titanium wire wahoo leaders (photos and video)

[MexicanGulf]

Titanium is superior in every way.  Stainless steel is often single use, kinks easily.  I gave up on it a long time ago.

Can I use it to build my livebaiting slow trolling rigs aimed at catching bluefish?

absolutely!  how big are these fish and what weight titanium wire were you looking at?

Bluefish in my area average around 10 pounds, but 25-pound specimens are not uncommon.

[alantani]

Titanium is superior in every way.  Stainless steel is often single use, kinks easily.  I gave up on it a long time ago.

Can I use it to build my livebaiting slow trolling rigs aimed at catching bluefish?

absolutely!  how big are these fish and what weight titanium wire were you looking at?

Bluefish in my area average around 10 pounds, but 25-pound specimens are not uncommon.

what pound test titanium were you looking for?

[MarkT]

I use the knot 2 kinky 45# titanium wire. I have a dozen rigged up for '25. The old single strand wire is good for one fish at most. Often times a miss will still kink the wire... no bueno! The Nicopress crimpers are great too!

[quang tran]

I use 27lbs titanium wire for Spanish mackerel and king mackerel just tight it figure 8 knot ,however have less strike than using heavy fluorocarbon leader ,50 lbs for spanish mackerel and 150 for king mackerel get cut off sometimes

[MexicanGulf]

Titanium is superior in every way.  Stainless steel is often single use, kinks easily.  I gave up on it a long time ago.

Can I use it to build my livebaiting slow trolling rigs aimed at catching bluefish?

absolutely!  how big are these fish and what weight titanium wire were you looking at?

Bluefish in my area average around 10 pounds, but 25-pound specimens are not uncommon.

what pound test titanium were you looking for?

I actually have no idea, I've never actually used this material. I was thinking 40/60 lbs.

[alantani]

Some excess inventory. I'll send you a pm.

[ExcessiveAngler]

I was looking at this wire, in another thread titled, anyone else use nickel titanium wire for leaders? From back in 2018. I normally use 175 pound 7 x 7 for chunking blues, in the surf, and on my BIL's boat. Well when it's not broke down! Mainly because I already had it left over, from when, you were allowed to target sharks from shore in NJ. But I'm just about out, and also like to use a little trace for Striper plugging, if I know they're around. I did buy some other wire from tackle direct a few years ago, but the results, were not good at all. I think they sold me stuff that might've been too light to. Think it was called tooth proof? So according to that thread, the K2K is very stretchy, but does recover. I didn't really hear anything about abrasion resistance though? Has anything changed in six years? I would like something a little more flexible, if given the choice. But I don't, want to lose any abrasion resistance. I've had these choppers, chew right through other types of wire and 200 pound mono quick lol. I was curious if anyone knew how the hundred pound was? Or maybe even a little heavier? Or should I just grab some more 7 x 7 in a lighter test? Stuff is, tough as nails lol. Thanks for any input.

[jurelometer]

I find it hard to believe that a bluefish/wahoo/king mackerel tooth can chew through tempered single strand 304 stainless or NiTi wire.  Teeth just are not that hard.  Sharpness is not enough.

What I could see is single strand stainless  wire going around some teeth and getting bent, or something funny happening when the lure is getting whacked around before or during the hookup.  Even something happening on deck before or during the cast.  Once you get a kink in single strand stainless leader,  it loses a bunch of strength.

When  you catch a your target species (and you are sure it is dead ), you can play around dragging different types of leader across the teeth under load and get a more definitive answer.

I did the same drill  with different sizes and kirbed/inline circle hooks with some dead yellowtail, and learned a bit about getting hookups with circle hooks.  I think it is a great way to get some useful data about stuff like leader abrasion and hook set and hold.

-J

[JasonGotaProblem]

I've always kind of wondered why metal leaders seem to be such the norm for any kind of trolling. Is it just because so many of the potential targets have sharp teeth?

It's so ubiquitous that there's gotta be a specific reason for it. But I don't do that type of fishing at all, so it's all voodoo to me.

[ExcessiveAngler]

Actually found the backing card to the package for the wire, I've been using. It's actually 275 pd 7 x 7 lol. I now remember, running out of the lighter 175 pd, I was using for blues and small sharks. Tackle direct only had 275 pd at the time, I needed it then, so just grabbed the heavier stuff. I've never had any decent luck with any single strand wire. Even had them bite right through the wire, on the older mustad bluefish pre-wired hooks with a haywire twist. Kinking sure seems to be an issue with single strand wires. Gotta take a stop down at TD, and see what they have again. They finally restocked a lot of stuff, after almost looking like they were going out of business!