Thru wire questions

stickleback

New member
What grade of stainless steel wire are you guys using for salt water thru wire lure construction? 304,308 or 316, & is it the annealed version? Do you prefer it on a roll or in rod lengths? I've been shopping around & there are so many choices - where are you buying yours?
 

stickleback

New member
Thanks for sharing Doc-i take it you're using 1,6mm thickness-if so, i would've thought that wire would be too rigid to get a decent wrap on the tail?
 
Using it for plugs, the 1mm, I think, for the smaller ones and 1.6, I think, for the bigger ones.. Not wrapping but looping the wire back on itself and casting it in lead. Haven't pulled a wire yet with drag on lock down and big fish, but have pulled wires on commercial plugs so strong enough a finish for purpose.

The wire is softer than the wire they use in pencil bait wires, think that is a welding wire, which others also use for throughwire, easier to bend than that wire..Too soft for making clips out of, but perfect for lures. Cheap as..
 
I use 1.2mm electric fence wire as well. Comes in 304 and 316 stainless steel. I have a roll of each, but so far I've only used the 304 since my lures are for fresh water use. I'm saving the 316 for when I start making salt water lures.
 

stickleback

New member
Dr halibut hoffman wrote:
Using it for plugs, the 1mm, I think, for the smaller ones and 1.6, I think, for the bigger ones.. Not wrapping but looping the wire back on itself and casting it in lead. Haven't pulled a wire yet with drag on lock down and big fish, but have pulled wires on commercial plugs so strong enough a finish for purpose.
Doc, i've got to ask how you came to make the back eye with the lead? - i've got admit this is the first time i've heard about this method-the closest i've seen to it is crimping the wires.How much lead do you use?- Is it a pre determined weight to assist with the shifting of the centre of gravity of the lure ie to lift the nose, or is the amount so small that it doesn't affect the balance? Have you got any pics of the process?
 
I just bend the wire back 180 degrees, and then back on itself after an inch or so, for about a cm, but that is with making chisel nose plugs. I do the wiring of a few plugs, line them up and just pour molten lead in the back, easy. Some commercial plugs just bend the wire back and cast it in but I've pulled one or 2 of those out but I've never had one doubled back again of itself, pull out. The leadhole is drilled through the centre, depth and diameter according to plug weight, some more more weight forward, some more weight back.. These lures are for a high speed surface retrieve so maybe different dynamics to what you are thinking of?
 

stickleback

New member
No,i think we're on the same page as far as dynamics are concerned,it's the way you describe the lead & thru wire as being combined together in one operation (in the same hole)? - I've only seen it done where the thru wiring & weighting are at 90 degrees to each other through the lure body & assembled in 2 separate operations in 2 separate holes.Your method would make perfect sense with the lures being high speed surface - just curious, are you fishing off a boat or from the shore?
 

NEMBWE125

New member
Hi Gents. This is an old thread but I can't find anything else on the subject. It seem difficult to find 304 wire. What would be the best as alternative for fresh water lures. The 308 or 316.
 

fisherman_baboo

New member
I got about 500m of 1.2mm stainless steel wire for free.
I saw a fence that was being replaced after a bad storm, asked the contractor for the old wire. He rolled it up for me and done.

Never hurts to ask - all they can say is no
 

_zaahid

Member
Hoping to bring this thread back to life to get some information as to whether the AFW #19 ss wire would work for a through wire or not ?

It's a ss wire that's 1.09mm thick... not sure on the rigidity of the wire though

edit:

Some extra information, I am a noob and am looking for a wire to test out on my first home made lure. The lure is 130mm long and will be used in salt water
 
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