Most trolling weights (sometimes called "cigar" leads) usually come with inadequate terminal tackle. The soft brass loops at each end can pull out or snap under the strain of pulling large baits at high speeds and bone-jarring strikes from
monster wahoo.
Today you can find cigar leads that come with just the hole drilled down the center, allowing anal-retentive guys like myself tocustomize the terminal gear to their heart's content.
The Steelon core prevents corrosion and prolongs the operating life of the lead. The small Black Bart grommets on each end act as shock absorbers and also prevent the deterioration of the beads. The heat shrink slows down the electrolysis and corrosion of the nickel crimps, but make sure you use clear so you catch it quickly when it starts.
Here's the recipe I use to build the ultimate trolling weight setup:
One 32-ounce Bluewater Tackle bored cigar lead
One 380-pound Quick Rig ball bearing Aussie swivel
Two Billfisher stainless-steel, medium thimbles
Four 2.8 mm Billfisher nickel crimps
36 inches of clear, 900-pound, 49-strand Steelon plastic-coated cable
Two Momoi glow beads
Two standard spacer beads
Two small (.00) Black Bart rubber grommets
One 500-pound Momoi double-ringed,tournament wrapped snap swivel
Two Billfisher 2.6 mm single-barrel crimps
Two 2-inch sections of Todd's Rigs & Lures clear, four-ply, glue inlaid heat shrink
Walker Holcomb
Maitland, Florida
