Edited by: Kenneth Reaves
Reviewed by: Michael DarmontLast Update:
The Rundown
Best Overall: PLUSINNO Fishing Pliers
“If you’re looking for a reliable pair of pliers that you can use in any situation, the Plusinno Fishing Pliers fits the bill. It’s hard and sharp carbide cutters will cut through anything, making it perfect for unhooking fish.”
Best Premium Option: Gerber Magniplier
“Gerber Magniplier’s proprietary corrosion-resistant coating and anodized aluminum construction makes it a long-lasting partner for saltwater fishing. It’s quite an investment that you surely won’t regret.“
Best Titanium-Alloy Pliers: Cuda Titanium Alloy Pliers
“If you’re into some hardcore fishing, you need equipment that offers strength and longevity. And that’s exactly what the Cuda Titanium Alloy Pliers bring to the table. It’s construction and design is intended for high-performance, long-lasting use.”
Pliers are a fishermen’s best friend. Whether you’re trying to unhook a fish, cut a line, or build a leader, a good pair of pliers are the best tool for the job.
Pliers are vital for unhooking fish and building rigs. You’ll need a pair of pliers tough enough to cut through tough lines and wires, durable enough to last in saltwater environments, and comfortable enough to use for extended periods of time.
We’ll be reviewing seven of the best pliers on the market today, and highlighting what they’re best at so you can make an informed purchase.
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Table of Contents
7 of the Best Saltwater Fishing Pliers in 2021
1. PLUSINNO 8” Fishing Pliers
Best Overall Pliers for Most Anglers
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KEY FEATURES
- Corrosion-resistant stainless steel with Teflon coating
- Tungsten Carbide wire cutters and crimp slots
- Coiled lanyard and sheath for easy carrying
- Non-slip grooves on handles
These pliers from Plusinno are a great choice for anglers whether they’re wading grass flats or fishing offshore. All of the materials used in the pliers resist corrosion and rust. They will last a long time if they are rinsed off properly to reduce salt build-up.
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Where They Excel
These pliers will do well in any situation. Featuring both crimp slots and cutters makes them a good choice for making leaders. It comes with a coiled lanyard and a sheath with a belt-loop which makes them easy to reach and carry while fishing. They’re perfect for unhooking fish and even feature a fish grip on the jaws.
Materials
The majority of the body of this plier set is made of stainless steel. Stainless steel is incredibly resistant to rust, and the Teflon coating will help resist salt corrosion. It’s also much harder than aluminum pliers, making it less likely to dent.
The tungsten carbide cutters are very hard and sharp, allowing them to cut any kind of line from monofilament to braided lines or even wire leaders. The cutters are also interchangeable via a screw, so they can be replaced when they eventually wear down.
2. Gerber Magniplier Fishing Pliers
Best Premium Option
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KEY FEATURES
- Off-center needle nose for deep gut hooks.
- Proprietary corrosive-resistant coating.
- Trigger grip for better handling.
- Replaceable cutter and plier’s nose.
Gerber’s Magnipliers will work for pretty much any job you need them for. They work best for fishermen willing to spend the extra money for a proven brand and lasting quality.
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Where They Excel
The place these pliers excel above some others is their offset grip. It’s meant to allow you to see what you’re doing and not be in the way when you’re trying to get your hook out of a fish’s belly.
The carbide cutters come sharp enough to cut through braided lines and are interchangeable. The plier tips can also be changed out in the event they become damaged.
Materials
They have a proprietary corrosion-resistant coating and are made with anodized aluminum handles. While aluminum is softer than stainless steel, once anodized it becomes incredibly durable.
3. Cuda Titanium Alloy Pliers
Best Titanium-Alloy Pliers
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KEY FEATURES
- Titanium alloy construction
- Lightweight and incredibly strong
- Tungsten carbide wire cutters
- Hand-crafted leather sheath
As the most expensive option on this list, these pliers are also the strongest. Fully constructed out of a titanium alloy, giving it high tensile strength and the ability to stand up to extreme temperatures.
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Where They Excel
These pliers excel in strength and longevity thanks to their titanium construction. They also excel in style, as they come with a leather sheath instead of a nylon one. They fall short, however, due to their price and lack of ability to crimp sleeves properly, keeping them from being the best premium option.
Materials
The entirety of the pliers aside from the carbide wire-cutters is made of titanium, a naturally strong and corrosion-resistant material. The cutters are replaceable, so once they wear out you can simply get new ones instead of new pliers.
The internal mechanics give the user a lot of leverage when it comes to cutting through a wire or braided lines. It also gives a strong grip on hooks when unhooking fish.
4. Caija-H Long Nose Fishing Pliers
Best Budget Option Long-Nose Pliers
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KEY FEATURES
- Longnose shape to reach deep into fish
- Comes with wire-cutter and crimp slots
- Small but textured grip handle
- Stainless steel construction
These pliers from Caija-H are a great budget option for beginner fishermen or anyone using J-hooks that consistently gut-hook fish. The long and slender shape lets them get deeper into fish to grab onto hooks.
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Where They Excel
These pliers excel at unhooking gut-hooked fish. Their shape lends to getting deeper into fish when needed, and their length keeps your hands away from the mouths of toothy fish.
Neither the cutters nor the tips can be changed out, so when they dull they can’t be used. These may be best suited as a backup set of pliers to use for gut-hooks, but they are a low-cost option that can be replaced.
Materials
Made mostly from stainless steel, these pliers will be resistant to rust and salt-water as long as they get rinsed off after trips. The grips are not made of hard plastic, they are instead soft, which will help them stay easy to grip when wet.
5. Piscifun Fishing Pliers
Best Aluminum Pliers
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KEY FEATURES
- Anodized aluminum body with stainless steel tips
- Fish gripper on the tip
- Spring-loaded to stay open
- Nylon sheath and coiled lanyard
Poor quality aluminum pliers will frequently bend or dent because the metal is soft. That isn’t the case with these, as the anodized aluminum is strong enough to stand up to heavy use, and both the aluminum and stainless steel tips are very rust-resistant.
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Where They Excel
These pliers excel as a fish grip and in heavy use. They’re made of durable materials, but the spring-loaded pliers reduce hand fatigue. This is especially helpful while making leaders or handling large quantities of fish.
Materials
The jaws are made of stainless steel and the body is machined anodized aluminum. These materials won’t rust or corrode in saltwater. The carbide cutters are replaceable, but the jaws are not.
The sheath is made of nylon, which is cut-resistant and won’t degrade from saltwater. Attaching the sheath to a belt-loop keeps the pliers from being droppable as well.
6. KastKing Speed Demon Pro Fishing Pliers
Best Grips on Pliers
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KEY FEATURES
- Polymer grips keep hands from slipping
- Soft and comfortable grips
- Teflon-coated stainless steel construction
- Carbide cutters and split ring or flat tip available
The polymer grips on these pliers are soft, yet give a firm grip. The soft grips are easier on your hands than bare or grooved metals. They are ideal for fishermen looking for the most comfortable pair possible.
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Where They Excel
These excel most in comfort. The grips are what separates them from other pliers on the list, as they feature many of the same functionality as the others. They will work well for any jobs you need them for- from unhooking fish to making leaders.
Materials
Stainless steel construction and a Teflon coating mean these pliers won’t rust. The stainless steel build and carbide cutters are the materials you want to look for in saltwater pliers.
The polymer used in the grips stays steady in your hands even when wet. They have a textured surface to help increase their friction while staying soft and comfortable in your hands.
7. Booms Fishing CP1 Fishing Crimping Pliers
Best Pliers for Making Leaders
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KEY FEATURES
- Multiple size crimp slots
- Hardened wire-cutters
- Hardened carbon steel construction
- Useful on oval or double-barrel sleeves
Offshore fishermen usually know it’s easier and less expensive to make their own leaders. These pliers are a great choice for anyone making their leaders, using up to 600 lb monofilament and wire.
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Where They Excel
These pliers are made to crimp oval and double-barrel sleeves, but they can be used to crimp on split-shot as well.
They also work better than others at cutting heavy monofilaments and wires. The pliers are made to put out more force than a normal pair of fishing pliers and should cut cleanly through lines up to 600 lb monofilament.
Materials
The pliers are made of hardened carbon steel with black oxidation on its surface. It will stand up well against rust and saltwater, so you’ll be able to take them with you for making leaders on the go. The wire-cutters are also hardened steel and stand up to thick monofilament and wire.
Selecting the Best Saltwater Fishing Pliers
When you’re choosing the best pliers for saltwater fishing there are a few things you need to consider. What materials the pliers are made of has a big impact on their corrosion resistance, the cutters on the pliers make building leaders possible, and the length of the grips needs to fit your hand while the jaw length keeps your hands away from toothy fish’s teeth.
1. Materials
Perhaps the most important aspect of pliers is the material they are made of since different materials have different strengths and corrosion resistance.
A lot of normal pliers from the hardware store will be made of uncoated steel, and rust quickly when exposed to saltwater. You want corrosion and rust-resistant pliers, especially when you’re mostly fishing in saltwater.
When you’re unhooking fish or crimping leaders, you can twist your pliers around to get the right angles. Unfortunately, some pliers are made with weaker metals that can bend easily when you’re doing this, ruining the pliers. Aluminum pliers should be avoided if they haven’t been anodized, as they can dent and bend much easier than stainless steel or titanium.
2. Cutters
A good set of pliers comes with cutters that are strong enough to get through the wire and sharp enough to cut through the braid. Having dull cutters will hinder you from making leaders or make you carry extra tools to cut through lines.
Tungsten carbide cutters are pretty standard on most pliers. They’re a metal blend that allows them to retain their sharpness for longer than other metals.
On larger pliers, you can cut through thick wires and monofilament cleanly. Having a good set of cutters will let you cut off dangerous fish you’ve hooked into or even make leaders on the fly if you’ve got a steady hand.
3. Grip and Jaw Length
You need to consider the length of the grips on pliers to make sure your hands comfortably fit them.
A grip that is too long will make you slip on them regardless of what the grip is made of. A grip that’s too short will be uncomfortable and will force some of your grips onto the flex point of the pliers.
Jaw length matters when you’re trying to unhook a fish.
If the jaws are too short, the grip could keep you from being able to reach into and retrieve your hook from a fish’s gut. Additionally, short grips can put your hand directly in danger when you’re dealing with toothy fish or sharks. You want that space so you can’t be bitten or slashed by the fish’s teeth while unhooking it. Longer jaws mean you can reach in and get the hook out from gut hooked fish.