Whip ‘em with Wind-Ons!

Big-game fishing is an amazing pastime, rich with years of angling history and memorable catches. Although this great sport is often enjoyable and entertaining, in a split-second, things can easily take a turn for the worse. Over the years, the big-game fishing community has lost several great deckhands due to horrific accidents in the cockpit that could have been avoided – accidents involving a mate who had to ‘wire’ or ‘leader’ a lively billfish to within gaffing or tagging range. Is there a make-sense solution?

Understand that if a billfish crew is fishing a traditional leader with running line crimped directly to the swivel, once the swivel reaches the rod tip, the designated leader man must wire a potentially green fish the last 10, 15 or maybe even 20-feet, depending on the distance between the swivel and hook. It's like climbing into a boxing ring with a raging bull. One wrong wrap of the leader around the arm or hand, and the very agitated blue marlin can easily pull a deckhand, or even the angler, right over the transom. While many experienced mates have safely leadered a countless number of mammoth marlin and Tyrannosaurus-rex size tuna, it is a relatively dangerous task that should only be attempted by experienced professionals. For crews just breaking into the field of competitive billfishing, one way to avoid this potentially dangerous practice altogether is with the aide of a wind-on leader.

As its name implies, wind-on leaders simply allow anglers to wind their heavy leader through the roller guides where it can be appropriately stored on the reel’s spool. Wind-on leaders are made from the same materials that make up ordinary leaders – heavy monofilament or fluorocarbon – with the exception of a few feet of hollow-core Spectra or Dacron. This connection is commonly referred to as ‘the splice.’ In today’s day and age, Spectra is the preferred hollow-core of choice. The reason for this is due to the fact that it is much more durable and it has a noticeably slimmer profile. Let's not forget to mention that Spectra does not expand in the water, has a long lifespan and is extremely resistant to harmful UV rays.

The way the splice of a wind-on works is pretty similar to a Chinese finger-trap. The heavy leader material, usually 200 to 500 lb. test monofilament, fluorocarbon or cable, slides into the braided line’s hollow-core where it is tightened with several half hitches or bonded with a specially designed adhesive. The point of adhesion is referred to as ‘the serve.’

Commercially manufactured wind-on leaders are typically 25-feet in length, leaving room for three or four-feet of double line and an eight-foot leader while still obliging by IGFA regulations with room to spare. For anglers not interested in playing by the books, wind-on leaders are also available in 50 and 75-foot lengths.
The way you attach a wind-on leader to your running line is with a simple loop-to-loop connection. This means you must first create a loop in your running line with either a Bimini twist or spider-hitch. To secure the wind-on, which comes prepared with a pre-formed loop, pass the loops through each other twice (see diagram above).

Other than the safety benefits, wind-on leaders allow anglers to adjust terminal tackle to varying conditions by simply changing the leader via this loop-to-loop connection. Changing from live bait to trolling leader has never been easier. Also, once a few wraps of the heavier wind-on leader are safely on the spool, an added level of drag can be applied to subdue fish ready to be brought to boat-side.

Many big-game tournament competitors construct their own wind-on leaders but unless you are a seasoned veteran, it may behoove you to purchase pre-manufactured wind-ons. When searching through your favorite online or mail-order retailer, you may notice that wind-on leaders are quite expensive. When you think about the amount of leader you will save by making rigs that are only a few feet long rather than lengthy traditional leaders, wind-on leaders actually result in saving cold-hard cash, especially if you prefer to fish with higher-priced fluorocarbon rather than monofilament.

Wind-on leaders are extremely durable and highly effective; however, your wind-on leader will only be as strong as its weakest link. With that being said, regularly check for nicks and cuts while paying extra attention to the splice, serve and loop-to-loop connection.

It doesn’t matter what blue-water species you are after or what style of big-game fishing you prefer, wind-on leaders offer multiple advantages while at the same time, giving captains piece of mind knowing that their entire crew will safely return to port after a successful day on the water.