Top 5 Best Fishing Pliers

The 5 Best Fishing pliers

Having the best fishing pliers are an absolute must when fishing. Aside from the line and hook, they are the third most critical tool to have. A good pair of fishing pliers function reliably in both types of water (fresh and salt), are made from a good steel, and don’t bend under hard use. It doesn’t hurt if the best fishing pliers are at a good price and come with a few handy accessories to add to your tackle box, such as a holder and a security strap. Ideally, however, reliable fishing pliers make a fishing trip a dream. Read our fishing plier reviews & ratings to find the best pliers for fishing today.

The 5 Top Fishing pliers

Here are our selections for the best fishing pliers. Not only will you find these choices improve your fishing experience, they all stand out far better than the rest. And when you want to invest properly, taking the time to research well pays off. Read our reviews of the top 5 best fishing pliers so you can up your fishing game today.

* Ratings are determined using our specialized rating system.

Piscifun Aluminum Fishing Pliers and Fish Holder with Sheath and Lanyard

The Piscifun Aluminum Fishing Pliers and Fish Holder with Sheath and Lanyard are one of the best fishing pliers choices in the fishing tool department. They are ideal for cutting off tags, and the ends won’t bend or twist under pressure with larger, thicker metal fishing hooks. This is a key difference where other models fall part due to a weaker build. And, as an added benefit, the jaw design is ideal for positioning line or small rope and tightening knots on both. These pliers will last for years, provide maximum capability under pressure, and are built for a hard, fun product life.

It’s a bit surprising how much one gets with the Piscifun Aluminum Fishing Pliers and Fish Holder with Sheath and Lanyard. Run with it and enjoy your fishing.

BITE Fishing Tackle Professional Aluminum Saltwater Fishing Pliers

The BITE Fishing Tackle Professional Aluminum Saltwater Fishing Pliers are a top-notch, high-quality pair of fishing pliers. Any serious fisher who wants to top off his sea, river or lake career with an accomplished support tool is going to want to invest in these. First, the aluminum handles are lightweight for any long-distance fishing trip. The cutting edge for working is made of tungsten carbide. This amazing tool has high resistance to water, wearing and weather. Whether it be in hand for sea angling or just a lazy day in a slow creek, you’re going to have the delicacy and compounding strength all in one package as a working tool.

Rapala 8.5-Inch Salt Angler’s Pliers with Side Cutter

The Rapala 8.5-Inch Salt Angler’s Pliers with Side Cutter is a perfect match for a budget package that is also reliable, has a nickel-plated finish, good grips that form an ergonomic hold, and a simple but very effective body carbon steel form. These pliers can come in handy digging out a hook that just doesn’t want to leave the fish it got itself into.

The entire mobility of the tool is manual and straightforward. While these pliers are not going to win the best fishing pliers category award, they do provide a really good pick for a discount price and provide reliable performance under demand.

Booms Fishing X1 Aluminum Fishing Pliers with Coiled Lanyard and Sheath

The beauty of Booms Fishing X1 Aluminum Fishing Pliers with Coiled Lanyard and Sheath doesn’t really get realized until you are in the right situation to use them to their full potential. These pliers are great for that particularly hard hook to find stuck inside the throat of your catch. The extremely durable build and form of the pliers’ body creates a very interesting tool package. The grips make them easy to keep a hold of as well. With all this combined, these pliers are easily in the runner-up category of the best fishing pliers.

KastKing Cutthroat 7-Inch Fishing Pliers with Corrosion Resistant Teflon Coating

It doesn’t quite make one of the final categories, but the KastKing Cutthroat 7-Inch Fishing Pliers with Corrosion Resistant Teflon Coating provide a very good design worth taking a close look at. First off, these pliers are constructed and cut from stainless steel. These pliers are not going to fall apart with bit of banging around in the tool box. When it comes to cutting, the tungsten carbide edges slip through hooks and tags like a knife in butter, and rope or leader lines pose no challenge at all.

Interestingly, the weight on these needle nose pliers is minimal. These fishing line cutters are extremely light and easy to work with no matter what fishing line color you use, and the unit is supplied with a standard carrying case and lanyard for easy security and avoidance of accidental loss. Overall, the KastKing Cutthroat 7-Inch Fishing Pliers with Corrosion Resistant Teflon Coating makes for a good choice, so if you can’t find one of the top picks for the best fishing pliers, there is nothing wrong with considering this choice as an alternative.

Features to Consider for the Best Fishing Pliers

As mentioned earlier, the best fishing pliers are a must. It doesn’t matter what kind of fishing one is doing; going out without a pair of good pliers will train anyone quickly on why not to make that mistake again. No matter what kind of fish is being pursued, good fishing pliers make all the difference for what you need to get rid of hooks, barbs and anything else too stubborn to be removed easily.

Of course, some folks will think a pair of basic household pliers from the garage are a fine substitute. And that’s not what works when it matters most. Instead, one needs specific qualities in any good fishing pliers, and these criteria should always be looked for.

Weight and Corrosion Resistance

Fishing pliers are going to be used around water a lot, no surprise. And, if you’re out in the ocean or coast, that water is going to include salt, magnifying corrosion effects on metal. Quality-made fishing pliers won’t have this problem for a long time. They will be made from stainless steel or anodized aluminum. Both knock out rust at a practical level. It is possible for corrosion to eventually set in, but the pliers would have to be left in constant, bad conditions for years. Any tool well-used with good metal preparation won’t have this problem. And if you’re working in salt water a lot, then corrosion avoidance matters.

Teeth That Actually Cut

Another essential part of fishing pliers that need to perform well involves the cutting component. The teeth have to be able to handle cutting regularly through hard material like hooks and tags and not bend or warp under pressure. Most times, good pliers will have a tungsten carbide cutting edge, a very reliable material for cutting softer metal. But it’s not a bad edge on slicing through rope, rigging wire, and other hook material. Not to mention, it digs in with a good grip on larger pieces of metal to pull them out of fish when needed.

Crimping Ability

A key part of good pliers is the crimping jaw part. Crimping is a regular occurrence when it comes to bending or closing split rings, a weight attachment, metal sleeves and more. Big animal fishing frequently involves a lot of minor metal work, and good crimping ability keeps you in the game without interruption or delay looking for multiple miscellaneous tools on a boat to do the same work.

Benefits of Using Fishing pliers

So, with all the above points about what makes the best fishing pliers in terms of qualities, why else would one use quality fishing pliers when going fishing instead of anything else? Well, first off, good fishing pliers are very much a multi-tool. To do all the things a good pair of pliers provide, one could likely have to bring five or six other tools. Just imagine, clanking around on a boat with a full tool belt as if you were on a construction site, but instead you’re trying to manage your fishing rod and a catch. It’s a recipe for a mess and mistake.

Instead, good fishing pliers are lightweight, compact, typically come with their own holster and, even better, a connecting lanyard so they don’t get lost or fall in the water. And because they are so versatile, specific designs often end up being used for a lot more than just fishing. These tools also make for a good multi-tool for car repair, boat repair, and other activities out in the boondocks. In addition to the other features, fishing pliers make for good tools when you need to take care of survival preparation out in the wilderness. In some respects, the tools could even be better than a fillet knife for cleaning fish or hammer.

Precautions of Using Fishing pliers

Like any tool, there are risks when using fishing pliers. Because they are so robust in so many ways, it’s easy to overdo it with these tools. Depending on the model and the material it is made from, as well as how thin or thick the pliers are, too much pressure could actually cause plier ends to warp or bend. And then the tool won’t perform its function anymore, or at least not well.

Another issue is watching out for getting too aggressive. Anyone who has used pliers on a regular basis has pinched themselves at least once. Like scissors, pliers squeeze both the application end as well as the handle. It’s easy to get a finger, some of your fishing tackle, or hand part caught in between somewhere when distracted. And when you’re around water or the ocean, there’s a good chance of getting an infection too. So, it’s really best to work with mechanic’s gloves when using fishing pliers or any moving tool.

Next, tools with an ergonomic grip are far better than pliers with just plain handles. You’ll find when you’re working with pliers a lot, the grip and work can start to work on your hands. This can mean opportunity for slippage or losing the tool in the water. A good ergonomic grip helps keep the tool in your hands and not with Davey Jones’ locker.

Conclusion

Again, technically, there are a lot of generic tools one could use when fishing. But the whole point of going out is to enjoy yourself, not prepare to rebuild an engine. Quality fishing pliers provide you a multi-tool benefit that works in many environments and demands, which is why our top pick is the Piscifun Aluminum Fishing Pliers and Fish Holder with Sheath and Lanyard. However, fishing pliers aren’t miracle tools.

Over-confidence with even the best fishing pliers can demand too much from them. Skill, understanding and practice pulls out the best qualities of these tools, as well as makes them viable for a long time and a lot of fishing. So, pick a good pair and then enjoy yourself. Tools don’t make the angler, but the angler always brings good tools if he or she is thinking ahead.

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