Learn essential crimping techniques for big game terminal tackle. This video covers crimp sleeve selection for mono and wire leaders, proper compression methods with compound and plier-style crimpers, tool maintenance, and preventing connection failures when fighting marlin, tuna, and wahoo.
Big Game Fishing Crimps Crimpers and Crimping Techniques
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RJ Boyle
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Big Game Fishing Crimps, Crimpers, and Crimping Techniques
Crimping failures lose more big fish than most anglers realize. A poorly executed crimp creates a weak point in your terminal tackle that fails under pressure from large pelagic species like marlin, tuna, and wahoo. Understanding which crimps to use, how to execute proper crimping technique, and when crimping tools require maintenance separates anglers who consistently land fish from those who experience inexplicable break-offs during critical moments.
Why Do Crimps Fail During Big Game Fishing?
Crimp failures occur when compression is insufficient, excessive, or uneven across the sleeve. Under-crimped sleeves allow wire to slip under load. Over-crimped sleeves fracture the wire strands or crack the sleeve itself. Both scenarios create catastrophic failure points when fighting fish that generate sudden directional changes and sustained pressure. The problem intensifies with larger diameter wire and heavier crimps where proper tool selection and technique become non-negotiable.
What Crimping Tools Work Best for Different Big Game Applications?
Crimping tool selection depends on crimp size, wire diameter, and the species you're targeting. Compound leverage crimpers generate the compression needed for heavy mono and wire leaders used in marlin and tuna fishing. Plier-style crimpers work for lighter applications but lack the mechanical advantage required for consistently strong crimps on heavy tackle. Single-crimp tools create uniform compression across the entire sleeve. Double-crimp tools require proper spacing and equal pressure on both crimps to prevent weak spots.
Which Crimp Sleeves Should You Use for Specific Fishing Scenarios?
Aluminum sleeves work well for mono and fluorocarbon leaders where flexibility matters. Copper sleeves provide superior holding strength for wire leaders targeting toothy species. Single barrel crimps suit most applications. Double barrel crimps offer redundancy for maximum-strength connections on heavy leaders, but only when both barrels receive equal compression.
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Jeffery Babcock
10.24.2018
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RJ Boyle
RJ Boyle has spent decades fishing the waters off South Florida, where he became one of the pioneers of daytime swordfishing and built a reputation as a heavy tackle specialist and meticulous bait and lure rigger. He grew up around the Hillsboro Inlet, worked as a full time mate for fifteen years, and now owns RJ Boyle Studio, a tackle shop and charter operation in Lighthouse Point, Florida. His courses cover daytime swordfishing, high speed wahoo trolling, blue marlin lure rigging, dredge fishing, and planer techniques, giving anglers access to a rare breadth of offshore knowledge built from thousands of hours on the water.
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