Fishing pliers are a must-have when you are fishing. Having a tool that is designed for crimping, cutting, and bait tuning helps you to reduce how much you have to take on a boat.
Of course, there are other, cheaper products to use, like nail clippers, but having a tool to do it all is something you can’t beat.
| AT A GLANCE: |
|---|
| 1. Our Top Pick: KastKing Cutthroat 7-Inch Fishing Pliers |
| 2. Best Overall: Bronze Times Aluminum Fishing Pliers |
| 3. Best Value: Piscifun Fishing Pliers |
We worked through some of the best fishing pliers so you don’t have to. Read our review to learn about the features of each product we reviewed, and which one was our top recommendation.
Table of Contents
KastKing Cutthroat 7-Inch Fishing Pliers
Product Highlights
KastKing’s Cutthroat pliers work well for most fishing needs. They are designed to be salt-water resistant so you can use them for any kind of fishing. Both the pliers and cutters are designed to resist corrosion and rust.
The pliers also come with rubber handles to better keep a hold of them, even as they get wet.
The product comes with a separate cutter, as well as multi-function jaws that can crimp, remove fish hooks, and cinch down a knot.
Features
- Salt-water resistant
- Tungsten carbide cutters
- Rubber handle
- Sheath and lanyard included
What We Liked About KastKing Cutthroat Fishing Pliers
The rubber handles were the best part of these pliers. Even when covered in water, it was easy to hold on to these pliers. The bright color options and holes in the handles also make them easy to find and fish out of the water in case you do drop them overboard.
What We Didn’t Like About KastKing Cutthroat Fishing Pliers
The tools designed to keep your pliers safe and secure are pretty weak. The carabiner didn’t break on us, but reviews say they are quick to break, and it does feel weak.
The sheath as well likes to spin around and not stay in place. With no lock or snap to keep the pliers in the sheath, it is easy for them to fall out while you are busy with other things, and not even realize it.
Pros
- Comes in various colors
- Comfortable ergonomic grip
- Clean cut even with thick braided line
- The grip is good even when wet
Cons
- The included carabiner is weak
- Sheath doesn’t often stay in place
Bronze Times Aluminum Fishing Pliers
Product Highlights
Bronze Times did not disappoint with their aluminum fishing pliers. It boasts of corrosion-resistant aluminum, multifunctional steel jaws, and sharp cutters.
On every one of these, it delivered, cutting through monofilament with ease, and not rusting even after being left on a boat for a few days. Despite these being pretty low as far as cost, they managed to deliver a high-quality product we have no regrets buying.
Features
- Air-craft grade aluminum for corrosion resistance
- Anti-slip, spring-loaded handle for ease of opening
- Replaceable cutters made from tungsten carbide
- Multifunctional jaws made from stainless steel
What We Liked About Bronze Times Aluminum Fishing Pliers
Though it is light-weight and easy to carry around, it doesn’t feel like it is made from crappy materials. In fact, it feels very heavy-duty, and we don’t feel like we have to worry about it breaking while cutting through a line.
One benefit we didn’t think about when purchasing was actually the color. The bright blue makes it easier to find it amongst all of the messy lines, containers, and everything else on the boat. That way, when we needed to cut things quickly we knew exactly where they were.
What We Didn’t Like About Bronze Times Aluminum Fishing Pliers
Our hands are small, so we didn’t find it an issue, but we noticed some of our fishing buddies struggled with the size of the pliers. If you have bigger hands, these might feel a little small and hard to use.
We also noticed that it works for monofilament lines a lot better with braids. They seemed to dull faster with braided lines, while they didn’t have any problem with the monofilament ones.
Pros
- Feels heavy-duty
- Color makes them easy to see Lightweight
Cons
- Better for monofilament than braid
- A little small for bigger hands
Piscifun Fishing Pliers
Product Highlights
The pliers from Piscifun are your average fishing pliers. There are no fancy attachments or gadgets. However
Features
- Aluminum for anti-corrosion
- Carbide cutters are fully replaceable
- Retractable lanyard and sheath with a belt loop
- Ability to double as a fish gripper
What We Liked About Piscifun Fishing Pliers
The pliers from Piscifun are your average fishing pliers. There are no fancy attachments or gadgets. However, that doesn’t mean it isn’t a good set. What they have, they do well, and for a low cost.
They have great customer service, parts that are easy to replace in case they ever break, and work for most fishing scenarios you may come across.
What We Didn’t Like About Piscifun Fishing Pliers
Since these are mostly aluminum, the tips tend to deform over time, or after using strong hooks and rings. Most other pliers have a steel tip, but these do not, so we found they couldn’t handle as much as some others.
Also, the sheath tends to be a pain to use, as parts move the wrong way, and it isn’t easy to get on and off, as you have to slide it through your belt instead of just clipping it on.
Pros
- Works for removing split rings, j hooks, and treble hooks
- Great customer service
- Easy to change out the cutters
Cons
- Can get deformed over time
- Sheath isn’t very useful
KastKing Intimidator Fishing Pliers
Product Highlights
KastKing Intimidator pliers are coated in titanium and made from stainless steel to help keep them in shape and prevent rust. They are made from high-quality and durable products, including PVC handles to prevent any slippage even in wet conditions.
They are resistant to saltwater and can handle some tough situations.
Features
- Aircraft-grade aluminum
- Fully replaceable tungsten carbide cutters
- Titanium coated stainless steel jaws
- PVC handle to stop them from slipping out of your hands
What We Liked About KastKing Intimidator Fishing Plier
These pliers are a great length and weight to make it easy to pull even the most difficult of hooks out. The size helps to balance the leverage while the sturdy rubber grip keeps them in place while you are working.
What We Didn’t Like About KastKing Intimidator Fishing Pliers
These pliers claim to cut through braid, but really seemed to struggle. It took a lot of force to even attempt to cut through. Also, they tend to have more problems with rust than other products, struggling to open after being out in the water just a little.
Pros
- Good length and weight
- Sturdy rubber grips
- Good leverage with the size
Cons
- Doesn’t cut through braid well, even 10lb
- Gets rusty easier than other pairs
- Doesn’t come with a sheath
PLUSINNO 8-Inch Fishing Pliers
Product Highlights
PLUSINNO packs a lot of quality materials into this product to make a wonderful tool for your tackle box. The 8-inch Fishing Pliers are made of aircraft-grade anodized aluminum and a remarkably resistant teflon coating to amp up the corrosion and saltwater resistance.
Stainless steel jaws bonded to titanium on the exterior make for superior pliers that claim 60% more durability and close to four times the bending power of average aluminum counterparts.
Finger grooves built into the handles and a high-quality spring reduce fatigue and hand cramping from extended use.
Features
- Teflon coated aluminum
- Serrated steel jaws
- Spring loaded handle
- Custom sheath with belt clip
What We Liked About PLUSINNO Fishing Pliers
Pliers like these at this price point cannot be ignored. We loved the clean cut we got from the line cutters and the rest of the functions it performs like opening split rings are done smoothly without becoming unaligned.
The carrying case’s tough exterior is great at protecting the pliers from accidental knocks and keeps the pliers securely around the waist when not in use.
What We Didn’t Like About PLUSSINO Fishing Pliers
Since your hands are what interact with the pliers most, they should be comfortable to hold and these pliers simply aren’t that. We didn’t experience an excessive amount of slipping when wet but it was difficult at times to handle well without any kind of rubber or polymer grip.
Also, the edges of the thin handles are quite sharp and are almost painful to close your hand around.
Pros
- Excellent line cutters
- Well-made accessories
- Strong tips for split ring separation
Cons
- Grips cut into the hands
- The sheath can rotate, dumping out the pliers
KastKing Speed Demon Pro Fishing Pliers
Product Highlights
Been failed by too many cheap fishing pliers? Look no further than the Speed Demon Pro Fishing Pliers by KastKing for a more resilient tool. The stainless steel core is coated to provide excellent protection against the elements and the damage they cause.
The product boasts the steel pliers are up to 46% tougher than aluminum based competitors, with almost three times the bending power in the jaws as well.
Spring loaded and an ergonomic polymer grip makes the tool gentle on the hands and easy to use single-handed.
Features
- Stainless steel core
- Saltwater resistant
- Polymer handle for comfort and grip
- Multi-functional
What We Liked About KastKing Speed Demon Pro Fishing Pliers
This product showcases the attention to detail of KastKing through the grip mainly. Soft and almost spongey, it feels good to hold in your hand and doesn’t slip easily even when damp.
The line cutters, while awkwardly placed, do their job beautifully unlike other titanium carbide cutters that claim to do the same work.
What We Didn’t Like About KastKing Speed Demon Pro Fishing Pliers
The carabiner and sheath are nice, but end up being an afterthought for KastKing. After a couple of uses, the carabiner broke and we couldn’t reliably get the sheath to stop spinning while attached at the hip.
If both of these things happened on the same fishing trip, you could say goodbye to your money and your tool.
Pros
- Sharp line cutters
- Non-slip polymer grip
- Weather and corrosion resistance
Cons
- Unusual design placement of line cutters
- Faulty, unreliable accessories
- Others report defective units relatively often
SAMSFX Aluminum Fishing Pliers
Product Highlights
The SAMSFX Aluminum Fishing Pliers offer a wide range of utility for a decent price tag. The spring loaded, aluminum manufacturing allows you to grab and remove fish hooks of any size, or aid the process of repairing lures.
The aluminum used is well known to resist all kinds of corrosion, even in saltwater environments.
SAMSFX includes a nifty tool to help you tie knots on your line as well as a coiled lanyard and sheath to sweeten the deal just a little bit more.
Features
- Corrosion resistant
- Tungsten carbide cutter
- Unique safety lock
- Sheath and other accessories included
What We Liked About SAMSFX Aluminum Fishing Pliers
The accessories that are bundled into this purchase allow you to do so much more for the price tag. Not only can you trim fishing lines along with the usual functions of fishing pliers, tying professional knots for your tackle becomes a breeze with this additional tool.
What We Didn’t Like About SAMSFX Aluminum Fishing Pliers
While it is certainly nice to have included cutters on these fishing pliers, we found that the side mounting to be somewhat hazardous because it doesn’t have a guard or other mechanism in place to prevent accidental cuts to person and property alike.
Not only that, they often struggle with cutting braided lines despite being advertised for that purpose.
Pros
- Variety of available colors
- Useful accessories with instructions
- Cost effective
Cons
- Line cutter doesn’t serve its purpose
- Pliers can bend out of place relatively easily
- Flawed, open bottom sheath concept
Dr. Meter Aluminum Fishing Pliers
Product Highlights
If you are looking for more than just pliers, Dr. Meter’s kit might be for you. It features high-quality pliers, a fish gripper, and a set of gloves for the average cost of a set of pliers.
However, that doesn’t mean that these aren’t good quality. They are made from aluminum and stainless steel so they are able to cut through braid and monofilament.
They also come with a lock, so that you can enjoy the benefits of spring-opening pliers, but can also close them when needed.
Features
- Comes as a kit with a set of pliers, a fish gripper, and a set of gloves
- Nylon sheath and lanyard to keep tools safe
- Lock so you can close pliers when not in use
- Aluminum and stainless steel
What We Liked About Dr. Meter Aluminum Fishing Pliers
For the price, having a 3-in-1 kit is a bargain that isn’t easy to pass up. The pliers are good quality, and alone worth the price of the kit.
They can cut through braid and monofilament with ease. They are lightweight, but quality material, so you never have to worry about breaking.
What We Didn’t Like About Dr. Meter Aluminum Fishing Pliers
The lanyard and sheath, which help to keep the pliers secure, don’t work very well. They feel loose enough that we were too worried to trust them fully.
Also, while the pliers worked for most fish we caught, we noticed that the gripper didn’t work well with larger fish. The gloves tend to be on the smaller side as well, working better for those with smaller hands.
Pros
- 3-in-1 kit is a steal for the price
- Can cut braid landline Lightweight, but feels heavy-duty
Cons
- Lanyard and sheath don’t work well
- Set may be a little small for some fish
- Size fits better for those with smaller hands
Booms Fishing X1 Aluminum Fishing Pliers
Product Highlights
Booms fishing pliers are a great option if you are mostly going freshwater fishing. With stainless steel jaws designed to cut through lines and remove hooks, they have power but can be quick to corrode without proper care.
The product also comes with a lanyard clip and automatic open thanks to the loaded spring. These features help to ensure you don’t lose them during a hectic fishing expedition, and you never have to worry about trying to open them with one hand.
Features
- Automatic open with loaded spring
- Stainless steel jaws to remove hooks and cut braided line
- Lanyard clip so they don’t get lost.
- Hook at the opening for split rings and lure repairs
What We Liked About Booms Fishing X1 Aluminum Fishing Pliers
This set of pliers are strong enough to cut through both monofilament and braids. The pliers themselves are also a good length for hook removals. Even with more difficult and stubborn hooks, we found they were easy to get with these pliers.
These are also pretty easy and don’t rely on a lot of strength. They are good for the elderly or even beginners to fishing.
What We Didn’t Like About Booms Fishing X1 Aluminum Fishing Pliers
We found that we didn’t enjoy that the spring means the plier automatically opens and stays open. While there isn’t much danger, it would be easier to store and place them somewhere if there was an anti-locking mechanism of some sort.
We also found it wasn’t easy to slide the pliers in and out of the case.
Finally, while we like that the steel feels sturdy, we didn’t like the fact that it tends to rust a little easier than some of the other models on this list.
Pros
- Can cut through braided and monofilament line
- Easy to use for beginners
- Good size for hook removal
Cons
- Hard to get pliers in and out of case
- Not very anti-corrosion like some other pliers
- No built-in locking mechanism
What to look for when buying fishing pliers
Functions
Sure, having just a pair of pliers is fine when fishing, but why carry more when you can have it all in one? Think about what you need when out on the boat. Having one tool that can get hooks, crimp, tighten, cut, and more all in one is pretty nice isn’t it?
Necessary? No. But for $20 or $30 dollars, it can definitely be worth it.
So when you go to pick pliers, try to find some that have proper functionality and are multi-purposed.
Materials
You are going to be out on the water, either salt or fresh, and need something that can handle a beating. Try to find not only strong materials that won’t bend, but that aren’t going to rust if they get left out in the boat for a little bit.
Usually, steel seems to be the best balance of durable and anti-corrosion.
Containment
Things fall overboard in boats. That’s just a fact of life. So having ways to strap or hold onto items when it gets a little chaotic is key. Try to find brightly-colored tools that are easy to see in the water.
Also, if possible, try to find ones that come with a quality sheath and lanyard, so they are always just within reach when you need them.
FINAL VERDICT -THE BEST FISHING PLIERS
KastKing Cutthroat Fishing Pliers
KastKing is a great company that makes a lot of high-quality fishing products that do what they say they will. However, the Cutthroat pliers are a step above the rest. With grips to keep them in your hand when you need them, you don’t have to worry about slippage during a critical moment.
They also come with a sheath and a lanyard so they always are within reach.
The best part is that they are designed to be used in salt or freshwater. With stainless steel durability and a Teflon coating for extra anti-corrosion, these can handle being left on a boat, or dropped into water to work as intended.
So what are you waiting for? Buy them here!
Best Fishing Pliers FAQs
What are the best fishing pliers for bass?
Ultimately, the best fishing pliers come down to preference but for bass you will want something heavy-duty that can handle the fish’s weight. Look for stainless steel over aluminum.
How to maintain fishing pliers?
No matter what kind of fishing you’ve been doing, forming a habit of rinsing with water and applying a light coating of oil at home will go a long way to maintaining your pliers.
Does the KastKing Cutthoat Pliers come with a warranty?
Yes, there is a one-year warranty for KastKings pliers. They also have excellent customer service to answer any questions or to help with replacements and returns if needed.
Are the cutters for the KastKing Cutthroat replaceable?
Yes, the cutters are attached with hex-screws so they are easy to remove and replace when needed