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Cages are mainly used to store caught fish in a pond; this option is suitable for small individuals of peaceful species. You can’t keep a predator alive in this way for a long time, and it won’t let other species swim calmly. A do-it-yourself kukan for pike will help prolong the freshness of the catch. Its manufacture will take some time, but the master can then be one hundred percent sure of the reliability of the design.
What is a kukan
A real fisherman has many devices, each of them performs certain functions. Kukan occupies a special place in the arsenal of a spinner and not only, with its help you can extend the freshness of the caught fish for a relatively long time.
Cookie consists of:
- steel cable in a nylon braid;
- a sufficient number of hooks-carbines;
- large swivels;
- secure main clasp.
Hooks are assembled on the cable, on which a predator is planted in a special way. There are factory-made versions of the product in stores, but hand-made ones are considered more reliable and practical.
You can make a homemade pike pike on your own, or you can use some factory-made elements. Thus, the production time will be reduced several times.
Necessary materials
It is not difficult to make a do-it-yourself kukan for pike, however, certain materials and tools must be prepared in advance. The number of components is calculated according to how many hooks the product is planned for, what length of cable the fisherman needs. The average kukan is made on 5 hooks, the consumables for this can be represented in the form of the following table:
| component | number |
| braided warp cable | not less than 1,5 m, while the diameter is 2-3 mm |
| cable clamps | 12 pieces of medium size |
| loop wire | 3,5 m steel, diameter 2 mm |
| swivels | 5 large |
| plastic tubes | 4 pieces 20 cm long each |
By increasing the number of swivels and the amount of wire, it will be possible to make not five, but more hooks for a predator.
For the process itself, you will also need some tools, you can’t do without a hammer, pliers, metal cutters and a tape measure. If all this is combined with a little skill in working with wire, a minimum of skill and a desire to make something on your own, then the result will definitely be a kukan of excellent quality.
4 ways to make a do-it-yourself kukan
The simplest version of the kukan is a piece of rope on which the catch is planted. It is important to fasten such a product well to a watercraft or to a peg on the shore, but the fish will not live on it for a long time. In order to preserve freshness, and therefore extend the life of the fish, it is necessary to build more advanced versions of the product. Among anglers, the most popular are 4 types of kukan, each of which has its own subtleties of manufacture.
triangular kukan
A distinctive feature of this homemade product is the shape, the kukan really resembles a triangle. Moreover, one of the peaks serves as a fastener to the boat, and the opposite side contains from 5 to 10 fasteners or hooks for planting freshly caught pike.
You can build it like this:
- a rigid wire of suitable length and thickness is bent in the shape of a triangle;
- at the top with a connection, special fasteners are made, with the help of which the product will be closed;
- before that, on the side opposite from the top, put on the required number of hooks, between them pieces of a plastic tube must be inserted;
- it is desirable to lock them with rivets in the corners.
Such a pike cuckoo will be an ideal option for plunging the catch to the bottom. You can attach it both to coastal pegs and to any boat.
classic kukan
There is a classic form of a kukan, it is made not only by craftsmen, but also by factories. It differs from other species with a soft but strong base, along which hooks are placed for planting fish. They are attached to the cable through swivels, so the fish will have more freedom of action.
It is better to make carabiners for this type of kukan yourself, for this, the wire is bent with pliers and a reliable fastener must be made.
By attaching an empty plastic bottle to a homemade cookie, you will always see where it is. Such a homemade float allows you to install a kukan far from the shore on a peg and not lose sight of it.
For spearfishing
This homemade version is usually made from a soft but durable cable, while a float and an additional clasp are made to attach the product to the belt.
It is not always possible when spearfishing to swim up to the boat and leave the catch there. In most cases, for not very large individuals, a mobile product is used, with which it is easy and convenient for a diver to move around. A feature of the spearfishing kukan is a small number of hooks, they are installed from 3 to 5 pieces. Otherwise, the device is no different from other types, the collection is identical and the components in strength are approximately the same.
No need to hang several fish on one hook, it is better to make a few kukan in reserve. An overloaded product may simply not withstand and break, then the whole catch will go away.
ring kukan
The ring type of kukan is popular with many; when finished, it visually resembles a ring with catch hooks. The body itself is desirable to be firmly soldered, and a chain of the required length is used to attach it to the watercraft.
Hooks for planting fish are bent from pieces of wire 15 cm long, while the formation of a loop is mandatory. Installed ring-based swivel and stop beads or pieces of plastic tube between them will not allow the fish to interfere with each other.
You can also make a primitive kukan with improvised means on the shore. To do this, cut a willow twig up to one and a half meters long, with a minimum diameter of about 4 mm and a maximum of 8 mm. Using a knife, notches are made at the ends of the rod, this will be the place of bonding. Then it is enough just to plant the caught fish and tie it to a bush or a tree branch and lower it into the water. A stone or other load will help to sink such a product.
We figured out how to make a kukan for a predator on our own, but not everyone wants to fool around. It’s easier to go to the store and buy a ready-made product, which will not always please you with good quality. In order not to lose a pike while fishing, one must be able to choose a kukan, or rather, know the subtleties of choice.
A product of this type in the distribution network is chosen according to the following principle:
- carefully inspect the base of the product, the ideal option would be a steel stranded cable in a soft plastic braid. A rope or cord is not suitable for this, the pike will easily cut the hook at the first opportunity and just leave.
- Hooks are also inspected carefully, they check the spring when fastening, they try to fasten and unfasten several times. Plastic products should immediately be discarded and this option should not be taken into account, even with a kilogram pike, such a hook will fly apart in a matter of moments. The best option would be high-quality options made of thick stainless steel wire.
- The clasp at the kukan is all that can be said, it must be of high quality and fasten securely, otherwise the product will float away with the fish. It is worth inspecting the carbine carefully, it is worth checking the elasticity more than once.
Often purchased kukans are finalized at home on their own, for this they additionally buy some components. An important element is the swivel, on which the hooks for planting the fish are fixed. Usually manufacturers use the cheapest options to reduce the cost. Immediately after the purchase, it is worth replacing them with options on the bearing, this option will not be cheap, but it will increase the reliability of the cooker several times at once.
You can also add a couple of hooks yourself, for this, the plastic plates are slightly cut between the existing hooks, and then the required amount is added.
Kukan is used not only for pike, in this way you can keep other fish fresh. Best suited for this:
- zander;
- perch;
- asp;
- som
Other species will not be able to stay in this position for a long time.
It is not difficult to make a do-it-yourself kukan for a pike, but in the future the fisherman will always have a reliable product on hand for the safety of the predator.