What pliers do you use?

[Bazoo]

I have been thinking about pliers lately. This seemed to fith best in tackle because pliers are used for removing hooks.

 

I actually found a pair of cheapo needle nosed pliers today when bank fishing a local pond.

 

I find myself looking at some of the fishing specific pliers from Bass Pro, and I have had an eye on the Umpqua River Grip scissors like NDyakangler uses.

 

I wonder if they would be more useful than the Leatherman tool I normally use. I carry an original PST tool all the time, and I wouldn't leave it behind if I also carried something else fishing specific, which makes me think perhaps another pair would just be dead weight except for when I'm on the boat. It's a pain to dig the Leatherman out of my pocket when I am on my boat, but bank fishing, it's not much of an issue.

 

What does everyone else use?

[Backroad Angler]

I've always just used needle nosed pliers, like so. Does the trick for me.

[MN Fisher]

For most hook removals, I use a curved-nose hemostat...

 

If it's a larger fish that's swallowed the lure/hook - a multi-joint pliers lets me go deep.

 

[Swamp Girl]

I use Rapala's long reach pliers:

 

[king fisher]

I use the cheapest ones I can find.  After loosing more than one Leatherman overboard, I learned to keep any tool I wasn't prepared to loose off of the boat.

[MediumMouthBass]

Rapala makes a white and gray one, they are called anglers pliers. $10.

They are useless on trout and panfish (except crappie) but do excellent for bass and pickerel.

I have 2 pairs now, they have saved the lives of dozens of bass, saved my fingers from treble hooks, and do not rust easily. They are small enough to do life saving surgery on gut hooked bass/crappie, but long enough to avoid getting bit by pickerel.

 

They also have 2 holes in the bottom, can easily take paracord and make a leash for it that can be attached to either pant loops, or handles on boats/kayaks.

 

Ill have to pick up the pair @ol'crickety posted for the occasional pike.

 

And i just saw the part about Leathermans, Midway has a multi tool, its their house brand. It goes for between $10-15. I picked one up awhile ago, it has a good locking mechanism, tools are alright quality. Not work worthy but for fishing it would do pretty good.

Edited July 30, 2024 by MediumMouthBass

[fin]

I’m fishing from the bank, so it’s all about small size and light weight. I like to keep them in my pocket so I don’t have to dig in my backpack while I have a fish out of water.

 

The ones I use now are standard needlenose, but they’re only like 3-4” long. I used to have some that were 2”, but lost them. I actually think you get a better grip with shorter pliers, just like the best cut from a pair of scissors is nearest the hinge. I have used hemostats, which are good for getting deep, and they’re light, but they just don’t have a strong enough grip.

 

I’m not real happy with the ones I have - they’re too heavy, but I’ve never run across anything that’s better that isn’t expensive. Aluminum is around $40. Tackle Warehouse has some pliers that are over $300.

[haggard]

No need to get too fancy. Basic any brand needlenose pliers will do the job in most cases, and they also make a good barb crusher.

 

Add a set of forceps for going through the gills (sometimes needlenose are too bulky). As others pointed out, foeceps are rather light duty and don't have the oomph for some jobs, which is what the needlenose are for. Think of forceps for light duty hook manipulation, usually for panfish or for larger species through the gills, and when that's done, bring in the needlenose to finish the job, through the mouth.

 

Add a set of diagonal wirecutters so you can cut off the barb section after pushing the gut-hooked hook through if you're unable to back it out due to the barb (even if crushed). Then use forceps to back the hook out. If it's taking a while, hold the fish under water every now and then to let it recover, then resume.

 

When I land a fish that I know to be "in trouble" (which really means I'm in trouble), first thing to reach for is the wirecutters: Cut off the line and lure so you're dealing with only the fish and hook (lure in the way really restricts visibility and hinders your work), then go right for snipping off the barb section. Doesn't take long. From there, follow up with needlenose or forceps as needed.

 

$300 for a needlenose pliers is stupid. About as stupid as spending $(I hate to say, ask me how I know) on a rod or reel. Oh, wait....

 

 

 

[gim]

47 minutes ago, MediumMouthBass said:

Rapala makes a white and gray one, they are called anglers pliers. $10.

 

That's what I use.  I have two of them that sit in my storage slots in my Ranger - one at the console and one at the bow.  Easy to reach and use with one hand.

 

I also use the Rapala scissors, they are $5.

 

I keep jaw spreaders in my boat as well.  Pike and muskies tend to swallow some lures and they refuse to open their mouths.

[crypt]

Snap-On  ..........short and long reach......

[casts_by_fly]

Get a longer nosed set. I use the standard length in an off brand in my kayak and can get the job done but every now and then you get a hook deep in the throat or have to come through the gills and it’s nice to have a little bit more reach. My dad carries both in his boat and I’ve had times I couldn’t get a hook with the regulars so the longs saved the day 

[padlin]

These. I did toss the sheath and the lanyard, they just get in the way when in a canoe. I wanted ones that would not rust, these are aluminum and “coated carbon steel” jaws, no rust so far. I do find the braid cutters are short lived so I don’t use them except to trim down plastics. When I need new ones I’ll get flat jaw, if I try to hold braid to tighten knots and such, it slides thru the serrated ones on mine.

 

i had an expensive pair just like these, worked no better then these, and the darn jaws would rust all the time, oil or not.

 

I’d only buy aluminum or SS.

 

[Bazoo]

Lots of interesting suggestions so far, thanks all for sharing.

 

Since I rarely go on my boat, I don't worry about losing my Leatherman. It did cross my mind though when aboard, but I have pretty tall gunwales so not chance of accidentally knocking them overboard, just dropping them or flipping them out. 

[Catt]

[Skunkmaster-k]

1 hour ago, Bazoo said:

Lots of interesting suggestions so far, thanks all for sharing.

 

Since I rarely go on my boat, I don't worry about losing my Leatherman. It did cross my mind though when aboard, but I have pretty tall gunwales so not chance of accidentally knocking them overboard, just dropping them or flipping them out. 

I have lost two Leatherman SuperTools while fishing  . Once they got tangled in the anchor rope and I threw it overboard. Second time I had them sitting in my lap fishing off the docks and stood up to reel in a feesh . I still carry them but they are a backup to cheap Wally Martinez fishing pliers . 

[Bazoo]

2 minutes ago, Skunkmaster-k said:

I have lost two Leatherman SuperTools while fishing  . Once they got tangled in the anchor rope and I threw it overboard. Second time I had them sitting in my lap fishing off the docks and stood up to reel in a feesh . I still carry them but they are a backup to cheap Wally Martinez fishing pliers . 

That brings up a good point; I am primarily a bank fisherman. Very little chance I'll lose my Leatherman.

 

I'll definitely have to use dedicated pliers on the boat from now on. I will also have to keep a pair of pliers for docks and such too, I hadn't thought of that.

[wvhunt]

I have a set of hemostats and keep some form of cheapo needle nosed pliers so I won't cry if I drop them in the water. 

 

 

[TLHSS]

Here is what I use:

Hemostats, which I always wear on a lanyard with line nippers and my fishing licenses.

A set of long reach pliers for fish that are deep hooked.  These don't get used much since I use single barbless hooks.

A small set of jewelers needle nose pliers for crimping barbs on flies and working with split shot.

A set of Knipex mini bolt cutters.  When needed, they cut thru hooks like butter.

[Bazoo]

18 minutes ago, TLHSS said:

Here is what I use:

Hemostats, which I always wear on a lanyard with line nippers and my fishing licenses.

A set of long reach pliers for fish that are deep hooked.  These don't get used much since I use single barbless hooks.

A small set of jewelers needle nose pliers for crimping barbs on flies and working with split shot.

A set of Knipex mini bolt cutters.  When needed, they cut thru hooks like butter.

Interesting and nice assortment.

 

I've never seen those mini bolt cutters, thank you for sharing that. I've been thinking of something like that for occasionally cutting hooks.

 

I've used the cutters on my Leatherman occasionally. It damages the cutters on a standard Leatherman PST (which I have done, then had to file the burr down), but any that have been returned for broken pliers get the new plier head that have a hard-wire cutting notch. Those cut well, but it's hard to get them where they need to be due to the nose of the pliers.

[RRocket]

I value light weight.

 

So I use a set of 6" forceps. Plenty long enough for all hook removal. As a bonus, I learned how to tie several knots using the forceps. Not terribly expensive.

 

For line cutting, I use the extremely tiny Boomerang Tool Company snips. You wouldn't think this tiny thing would cut. But (somehow) it does..and cuts everything. 

 

So between the forceps and cutter, they weigh next to nothing and take up minimal space.

[Bazoo]

Light weight is surely a virtue to those that fish afoot. 

[RRocket]

49 minutes ago, Bazoo said:

Light weight is surely a virtue to those that fish afoot. 

I use them in my boat too! 😃

[GreenPig]

I use Rapala aluminum needle nose with steel jaw inserts and a carbide cutter that are 12 or 13 years old. They were $40, but they're not rusted and work like new.

 

[Mike L]

$2.00 needle nose with cutting notch from my local flea market 

 

 

 

 

 

Mike

[Jar11591]

I use these from Harbor Freight. The 45° make it so much easier to get a hook out.

I modify them by super-gluing a little spring to each side of the handle right where rubber meets the metal.