Best Saltwater Fishing Pliers of 2022: Top 7 Tested & Reviewed

Where They Excel

These fishing 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, making 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, making it 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 tough and sharp, allowing them to cut any 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.

Where They Excel

The place these fishing 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. You can also change out the plier tips 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.

Where They Excel

These fishing 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. However, they fall short 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 robust and corrosion-resistant material. In addition, the cutters are replaceable, so you can get new ones instead of new pliers once they wear out.

The internal mechanics give the user a lot of leverage when cutting through a wire or braided lines. It also gives a firm grip on hooks when unhooking fish.

Where They Excel

These fishing 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.

You cannot change out the cutters or the tips, so you can’t use them when they are dull. These may be best suited as a backup set of pliers for gut hooks, but they are a low-cost option that can be replaced.

Materials

Made primarily from stainless steel, these fishing pliers will resist rust and saltwater 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.

Where They Excel

These fishing 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 with 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 fishing pliers from being droppable as well.

Where They Excel

These excel most in comfort. The grips separate 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 fishing pliers won’t rust. The stainless 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. In addition, they have a textured surface to help increase their friction while remaining soft and comfortable in your hands.

Where They Excel

These fishing pliers are made to crimp oval and double-barrel sleeves, but you can use them 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 regular pair of fishing pliers and should cut cleanly through lines up to 600 lb monofilament.

Materials

The fishing pliers are made of hardened carbon steel with black oxidation on their 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.