Should I use clips?

[SmugOne]

14 hours ago, Bird said:

The snaps come in handy when you don't want to carry a dedicated rod for everything you plan on throwing on a particular day.

I'll jump back and forth from a spinnerbait to a WP or buzzbait using same rod and they are much more efficient than the old swivels. 

 

My lakes are gin clear so really only use them on moving baits and though I haven't tried but wouldn't they cause nose dive on suspending Jerkbaits? Idk

I use the 25lb tactical clip for jerkbaits and it doesn’t seem to be an issue for most jerkbaits I use.  The 50lb will cause it  to sink nose down but I only use those for my deeper diving crankbaits, some poppers and walkers.  

[TnRiver46]

 

Clips??! We don’t need no stinking clips!!!

[Bankbeater]

I only use them for moving baits.  They are a real life saver when it's cold and my hands aren't wanting to work.

[txchaser]

I use 25lb clips pretty often. When I need something heavier (20lb flouro, or braid) P-line makes some similar shaped but very stout versions. As an example, I use the tactical ones (they call them mini) on crankbaits and owner underspins, and the p-line on my chatterbait rod. If I'm in a known big fish zone I'll just put the bigger p-line which I think are 35lbs on the crankbait rod.

 

I spent about $50 buying just about every kind of snap I could find. After the two above my next favorite was the fastach, but a) they are rougher in weeds and b) I'd lose a lure here and there if I hit something like a dock on a cast. Anyway they all sit in a box now.

 

I really wish someone would make a snap that was very compact but also heavier gauge - based on some comments on BR I really do think that diameter matters a lot for shock loads on flouro - the smaller the snap the more like it is a knife.

 

With all that said, I used to use them on nearly everything, and now it is in a consistent set of circumstances - mostly moving baits and topwaters.

 

To someone that mentioned the jerkbait nose-down issue - the tactical minis are tiny. The regular ones would definitely do that though.

 

Call it a bad choice (it was) but I used the p-line on my frog rod for a whole season. I only stopped because I didn't like the weight on the front of the frog, and it picked up some grass sometimes. Full days of full-body braid/frog hooksets, never a problem.

 

So far, zero fish lost to a snap failure, and both of my 'really big' fish were on the p-line snap.

[Glenn]