  • (2) 10/0 Mustad 7732-ss hooks
  • Spacer beads
  • Cable snips
  • Crimping tool
  • Mono Cutters
  • Needle Nose Pliers
  • Heat gun
  • Vice or Clamp

Using the Cable Snips cut a 20” length of your 49 strand Cable. You want nice clean cuts and try to limit fraying as much as possible.

Slide on two of the 2.0mm Copper crimps.

Find the appropriate gap in your crimper and crimp the entire length of the crimp with good solid force.

Thread the tag end through the second crimp and twist it around the main wire 1- 2 times and crimp the tag end. This will provide the rig with some added stiffness as well as double crimping the trailing hook.

 

Slide your 3.5" length 3/16” Adhesive lined shrink tubing over the crimp and twist and heat into place.

 

Allow your first shrink to cool, then overlap your shrink and crimped loop with 3.5” of 3/8 adhesive lined shrink tubing stopping right below the hook point. Put the hook into the vice or clamp and hold the cable in your left hand. Holding the rig as straight as possible heat the 3/8 shrink and let cool continuing to hold straight.

Slide two more crimps on the cable and thread the cable through the eye of the second hook.

You want the cable to lay along side the hook with the back of the hook just protruding over the heat shrink of the wahoo lure

Compress the first crimp allowing just enough play to keep both hooks straight and inline. This will help the Lures track better as it produces a keel effect in the water.

If needed trim the tag end and secure the second crimp

Measure a length of 3/8 heat shrink from the eye of the hook to the back of the hook. Trim and carefully slide over the cable and hook. A bit of saliva might be needed to help the heat shrink slip over the eye of the hook.

Put the back hook in the clamp and hold the eye of the front hook with needle nose pliers making sure to keep the hooks as straight and aligned as possible. Heat the remaining heat shrink and allow to cool holding the hooks absolutely straight. I have a man fridge in my shop that i put the hook set in to cool. I lay it on the bottom shelf to harden and set up while keeping it absolutely straight.
Take the remaining cable and crimp one end through your completed hook set. Slide your wahoo lure over and measure the distance between the point of the hook and the end of the skirt. Our lures usually require 3-4 beads to be the proper distance when the skirt is trimmed. Note: All replacement skirts should be trimmed a bit to prevent tangling.

 

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