The “Split-Ring” Decision –
Why Catching or Losing Trophy Fish Can Pivot On An Overlooked Piece of Coiled Wire
By Chuck Bailey
In the summer of 1992, Steve Bloss was muskie fishing when a high-speed underwater train with fins smashed his crankbait, nearly ripping the rod from his hands. After setting the hook, a breath-taking goliath exploded in a tail-walking display that made him hold his breathe in awe and wonder. He’d just glimpsed the monster muskie of his dreams, and as it crashed back down into the water this trophy of a life-time stripped drag and made a run like none Steve had ever experienced. And then… the line when slack.
Naturally, Steve thought the fish had turned and was making a run for the boat, but no amount of reeling seemed to catch up with the fish. Suddenly he experienced the heart wrenching moment of disappointment when it became painfully clear… the monster fish was gone.
Had the line given way? Numb and in shock, he reeled in his line only to discover the lure was still there. But a treble hook was missing. The culprit; an inadequate split-ring that opened when Steve needed it most.
As Steve Bloss sat there shaking his head, he made a pledge that this heart breaking event would never happen again. With a metalworking and machining background, he went to work with one purpose in mind: to make the world’s strongest split-rings – so that other anglers would never have to experience the devastating experience of watching a mammoth trophy fade into a “woulda, coulda, shoulda” nightmare. Such was the painful birth of “Wolverine Tackle Inc.”
The Ignored Split-ring
The main theme of this article is simply this; the more you know about the unexciting but vital split-ring, the less chance you will have of crying, swearing, or destroying fishing tackle in the boat over the trophy fish of a lifetime swimming away because of split-ring failure.
Ironically, volumes have been written about the importance of selecting the proper “treble hook” for a crankbait. Libraries have collected countless copies of fishing magazines and books that were printed to help anglers choose the right size, shape, and type of crankbait for every seasonal pattern and species. But the tiny piece of coiled wire that connects every crankbait to its treble hooks has, for the most part, been silently ignored.
Then and Now
The majority of the first commercial crankbaits, (the older wooden lures now treasured as collector items), didn’t use split-rings. The manufacturers often attached treble hooks directly to the body of the crankbait either by specially made “harness hardware”, or by physically opening and closing an eyelet screw with pliers.
Today, most manufacturers use split-rings between the body eyelets (belly and tail) and the desired trebles. A treble that does not rotate freely tends to enable a hooked and thrashing fish to use the crankbait’s weight to pry the treble loose. A split-ring allows more freedom for twist and less leverage for the fish to dislodge the crankbait from its mouth.
Besides connecting trebles to the body of the bait, most modern crankbaits come with a split-ring attached to the line eyelet, found on the nose or bill of the crankbait. Many successful anglers tie directly to the split ring, (making sure the knot doesn’t slip between the halves of the split ring).
This extra pivot point gives the crankbait the freedom to wobble from side to side. Some believe that the wider the split-ring, the more wobble is allowed. This belief motivates some anglers to replace the original split-ring in the nose or bill eyelet with a larger one.
Science or Trial and Error
Obviously the evolution of the split-ring was based on a need discovered through trial and error. Not surprisingly, most of the split-ring improvements over the years were not made by scientists or engineers, but by weekend anglers who were never satisfied with lost fish, and strived to make a stronger and more efficient piece of fishing hardware based on the available resources and materials of their day.
The Bottom Line
It is the present belief of the author, (and undoubtedly this statement will create some controversy), that most larger manufacturers of crankbaits do not select and purchase split-rings for their baits with trophy fish in mind. This means – buyer beware.
Terry Trattner, the owner and president of Wolverine Tackle Inc, tends to agree. “And when larger corporations are making a lure, they are paying particular attention to their bottom line.”
That’s the financial bottom line – meaning that in the competitive crankbait industry, those who buy in large volumes (purchasing split-rings in bulk) often go over seas and buy the cheaper models to increase their profit margins.
This decision to go with a split-ring of lesser quality is not done in ignorance, but is an intentional choice based on financial concerns. Terry explains, “I have had a number of lure manufacturers say ‘Hey, I know your split rings are much better, but my bottom line just won’t allow me to afford them – I can’t put them on our lures.”
Buyer Beware
Sadly, it is ‘buyer beware’. You’ll never find this warning statement on a crankbait box: “Caution – the split-rings on this crankbait are adequate for the average size fish of the species you are fishing for, but for those who are seeking a trophy – failure may occur.”
There are exceptions to this premise; obviously crappie or smaller panfish, anglers are not going to be as concerned about split-ring strength because there still not been a panfish created large enough and strong enough to open the average split-ring.
But when targeting trophy bass, northern pike, muskie, steelhead, salmon, stripers, trout, and a host of ocean going monsters, the case for needing the best split-ring materials, coatings, and tensile strengths becomes an easier sell.
If an angler does not anticipate being in a situation where a large trophy fish may strike, there is no need to read any further. But if every cast has even the slightest possibility of making contact with the fish of your dreams, then split-ring knowledge can empower you to make tackle decisions that result in “bragging rights” rather than another story of the “one that got away.”
Split-ring Materials
In the past, split-ring manufacturers used the materials of their time. The wire used included brass, copper, and various cold or hot-rolled carbon steels.
Wolverine Tackle Inc, in their determination to make the world’s strongest split-rings, have moved away from these traditional materials. “We make our split rings out of two materials – we use heat-treated spring steel for fresh water applications, and of course the split-rings designed for saltwater are made out of stainless steel.”
Stainless Steel
The rust-resistant qualities of stainless steel (due to its chromium content) make it ideal for defending against the corrosion that the majority of other carbon metals experience in an ocean environment. As stainless cools from its molten state, a passive film of chromium oxide forms which prevents further surface corrosion and blocks corrosion from spreading into the metal's internal structure. As a result, Terry shares that “The saltwater anglers out on the coasts want everything stainless.”
Most people think “stainless is stainless”. But Terry explains, “Some stainless compositions are soft, some hard. Fact is, there are many types of stainless steel. You don’t want to select a soft stainless, or the split-ring won’t be as strong as you need it to be. But if you select a grade that is too hard, it becomes difficult to open the rings to put it on the lure components.”
Chromium is not cheap, and therefore stainless spit-rings cost more to manufacture. “We charge basically a penny more for the saltwater stainless split-rings, than we do for our freshwater spring steel rings,” admits Terry.
But surprisingly, stainless steel is not stronger than the spring steel versions. Terry explains, “Take for example the #7 split ring, (which is our biggest). The freshwater (spring steel) ring has a ‘pull strength’ of 335 lbs. The stainless ring of the same size has a ‘pull strength’ of 270 pounds.”
Spring Steel
Spring steel is a specialty steel that is favored by Wolverine Tackle primarily because of its hardenability, high fatigue value, and tensile strength. As the wire is delivered to the manufacturing in large rolls, it is relatively soft. But after the wire has been coiled into shape, cut off, and collected in large bins, it is sent to heat treating where fine grains are developed in the metal that gives it the perfect characteristics necessary for the “World’s Strongest” split-rings.
Spring steel, however, does not duplicate the corrosion resistance of stainless, and so the newly made split-rings must be coated or plated with a material that will prevent rust.
Coatings
The majority of spring steel split-rings made at Wolverine Tackle are plated with a Zinc-Nickel (with Trivalent chromate) coating, but customers can also order them anodized in “Stealth” black, or plated with a bright Ultra Nickel.
The company is also considering coming out with other colors, including red – a hot color used on treble hooks in recent years.
The reason for the different color choices is purely aesthetic. “Certain lure makers are hooked on colors that match up with their lures,” says Terry. “Some like a really bright and shiny split-ring so they use the Ultra Nickel plated versions. Some really like the ‘black’ against their lures. But the majority of the guys will order the plain zinc-nickel because they are just interested in strength, not looks.”
The Strength of Three Coils!
The most unique feature of the Wolverine “Super Rings” has to do with their design. “We are the only company in the industry that makes a three coil split ring. The advantage of course has to do with increased strength.”
Naturally, a three coil split-ring is one third wider than a two coil versions out of the same wire. It makes one curious if this extra width requires an angler go down in size in order to get them through the hole in the treble hook.
“Once in a while we run across a customer that has a small lure in which the extra width of the split-ring doesn’t fit the eye hooks. But for the vast majority of lures, the three coil split-rings still fit nicely.”
Size
Years ago, there was no "official" sizing standards, meaning that one manufacturer's #3 split ring may be a different size from another manufacturer's #3. The only choice then was to find a quality split ring brand and stick to it - which made it easier for an angler to pick the right one for the job.
While there still no “official” sizing standard, Terry believes that things have gotten better. “Split-rings today are pretty comparable. The sizes we carry, (3, 4, 5, 6, and 7’s), pretty much match the sizes of other brands.” Still, before ordering, it is smart to check the companies charts and compare the wire thickness, and the coil diameter when replacing split-rings.
|
|||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
The Pull Strength...
Wolverine Tackle is so confident that their “Super Rings” are the “Strongest in the World” they proudly publish the ‘pull strength’ of their rings in a chart. Where do the figures come from? Terry explains, “We had an independent lab test them out.” To the best of their knowledge, they were the first to do this, and few companies have followed suit. And in the history of the company their claim to produce the world’s strongest split-rings has never been challenged.
How does a lure maker decide what size split-ring to use? “It primarily depends on the size of the lure’s eyehook,” explains Terry. “You want that split ring to swing freely. If it binds at all, you have to go with the next size smaller. Or increase the size of the eyehook.”
“And size selection also depends on how big your targeted fish are,” says Terry. “You not only have to choose a split-ring that fits, but also one that has the ‘pull strength’ you need.”
...of Split-rings vs Fish
But determining the required “pull strength” for a species of fish is where science has reluctantly bowed to “trial and error” during the split-ring’s evolution. Ideally it would be beneficial to those purchasing split-rings if they could look up the targeted species on a chart, and find a corresponding “pull strength number”. However, no such chart exists.
Why? Because, whereas it is easy to determine the pull strength of a split-ring in a laboratory, it would difficult to measure the “pull strength” of a species. Many incorrectly attempt to determine the pull strength of a fish by its physical weight. But every angler has experienced times when some of the easiest pulling fish were the larger fish, and the hardest pulling fish were the smaller fish. So would you determine a specie’s ‘pull strength’ by the average size fish belonging to that species, or by the record trophy?
Pull Strength Reduction
And let’s not forget that the equipment and the techniques we anglers use are designed to reduce the pull strength of fish. In an earlier feature article, Don Yeager once explained, “From surf rods to crappie rods, each is designed so that under load there is very little pressure at the tip of the rod. Unless you are using a pier pole or something ridiculously stiff, (like when halibut fishing), …when you position that rod at a 45 degree angle, that tip is going to be bent. And the pressure on the fish is dramatically reduced. ”
Because the pressure on the fish is significantly lessoned by the flexing rod, the “pull strength” of the fish is greatly reduced. An example: An angler can have a 100 pound fish on 100 pound line connected to a crankbait with a split-ring rated with 100 pounds of pull strength, but the fish may only be able to exert 30-40 pounds of pressure when the angler is using a properly angled rod.
After understanding the science behind a properly angled rod, it is important to point out that when an angler starts lowering the rod so as to aim it straight toward the fish, the pulling strength of the fish is dramatically increased, and something is going to give; either the line or the split-ring. That’s why it is essential to keep that rod tip bent at the proper angle.
So the official ‘pull strength’ of a fish would be difficult to calculate unless the measuring device was attached to a broom stick or the side of the boat – a highly unlikely possibility. Factors like the amount of stretch in the line, the length and action of the rod, and even the angle of the rod all work together to reduce the pull strength of the fish, so correlating fish pull strength to split-ring pull strength is impossible because of all the variables involved.
Who Chooses?
So how do split-ring companies help lure manufacturers pick the right size split-ring for their crankbaits? Get ready for this: They don’t. Terry says that the choice is left completely up to the purchaser.
As a result three different muskie crankbait manufacturers might order three different split-rings; a #5 rated at 200 lbs pull strength, a #6 rated at 260 lbs, or a #7 rated at 335 lbs. Note: the different between the two extremes is 135 lbs! And the customer is totally unaware of the differences. After all, who pays attention to the split-rings?
What is "Enough" Pull Strength?
Naturally, the lure manufacturer and the individual customer both want a split ring that has a pull strength that’s high enough to cover the biggest fish that’s going to be caught for that species. The question is, what is “enough”?
Wolverine Tackle simply answered the question with “significantly more” – that is, more than what was presently being manufactured.
Never Assume!
It’s important to understand that an angler should never assume a new lure has the proper split-ring for the trophy fish they hope will adorn their wall. The responsibility for the split-ring choice on each and every crankbait has been left completely to the manufacturer of the bait. And as we have discovered - economics and guess work play far too great a role in the initial split-ring decisions.
Change Hooks? Change Split-rings!
It is interesting to observe how readily every serious crankbait angler, (professional guide, tournament participant, or trophy hunter), takes the time and makes the effort to swap out the cheaper factory treble hooks often found on crankbaits with laser sharp premium hooks when they first come out of the box. But ironically they will often use the same factory split-rings of unknown strength.
Does it not make sense (when swapping out trebles), to also swap out the cheaper and inferior split-rings with quality replacements? …with those split-rings whose “pull strength” is well documented and far exceeds the requirements of the species being targeted? Should the “split-ring decision” be someone else’s or yours?
Check The Available Data
As stated earlier, split-ring development has been based more on fishing experience (trial an error) than on hard empirical facts and scientific data. Still a savvy angler will use what knowledge does exist, refusing to purchase split-rings from a company that is unwilling to openly publicize their pull-strength figures.
What are the consequences of ignoring this data? Well, almost none if an angler is only targeting small trout or perch. But if the trophy sought is big, powerful, and brutal on tackle and crankbaits, then to ignore that little piece of coiled wire could leave an angler with a life-time regret and reoccurring nightmares concerning the monster that got away.
The Trophy of A Life-time Based on a Split-ring Decision!
Does it really matter if an angler goes with a premium split-ring? Terry Trattner believes so, “Well, my brother Joe and I have owned the business for 10 years and we haven’t had one person say our split-ring opened or broke. We have already had 5 records caught on using our split-rings:
* Dale McNair’s 57” X 33” Muskie - Catch and Release World Record,
* Bill Craig’s 60 lb 62.5” Muskie - Catch and Release World Record,
* The Woman’s Record 66 lb Striper caught off Connecticut,
* A 230 lb World Record Nile Perch, and a
* Michigan State Record - 50 lb 8 ounce Muskie by Lyle Anderson”
Who knows, trophy number six might belong to you, unless you choose to ignore those little pieces of coiled wire on your crankbaits. After all, the split-ring decision is up to you.
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Terry Trattner is the owner and president of Wolverine Tackle Inc located in Bartlett, Illinois.
To see their product line or contact them, please visit them at
http://www.wolverinetackleinc.com/index.htm
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Would you like to be notified when a new "Feature Article" is added?
It's as simple as filling out your name and email...
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
*************************************************************** ***************************************************************
(Note: Article Reprint Permission info is found on CONTACT US page.)