For Christmas I received a micro torch, let Me tell You it's My favorite toy today. The other day I was sorting through My Summer tackle bag only to find the basket of garbage I had collected along the shoreline. Included in the garbage were wire leaders, old pickerel rigs and a few hooks. What could I do with the old curled leaders I thought? Quickly I stripped the swivels clips and arms off the pickerel rigs and discarded the line to melt down later. I cut the jig hooks off at the bend, hung them by copper wire and heated the wire shank until the heads slid off in the case they are on the bent jig hooks. clip close to the head and just use the eyelet as an attachment point either way it gets used, nice sliding sinkers those will make one day. By the way the burnt paint is nasty so open a window.
Now onto the leaders. First I hung some vice grips on the snap, next I hung the whole leader from copper wire buy the swivel. and torched off the plastic coating, this burnt off quickly from top to bottom leaving only a bit of black soot. next I heated the bare wire from bottom to top getting it red hot but not staying on one area for long. As a side note, I tried it with a lighter and it works just as good but slower. Upon removing the vice grips and copper wire the leader was factory straight even the nasty tight kinks and bends were gone. I clipped the crimps off at both ends, leaving me with what looks like a very straight guitar string. I attached 2 trebles about 3-4" apart using a barrel twist then covered the twist with shrink tubing used for wire connecting, the stuff is pretty cheap and comes in very handy. 14-16" down the line depending on leader size, I attached a barrel swivel from a pickerel rig I found and blackened it with the torch, heated up the shrink tubing and voila a perfectly good quickset rig for pike. I could have just made leaders I suppose since I had all the hardware.
Later on I took some heavy bait hooks I had and heated them up slowly bending them into circle hooks. The trick is to not over power the steel with heat so it alters or weakens the steel, red enough to bend and heating it evenly will help for a straighter more flowing bend. Even the hooks could be bent with a lighter I think but it takes quite awhile to get them red. Don't forget to carefully round the hook point and sharpen them up when You are done.
Next time out I will Use My new rigs and slide an old jig head down My line for weight. Hope this encourages some people to use their fishing garbage and not pollute Our banks with it....
