Our take on the Stinger Wire

A stinger sold complete, shallow screw and treble already in place: you open the packet and the lure is rigged. What really counts here is the 49-strand wire rated at 90 lb, because on a big bait rig that is the first part to give way when it is undersized. Worth buying two or three at a time, you get through more than you would think.

49-strand wire at 90 lb: what you need to know

• Belly harness of the stinger type for large volume soft baits, made by Wolfcreek Lures
• Stainless steel wire, 49-strand 7×7, rated at 90 lb
• Supplied complete, with a shallow screw for the head and a treble hook on the wire
• Sold singly
• Three versions: 1/0 in size S, 2/0 in M and 3/0 in L
• Match stated by the brand: S for a 20 cm shad, M for 25 cm, L for 30 cm
• Compatible with a screw-in weighted head of the Twisthead type to fish deeper
• Pike, catfish and musky, on lures from 20 to 30 cm

Why a stinger changes your hookup rate

On a big bait of 20 to 30 cm, hook position decides everything. Pike rarely strike right on the head of the lure, they take sideways or from the rear, and a single hook screwed into the head then lets the bite go through. The stinger answers that problem by offsetting a treble towards the tail, exactly where the jaws close. That leaves the question of strength, and this is where the choice of wire matters, since a rig this size has to take both the fish’s teeth and the inertia of a 200 g lure on the hookset.

Shallow screw for hold, treble for the hookset

The rig reads in two parts. The shallow screw threads into the head of the soft bait and provides the hold, without adding weight, which keeps the presentation high in the water column. The treble is pinned or left hanging along the flank and turns short strikes into hooked fish. The 49-strand 7×7 wire links the two and does the thankless job of taking punishment without parting.

• Shallow screw for shallow presentations, above weed beds
• Screw-in weighted head instead of the screw to run down drop-offs
• Treble positioned towards the rear of the lure, where most bites land
• Worth re-seating the screw cleanly after several fish, the rubber always works loose in the end

This stinger is designed for the brand’s lures, and it pairs naturally with the Wolfcreek Shad 2.0, whose three sizes follow the same S, M and L logic. If you only fish shallow and have no need for the treble, the Shallow Screw is also sold on its own.

1/0, 2/0 or 3/0: matching the stinger to the lure

The logic is proportional. The 1/0 in size S suits 20 cm shads, where a bigger treble would needlessly weigh down the tail and hamper the swimming action. The 2/0 in M matches the 25 cm format, the one most anglers use most often. The 3/0 in L is intended for 30 cm baits and very large volumes, where you need a wire gauge able to hold a pike shaking its head under the boat.

Keep several in the box: a twisted stinger or an opened treble is replaced on the water in a minute, whereas a bodged rig usually costs you the next fish. You will find the full range in our Wolfcreek Lures products, and plenty to fill the box on the lure side in our selection of lures for pike.