To the guys who use split rings instead of snaps, I agree that it makes a more safe connection than a snap, which occasionally will open on a fish or even open during the act of casting and retrieving. How long does it take to change baits? Do you use the screw eye on the bait to wedge open the split ring or do you use split ring pliers? Ever use the Wolverine triple-split ring for attaching baits or is it too wide? It does open a little easier for me than most of the standard split rings. Thanks for your replies. Scott Williams and I are considering going snapless this year, at least for a while.
Larry – The Wolverines are too wide for most tow eyes, the Bucher #7's are perfect. The trick is in the connection to the leader. You don't want the leader wire connected to the split ring you want a solid ring between the two. Wire alone can work into the ring, if you didn't catch it happening it might work its way off. Solid rings: <url url="[Permission to view this media is denied]
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I've normally got two or three pairs of split ring pliers in the boat… that is, until I drop them in the water (happens at least once a year). I believe I can change a lure just as fast as someone using a snap and I'll bet faster than someone using a Stringease snap. If you're like me and blessed with heavy duty thumnails you can even attach rings without the pliers.
Snaps are bad, bad, bad – no matter what type they are. I wish I had a photo to show you why, I guess I need to add that to my "to do" list.
I run triple 600s on the leader side and then I attach a 600 # double on all of my lures. Then I use the double to atach to the triple. Overkill? Perhaps but I lost three lures on a one week trip and that was the last time that $hit was gonna happen to me. The solids work but I have broken them as well. After a while you just learn to check it often visually to make sure the leader is not walking out of the ring. I use good medium sized needle nose to open the rings. If my hands are not cold I can do the thumb method but usually have the pliers handy. The only drawback is that it does tear up the rings a little but not enough that it bothers me. Make the switch its worth it.
Kevin
I use Bucher # 7 rings attached to all my baits. I personally do not use a solid ring between my leader loop and the split ring. The leader will slide into any other spilt ring besides those Buchers, I have not had a problem with them that I can recall. Just a quick glance before the cast, just to make sure. It is very fast to change baits without needing pliers, unless the split ring is rusty.
I know Ive said this before. Use stainless steel or you will break rings or snaps. Water + hardened steel = rust,pitting and break points. Rusting rings should be removed as soon as the cheap coating wears off them. When you see orange stains on your split rings they are junk. #7 Worth stainless rings are rated at 220 lbs and will not corrode or rust. They will last for years on your leaders. The Bucher ring is stronger but not stainless so they will rust as soon as you are thru the coating. Split ring pliers will break the coating the first time you open the ring. I wish someone made brass splitring pliers. The softer metal would not etch or scratch the surface of your rings. I worked with All types of metal wire for 12 years at Pin-Key Manufacturing. I have run many experiments with different wire types used in the Fishing industry. The facts are any metals used in water must be non ferrous(brass,copper or aluminum), or Alloys that resist or simply do not corrode such as stainless steel. Stainless steel is more expensive and this is why large tackle manufacturers do not use it. They use cheaper plated or hardened terminal parts. Fact #2 the higher the carbon content or the harder it is(heat treated) the faster the oxidation or rusting occurs. Pitting occurs in every case within 24 hours and can be seen with a 4 power eye glass. I will be using Split rings this year for the first time due to Weagles opening even my best snaps. How ever I will only be using splitrings on large Jerkbaits and big glides /top waters and such. In 30 years I have never had a snap fail and cost me a fish. I have however had over a dozen splitrings explode on Kings in lake Michigan. Most were cheap hardened steel coated with nickel. The Salmon spoon industry was nortorious for using cheap components. I have not had any failures since I started using stainless steel components exclusivly. My main concern with using Splitrings is the etching and cutting caused by repeated opening with hardened pliers. I will be using my thumb until I make a set of pliers out of Brass. I just got 100 #7 Worth split rings 303 stainless 220 lb rated. They are the same size as the Bucher ring and will out last them 10 to one. No rust in my tackle box. I wish I could afford stainless steel hooks. I have talked with three different guys that have had Bucher rings explode. They were old and had not been changed . This is a 300 lb rated ring. It never should have broken but it did. The culprit was rust pitting and it occurred where the split ring pliers had etched the surface removing the plating. It created a break point like a glass cutter. Use what you want but be aware that rust causes weakness. Change them often or go stainless. Be carfull not to etch or cut the surface of your rings with sharp edged pliers. One way Im going to try to reduce the cutting factor is round the edges of one of my split ping pliers making it conical. This should stop the cutting from the splitter point. Good luck with your choices, Mike and Michelle
Good points Mike… however, it's a double edge sword. The Bucher ring will eventually start to rust but the stainless rings loose their memory very fast after only a day of changes. I know you saw the gap in the Worth ring I played with after only a dozen or so changes. This gap in the ring could be the start of big problems. Also… my guess is that the rings people have had explode were not the Bucher ring, in fact, but a look-a-like. These have been used on a number of "manufactured" lures.
The reason for the leader/split ring connection is to avoid the problem that snaps have when they get wedged in a tow eye. It is impossible to put enough pressure on a split ring to open or break it with a rod and reel. Combine this with the fact that your rod is a cushion and you can't even put shock force on a lure over about 12 lbs. The only times I've see rings of any type start to open are when the fish is in the net or during unhooking.
The moral of the story here kids is…
Even though the ring is a better connection you will need to keep an eye on it and replace them as needed whether using stainless or not – replacing a ring takes only seconds.
Yes Will is correct about the Worth ring losing its memory. That was a 5 H ring not one of the new #7. Buchers rings are made from hardened spring steel(we call it Music wire) Its basiclly spring stock. The #5 worth ring is built for medium size baits and is called half hard. I use them on the little claws. They have a 90 lb give strength. They wont shatter but will distort or pull arart(straighten out). The #7 has a 220 lb rating in 302 spring steel like the wolverine is made from. Stainless steel also comes in spring steel that wont develop the gap in question. But the problem is availability. Yes there are a lot of look alikes in the black oxide coated steel rings. That alone is enough reason for me not to buy any. Ive had a few Bucher depth raiders that had rusting rings after two weeks. They are long gone. And yes again the bottom line is no matter what you use check often and change at the first sign of weakness be it a gap or rusting. I just got a tube of Chads new leaders(Nice work CHad) . I will be using Split rings to connect to all my big casting baits this year as there is no question that big baits will open even good snaps. My quest is to find the best quality Stainless steel ring to put in place of it. I still have to look at Rosco and Wolverine. Wolver ine might be able to build a #7 double ring out the same spring stock that they use for the big triples. As a Manufacturer I get lots of special favors from other Manufacturers. Ill let you all know what I find out. Mike and Michelle
The real important thing is knowing what type of steel you are dealing with. Companies like Worth and Rosco can build the rings out of any type of steel under the sun. Split rings are made on a spring machine and are fed from coils of wire stock. We used to make dowel pins from the same wire stock. Buchers rings are made with hardened carbon steel wire. Its the strongest wire made but is also the most suseptable to corroding and rust because of the high carbon content. My intent is to find a spring temper stainless with high tensile strength and replace this ring as the best choice for Musky split rings. The fact is even rusty a bucher ring will not break very easily because they start oput at over 300 lbs rating new. 150 lb is alost impossible for any fresh water fish to break. I hate uncertainties. How long can I leave it on?? is that a little rust or a crater? I want a split ring I can leave on a lure or leader for months and be able to trust it. I have consulted with my old boss and he thinks as I do that 302 or 303 spring temper stainless steel wire would make the best snaps and split rings . Reasons are its almost as strong as Carbon steel and tempered to spring grade it will hold its shape as well as music wire. Most tackle companies are not using spring grade stainless yet. Its cheaper to plate carbon steel so they keep trying to come up with tougher plating. Black oxide as a rust preventative is a joke. Nickel is about as good as they have right now and can be black as well. Chrome is tougher but costs more than stainless so no one uses it. Bottom line is Todays rings and snaps are made from softer grades of stainless and plated music wire not to mention some brass hard ware as well. Ill be talking with several Manufacturers about using spring 302 for rings this spring. Im looking at Wolverine as these guys are thinking a little outside the box . They have contacted me on several occasions asking how I liked the triples on my Big baits. They also make carbon steel rings that are much stronger than the 275 lb triples that I use on the Deepthreats. In thier own words( the stainless rings will outlast our carbon rings and are a better choice).Mike
they have made their triples out of that same steel that Bucher used to make his out of- hey tell Wolverine to make some NON triples would ya!?? Basically just make the old Bucher rings- EXACTLY. Sure they will rust, but it doesn't cost that much to just replace them. That's is what I want to do, nothing new!
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