How to Rig Fishing Nylon Thimbles

Going after any of the large top predator saltwater fish requires heavy tackle that will stand up to the stress of trolling large lures and vicious strikes. Monofilaments are thick, and leaders are often 400-lb. test wire. Mixing those two materials together makes it tough to keep a rig in the water. Anglers use a device called a thimble, a teardrop-shaped piece of plastic or stainless steel with a channel around the outside, to make the loops in wire leaders. Larger versions of these thimbles are used on cranes and on wire stays on utility poles.

Things You'll Need

  • Multistrand wire cable
  • Aluminium alloy crimps
  • Thimbles
  • Rig tubing
  • Electrical insulating tape
  • Wire cable cutters
  • Crimping pliers
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Instructions

    • 1

      Wrap the wire leader around the thimble channel with 1 inch of the end of leader extending past the channel. Mark at the point on the leader where the end meets the main body. Remove the wire from the thimble.

    • 2
      Hooked Up

      Select a crimp, and thread the wire leader through it, taping it into position with electrical tape at the mark you made. Cut a length of tubing appropriate to the circumference of the thimble, and slide it onto the wire.

    • 3

      Hold the tubing, with the wire inside, on the channel of the thimble. Wrap the wire and tubing around the thimble. Slide the end of the wire through the crimp. Pull the wire snugly around the thimble, making sure that it stays in the channel of the thimble. Use the crimping tool to lock the crimp into place.

    • 4

      Measure off the desired length of wire leader. Use the wire cutters to remove it from the spool. Repeat Steps 1 through 3 to form the second loop in your leader.