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Wire Leaders for King Mackerel and Wahoo

When to run wire instead of mono, which wire we use and why, and how to tie both of them.

By David Rose, September 2026

 Showing the razor sharp teeth of a king mackerel that easily cut monofilament leader

Why wire at all

A clean cut-off is a tooth, not a knot

You can usually tell what happened by looking at the tag end. A curly, pigtailed end means a knot slipped. A frayed end means abrasion — a gill plate, the transom, structure. But an end that looks like it was cut with scissors, square and clean, is almost always teeth.

King mackerel and wahoo are built for exactly that. Both will slice through monofilament and fluorocarbon without slowing down, and going from 60 lb mono to 100 lb mono does not change the outcome. You get thickness, not tooth resistance.

That is the case for wire. It is not a case for wire all the time, and the next section is where the decision actually gets made.

Square and clean means teeth. Curled means the knot let go.

The decision

Monofilament or wire?

You can catch kings and wahoo on mono, and plenty of people do it every trip. It mostly comes down to where the hook ends up. Hook a fish shallow, in the front of the jaw, and its teeth are against the hook shank rather than the leader — the mono is never in contact with them, and it comes back fine. Let the fish get the bait further back, or turn with it, and the leader is lying across those teeth. That is when it gets cut.

So mono is not wrong for toothy fish. It just means some percentage of your bites end in a clean cut-off, and you do not get to choose which ones.

Mono is also the stealthier presentation, and across a mixed offshore spread — mahi, tuna, sailfish — it is what you want. Which makes our rule narrower than "use wire for offshore trolling."

Our rule of thumb

General offshore trolling: monofilament.

Specifically targeting kings or wahoo: 7-strand wire, terminated with a figure 8 knot.

When those two are the main event, wire cuts down the cut-offs and puts more fish in the boat. When they are not, wire is a visibility cost you are paying for protection you do not need that day.

7-strand

7-strand wire: how to tie it

Seven-strand is exactly what it sounds like — seven fine stainless wires laid together. That construction is why it is supple where solid wire is stiff, and why you can bend it double without ruining it.

A second alternative in 7-strand fishing wire is coated versus uncoated.  All TrollTrue rigs are constructed with uncoated 7-strand wire.  Coated wire can not be tied.  It can only be crimped. 

What it gives you

  • Flexible. It moves with the bait rather than against it.
  • Kink-resistant. It takes a bend and recovers, where single strand does not.
  • Easier to work with. Knot it or crimp it — you have options in the cockpit.

The trade is diameter. Seven wires side by side make a slightly thicker profile than solid wire of the same strength, and thicker means more visible.

The best knot for 7-strand wire

This is where the two wire types part company, and it is the mistake we see most: you cannot haywire twist 7-strand cable. The strands slip against each other and the twist works loose. Seven-strand gets knotted or crimped.

We use the figure 8 knot — the fishing figure 8, not the climbing knot that shares the name and does a different job. It is strong, low-profile, and needs no tools, which matters when you are retying with fish in the spread.  Works for live bait and dead bait rigs alike. It is what we use on our own rigs for kings and wahoo.

Three steps, no tools. This is the connection we use on our wire rigs.

Crimps are the alternative, and they make more sense above 100 lb test wire, where a knot in heavier wire gets bulky and hard to seat. A crimp needs the matching sleeve and a real crimping tool — pliers crush a sleeve instead of swaging it.

Tied and ready

Wire Rigs Without the Cockpit Retie

Our stinger hook rigs come in 60 lb wire and 60 lb mono, so you can match the leader to the fish instead of rebuilding a rig with the spread out.

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Single strand

Single strand wire leader

Single strand — solid stainless or titanium wire — is the traditional offshore choice and still has a following, particularly among wahoo fishermen. It is thinner than 7-strand at the same strength, so it shows less, and it makes a clean, direct connection.

What it costs you

  • It kinks. Once solid wire takes a sharp bend it is significantly weakened. A kink you can see is a break you have not had yet — cut it off and retie.
  • It has to be twisted, not knotted, which takes practice to get right consistently.
  • It is stiff, so it suits baits that do not need to swim freely.

How to tie single strand: the haywire twist

Twists, then barrel wraps, then wiggle the tag off. Never pliers.

Sizing

Standard rigging is 60 lb test 7 strand wire.   This is good to drags up to 30 lbs.  Up to 100 lb test 7 strand wire is available with an 8/0 J-hook as the trailer hook.  Order the 100 lb wire rigging as Custom Rigging.  

Side by side

Which one to reach for

Supple, forgiving

Bends without failing, knots or crimps, slightly thicker. Our default for kings and wahoo.

Thin, unforgiving

Less visible and cheaper, but one kink ends it and it has to be twisted.

Everything else

Stealthier and simpler. The right call for a mixed spread — mahi, tuna, sailfish.

Seven wires laid together, one solid wire — same job,  different trade-offs.

In practice

Wire on a trolling rig

One point worth making regardless: a wire bite section only has to cover what the fish's mouth can reach. Running wire the full length of the leader adds visibility without adding protection.

TrollTrue rigs are constructed using a single 48" length of leader material.  They end up being about 44" long.  The end is intentionally left open to allow the addition of a skirt if desired.

The fish that make wire worth the visibility.

Stop retying in the cockpit

Hand-tied stinger hook rigs in wire and mono, ready to clip on when the bite window opens.

Three options

60 lb mono, 60 lb wire and 100 lb mono — match the leader to the fish you are after.

Built by hand

Every rig tied and checked before it ships.

Ready to fish

Clip it on and drop back. No crimping tool, no retying at 4 a.m.

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Keep reading

More on rigging and the fish that eat wire

King Mackerel Fishing Adventures: A Comprehensive Guide

Where to find them, how to troll for them, and what they eat.

Wahoo Fishing: Tips and Tactics for Success

Speed, spread and gear for the fastest fish in your spread.

Cigar Minnow: The Bait, and How to Rig and Troll It

The bait kings want, and how to make it swim right.