Haywire Twist

Difficulty: Medium
Strength: High

Best Used For

Wire LeaderLeader ConnectionOffshore FishingToothy Fish

Provides a strong connection for wire leader to hook or swivel. Essential for fish with sharp teeth.

About the Haywire Twist

The Haywire Twist is the only reliable way to connect single-strand wire leader to hooks, lures, or swivels. This specialized connection is essential when targeting toothy fish like sharks, barracuda, pike, and musky that can easily bite through regular fishing line. When tied correctly, it retains 100% of the wire's strength.

Best Line Types: Single-strand wire leader (typically 20-400 lb test)

Knot Strength: Retains 100% of the wire's original strength

When to Use: Essential for any toothy fish species, offshore trolling, shark fishing, and situations where bite-offs are a concern.

Critical Application: The only reliable connection for single-strand wire - other knots will fail with wire.

Step-by-Step Instructions

Wire Only: This connection only works with single-strand wire leader!

  1. Thread the wire: Pass about 4 inches of wire through the hook eye or swivel.
  2. Create barrel twists: Twist both wires together evenly for 3.5 times the wire diameter (e.g., 7 twists for 20lb wire).
  3. Make perpendicular wraps: Bend the tag end 90° and wrap it around the standing wire 5-10 times.
  4. Create handle: Bend the remaining tag end into a small handle perpendicular to the standing wire.
  5. Break off cleanly: Rock the handle back and forth until the wire breaks off cleanly at the wraps.
  6. File smooth: File any sharp edges smooth to prevent line cuts.

Pro Tips & Troubleshooting

✓ Pro Tips

  • • Only connection that works with single-strand wire
  • • Essential for toothy fish species
  • • Use 3.5x wire diameter for barrel twists
  • • Always file sharp edges smooth
  • • Practice with different wire weights

⚠ Common Mistakes

  • • Not making enough barrel twists
  • • Trying to use with multi-strand wire
  • • Not wrapping perpendicular to standing wire
  • • Cutting instead of breaking off tag end
  • • Leaving sharp edges that cut line

Video Tutorial

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