Best Fishing Pliers: Strong, Slim and Best Hook Removal
Best Surf Fishing Pliers: Review and Buying Guide
Fishing pliers are high up on the list of essential gear for fishing, so it’s important to choose a quality pair. When I started surf fishing, I would typically pick up the cheapest pair I could find at Walmart and I was happy with those… until they rusted out every year and I had to buy new ones. Bottom line, they weren’t the best fishing pliers and after years of looking, I believe I’ve found the best pliers for fishing.
You’ll want your fishing pliers to be strong, sturdy, slim (so you can reach into the mouths of fish easily), rust resistant, and have sharp cutters for line cutting purposes. Let’s overview the factors to look for in finding the best fishing pliers.
Why Fishing Pliers Should Be Slim
The best fishing pliers have a slim snout so that hook removal is easy and not a hassle. If you’re big on catch and release like myself, or even if you’re not, some fish are illegal to keep and need to be released. So, in the event that you “gut-hook” a fish, your fishing pliers should be able to fit down the mouth and throat of the fish with enough room for you to see and navigate the jaws of the pliers to the hook so you can safely remove the hook.
In the image above, you’ll see the profile of three fishing pliers. The top two are actually both the Piscifun stainless steel pliers (#2 on this list) but you can see there’s a difference in profile between the two. That’s because the black pair (top) are the split ring version. I highly recommend getting the split ring version for two reasons.
One, they’re a thinner profile which allows you to navigate more easily in the mouth of a fish. Two, the split ring nose acts as an additional locking grip so when you clamp down after finding the arch of a hook to remove it. I’ve experimented with both the split ring version and the non-split ring versions of these pliers and the split ring version helps tremendously in hook removal.
Why Fishing Pliers Should Be Strong and Sturdy
Fishing pliers should be strong enough and sturdy enough for whatever purpose you’re using them for. For example, if you clamp down your pliers to remove a hook, the jaws of cheap pliers might give out a little bit causing them to lose alignment, thus losing proper grip on the hook. The jaws should hardly move at all with respect to this.
In the image above, the jaws of these pliers are loose enough to shift when pressure is applied in opposite directions. This is detrimental to grip, especially when unhooking big hooks from big fish like leopard sharks etc., not to mention small fish. Grip, strength, and the ability to fit into small places is key with fishing pliers.
The pliers above are literally terrible in all ways. They’re bulky, weak, and not sturdy. The only thing they have going for them is their cutters (Madbite pliers).
If your pliers arrive in the mail, or if your shopping in person, and you press the jaws in opposite direction, there should be very little (if any) give in alignment. Kastking and Piscifun have mastered this in the models mentioned below.
(#1) Kast King Cutthroat 7″ Stainless Steel Pliers
| Grip Strength | 10 |
| Hand Grips | 10 |
| Sturdy | 10 |
| Slim/Profile | 9 |
| Rust Resistance | 9 |
| Cutters | 9 |
| Overall Rating | 9.5 |
Again, I highly recommend the split ring version of these pliers. They’re a thinner profile and they provide extra locking/grip when removing hooks from fish mouths, especially when you gut hook a fish.
Top Features:
- Corrosion Resistant Stainless Steel
- Tungsten Carbide Cutters
- Multi-Function Jaws – Crimps, Hook Holes, Serrated Jaws
- Compact, Thin Profile
- Rubber Grip
Note: These pliers are truly corrosion resistant and rust resistant. But, if you get them wet and then store them in a bag or box without letting them dry first. They, like all pliers, will eventually rust. Do yourself a favor and dry your pliers off before storing them away. With proper care, these pliers will not rust or corrode.
(#2) Piscifun Fishing Pliers Stainless Steel
| Grip Strength | 10 |
| Hand Grips | 10 |
| Sturdy | 10 |
| Slim/Profile | 9 |
| Rust Resistance | 9 |
| Cutters | 9 |
| Overall Rating | 9.5 |
These pliers are near identical to the KastKing pliers. The only difference in design is the hand grips and handle portion. I list KastKing as #1 because to my knowledge, they were the first to come out with these types of pliers. Piscifun then (smartly) followed in their foot steps. Bottom line. Piscifun and KastKing have my seal of approval and I use both.
Again, I highly recommend the split ring version of these pliers. They’re a thinner profile and they provide extra locking/grip when removing hooks from fish mouths, especially when you gut hook a fish. And, just like the Kast King pliers, they truly are corrosion resistant. But, do yourself a favor and dry them before you store them.
These pliers are everything the Kast King Pliers are except the lanyard and carabiner are cooler (in my opinion).
Top Features:
- Corrosion Resistant Stainless Steel
- Tungsten Carbide Cutters
- Multi-Function Jaws – Crimps, Hook Holes, Serrated Jaws
- Compact, Thin Profile
- Rubber Grip
(#3) YVLEEN Fishing Pliers
| Grip Strength | 9 |
| Hand Grips | 7 |
| Sturdy | 9 |
| Slim/Profile | 8 |
| Rust Resistance | 9 |
| Cutters | 9 |
| Overall Rating | 8.5 |
If you can’t get used to the side cutters, and you just have to have the traditional cutter placement, these are probably the best fishing pliers for you. Still though, nothing comes close to the top two pliers for fishing on this list, so I’d recommend those even over this pair.
(#4) Piscifun Fishing Pliers Aluminum
| Grip Strength | 8 |
| Hand Grips | 7 |
| Sturdy | 8 |
| Slim/Profile | 7 |
| Rust Resistance | 8 |
| Cutters | 9 |
| Overall Rating | 7.5 |
If you can’t seem to get used to the unique cutter positioning of the KastKing and Piscifun style of pliers (shown in #1 and #2), these alternative Piscifun pliers are a solid option too. You’ll sacrifice grip strength, hand grip, sturdiness, and profile slimness, but not by a ton. All in all, they’re solid, but not the best.
Top Features:
- Anti-corrosion Aluminum
- Tungsten Carbide Cutters
- Conventional Cutter Position
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