# crimping tool recommendations



## aroundthehorn (Aug 29, 2010)

Any of you guys have advice on good crimpers for making leaders/pinching leader sleeves? Would needle nose pliers suffice? 

It would be nice to buy them at a slight discount at, say, Lowes. Any ideas?

TIA for any help.


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## Captain Woody Woods (Oct 2, 2007)

aroundthehorn said:


> Would needle nose pliers suffice?
> 
> It would be nice to buy them at a slight discount at, say, Lowes. Any ideas?
> 
> TIA for any help.


Absolutely not. I use a bench style crimper (http://www.meltontackle.com/products/momoi-bench-mount-crimp-tool.html) for all of my connections on my trolling leaders. If you want to have a good pair of crimpers on the boat, I like this model offered by J&M over in Orange Beach: http://www.jmtackle.com/browse.cfm/model-450h-hand-swager-14-long-w-5-dies/4,3220.html


For what it's worth, the only place i use crimps is on my trolling leaders. All bottom fishing is done with uni knots at terminal connections and snells on big circle hooks for amberjacks. Crimps just look sloppy anywhere else. Mastering the uni knot and snell will make you a better fisherman, and cost way less than crimps


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## Captain Mickey O'Reilly (Dec 18, 2008)

Captain Woody Woods said:


> Absolutely not. I use a bench style crimper (http://www.meltontackle.com/products/momoi-bench-mount-crimp-tool.html) for all of my connections on my trolling leaders. If you want to have a good pair of crimpers on the boat, I like this model offered by J&M over in Orange Beach: http://www.jmtackle.com/browse.cfm/model-450h-hand-swager-14-long-w-5-dies/4,3220.html


+1 on Capt. Woods advice! The ONLY way to go is high quality tools designed for the task at hand! Lose $65 worth of lure and hooks plus a fish to poor crimps, and you will get the picture... good luck!


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## Captain Woody Woods (Oct 2, 2007)

delete


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## billin (Oct 14, 2007)

*crimps*

sorta agree with what woddy said it certantly applies to anything over 200lbs test but if you are crimping smaller stuff say 100 fluro go cheap you want the 25 dollar pair of crimpers with the crappy flexable handles it will keep you from cutting your mono and remember to always align the crimp properly before hand. Large ratchting crimpers or a bench press is the only way to go on the big stuff but you can easly damage the smaller stuff with one and you just cant squeeze the elcheapos hard enough to do any damage.


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## Kim (Aug 5, 2008)

I guess I'm just the odd man out here. I think that a good set of crimpers is an essential tool for recreational anglers. They sure are handy when putting leaders on you trolling lures and when it comes to bottom fishing with a lot of people it is handy to have a bunch of rigs ready to go for break offs etc. I can crimp a rig together a lot faster than I can tie one.


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## Captain Woody Woods (Oct 2, 2007)

billin said:


> sorta agree with what woddy said it certantly applies to anything over 200lbs test but if you are crimping smaller stuff say 100 fluro


Why would you want to crimp 100 flouro? Uni knot works fine.


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## billin (Oct 14, 2007)

*Fluro*

Trolling purposes back home (nc) we would spool 25 are so yards of fluro and rig sea witches used the crimps to hold the ballyhoo pin on the rig easy way to rig fast didn't crimp for bottom fishing chunking etc but we didn't do alot of that up there


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## xtopdawg386x (Dec 31, 2010)

I have a pair of Thomas & Betts I use for making shark leaders , I don't no if you can still get them since the pair's i have are older then me . I also use a Paladin 8025 I know there around 70 bucks .


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## samoajoe (Dec 28, 2010)

Don't get the cheap ones!


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## tofer (Oct 7, 2009)

I picked up one of these from Sams after talking to Chris V. and looking over some things making leaders for sharking from the beach. http://www.westmarine.com/webapp/wc...hanintel_google&ci_src=14110944&ci_sku=166619
Is it possible to get a decent crimp with a hand crimper? I was thinking about using double crimps as a back-up in case one fails. Does anyone have any advice on that? Spending over a $100 on crimpers just isn't in everyones budget, is there another way? Do any of the local shops have a bench crimper and offer crimping services?


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## aroundthehorn (Aug 29, 2010)

Captain Woody Woods said:


> Absolutely not. I use a bench style crimper (http://www.meltontackle.com/products/momoi-bench-mount-crimp-tool.html) for all of my connections on my trolling leaders. If you want to have a good pair of crimpers on the boat, I like this model offered by J&M over in Orange Beach: http://www.jmtackle.com/browse.cfm/model-450h-hand-swager-14-long-w-5-dies/4,3220.html
> 
> 
> For what it's worth, the only place i use crimps is on my trolling leaders. All bottom fishing is done with uni knots at terminal connections and snells on big circle hooks for amberjacks. Crimps just look sloppy anywhere else. Mastering the uni knot and snell will make you a better fisherman, and cost way less than crimps


Thanks, I'm not guiding, just interested in learning something new, new techniques, etc. I like to tinker with things. I'll probably wind up getting the SeaStriker hand model or something similar just to play around with.


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## Mullit (Jun 6, 2011)

A buddy of mine picked up a pair of hand crimpers at PCB walmart that look decent cant remember who made them maybe mustad. I think he said he paid $20 bucks. They are Mustad Brand and for the price I will be getting a pair.


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## Captain Woody Woods (Oct 2, 2007)

tofer said:


> Does anyone have any advice on that? Spending over a $100 on crimpers just isn't in everyones budget, is there another way? Do any of the local shops have a bench crimper and offer crimping services?


J&M in Orange Beach has several bench models; if they dont let you crimp them yourself, I'm sure they would do it for you. Just ask for Carson or Tom


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## Chris V (Oct 18, 2007)

We will rig for you at our shop as well. There's more than one shop in OB that has a bench crimper. I will do it for you or let you do it yourself.


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## Chris V (Oct 18, 2007)

Tofer, you can get a very strong swage with a hand crimper like the one I sold you. I've always used them on the boat and have yet to have a crimp fail. When I was in NC fishing for bluefin tuna, I noticed a lot of the connections already made were with hand crimpers. If they trust them on some of the largest and strongest gamefish swimming the ocean, I will trust them. I think the key to getting a stronger swage with a hand tool is making sure to use the right sized sleeve with the proper leader material. Too small and the sleeve over crimps and weakens. Not enough and there isn't enough compression on the leader and a slip may occur.

In all honesty, I do most of my crimping with a bench crimper but have zero issue using the handy one on board.


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## Mullit (Jun 6, 2011)

You can get quality crimps with a hand crimper the key is to practice with and test your crimps. With hand crimpers it is easy to over crimp thus making your line break in the sleeve. Just like chris v posted the most important part is quality proper sized sleeves and good leader material. The rest is just trial and error. Until you are comfortable with your equipment pull hard on every crimp you make with time you will have the feel for how much pressure to apply to make damn close to 100% connections.


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## Captain Woody Woods (Oct 2, 2007)

Chris V said:


> We will rig for you at our shop as well. There's more than one shop in OB that has a bench crimper. I will do it for you or let you do it yourself.


 
Without going back and re-reading the entire thread, I would advise the original poster to take advantage of this, at least as far as trolling leaders go. I won't even put a lure in the water unless it has been bench swaged. Just makes you feel better seeing a good-looking, uniform crimp. Trolling leaders should always be crimped ahead of time as opposed to "on the fly." The only time I hand-crimp anything on the boat is if we are on a trip and one of my top producing lures needs to be re-rigged; otherwise, as soon as I return to the dock, it gets re-rigged again with the bench.


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## tofer (Oct 7, 2009)

Thanks for the help and advice guys. I'll definitely give it a try Chris. Practice makes perfect. I'm sure I can get some help on some big rigs when I get to it, I'll stop by again sometime and let you know how it goes.


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