Traces
Couta Traces Tips and Tricks
| 17 May 2007
LukeD gives us some tips on hooks bending and traces breaking
Think everyone has had the odd treble hook open from time. They tend to actually do it quite often, think it's just the way they made/welded together.
Try get some Gamakatsu (which are my favorite hooks) trebles, or Owner (good but burn a serious hole in the pocket), VMC or something similar. Definitely spend the money on good hooks though, they sharper = more hook ups and generally stronger... Though i did open one a couple of weeks ago, so its not completely fool proof. I've recently switched to single hooks generally the Gamakatsu Taman or Octopus 4/0 which are working well for me. Single hooks generally stronger and less likely to pull out, though the obvious trade off is that you only got 2 points instead of six on a standard Couta trace, and it takes a little longer to rig up the bait... With traces check them after every fish, snapped one last week and when I checked it noticed I'd put a tiny kink in the wire when i was tying it up late the night before fishing... Sucks. It's a shit feeling when equipment fails, it's an even shiiter feeling when it could so easily have been prevented in the first place...
Question
I have had a few traces break where the last loop comes off the haywire twist, particularly when the fish shakes a lot like a Dorado or as you gaff the fish. One of the traces was made by an experienced Couta master, so it made me think there is something wrong with the haywire twist. Would you recommend less perpendicular loops when ending the knot?
Answer
I always start my haywire twists so that both sections of wire are 45 degrees from the horizontal thereby making a right angle between the two wires, then twist them BOTH AT THE SAME TIME around one another for about three or four twists, then carefully slowly straighten the trace end before winding the tag end perpendicular to the trace wire for four twists and then break off like normal. This is the best way to tie the haywire twist and i don't think tying the last few winds loosely will stop it from snapping, haven't seen anyone do this. I think it snaps there sometimes when the twist isn't tied carefully and there ends up being a slight bend or kink in the wire where the force is concentrated when the fish shakes its head... Some fish, like kingfish, will smash up to even number 8 wire no matter how well it's tied. Flurocarbon or monofilament seems to work best with these heavy head shakers I reckon.
Question
Thanks for all the info LukeD just got a question probably a stupid one - is Flurocarbon and monofilament bite proof?
Answer
Nope... Flurocarbon is like normal fishing line, except it's made from flurocarbon instead of nylon. This means it's a lot hardier and resistant to abrasion than nylon, like against rocks, tails etc. It's perfect for targeting kingfish, Garrick, Kob, Queenfish etc, though a Couta or any sharp tooth fish will bite through it. That's unfortunately why we have to use steel for our Couta traces... Oh yes did I mention it has the same optical properties as water? So it's almost invisible... It is flippen expensive though, between 100 and 170 bucks for 30 meters... So I only use it for leaders...
Question
Luke, do you ever back up your trace wire with some monofilament to the hooks just in case you get a head shaker instead of a Cuta?
Answer
That might work but it'll be a serious mission, cos every time you get a Couta it'll get bitten through, and you'll have to retie it. Though I suppose it'd be worth it if you ended up snapping wire when a big kingie picks up your Sard!!! You gonna have dudes a little confused when you rock up the beach with these traces... Spent a lot of time fishing with the right people and you learn all these little things which if someone doesn't show you, you'll never find out for yourself
