Updated 12/29/2023
Here at Juran Adventures, we believe in the importance of having the right tool for the job. Keeping the best fishing pliers in your tackle box is key to the comfort of both the fisherman and the safety of the fish.
Keep reading to check out my recommendation for the best fishing pliers options with a heavy focus on WHY these are the best options. We cover best overall fishing pliers as well as other categories like best hemostat, best heavy duty, and best high end pliers!
*Disclosure: I only recommend products I would use myself and all opinions expressed here are my own. This post may contain affiliate links that at no additional cost to you, I may earn a small commission.
Our Top 5 Picks
- Best Overall: KastKing Cutthroat 7 inch
- Best Overall Alternative: Booms Fishing X1
- Best Hemostat: Berkley Hemostat Pliers
- Best Heavy Duty: Booms Fishing F05 11 inch
- Best High End: Van Staal 7″ Titanium Fishing Pliers
The 5 Best Fishing Pliers
Whether you’re a new angler or a grizzled expert, we have you covered. Check out our recommendations for best overall fishing pliers as well as best hemostat, best heavy duty, and best high end pliers!
Best Overall: KastKing Cutthroat 7 inch Fishing Pliers
- Length: 7″
- Material: Stainless Steel
- Line Cutter: Yes
- Lanyard: Yes
- Spring Open: Yes
My vote for the best overall fishing pliers are the KastKing Cutthroat 7 inch pliers. They are a versatile, medium sized, high quality, corrosion resistant model with assorted, useful features. They are a perfect mix of quality and functionality.
The stainless steel construction holds up well to both freshwater and saltwater. The tungsten carbide line cutters are conveniently mounted on the side and handle cutting mono or braid with ease. These pliers pack in all the features you want pliers to do in a complete package.
The narrow jaws function well for reaching deep into fish but there’s still plenty of strength to remove tough hooks. The jaws also have built in crimping slots for tightening sinkers plus split ring splitters on the end of the pliers.
KastKing really thought of everything – there are even holes in the jaws to thread hooks through to help tighten your fishing knots!
These are a fantastic all around fishing pliers you’ll be happy to have on your next fishing trip.
Best Overall Alternative: Booms Fishing X1 Aluminum Fishing Pliers
- Length: 7.8″
- Material: Aluminum Handle with Stainless Steel Jaws
- Line Cutter: Yes
- Lanyard: Yes
- Spring Open: Yes
My runner up fishing pliers are the Booms Fishing X1 Aluminum pliers. These are great pliers for the price and make a good addition to any tackle box.
These have ALMOST all the same features as the KastKing Cutthroat. Spring loaded jaws, split ring tool, lanyard, corrosive resistant construction, and great line cutters. The line cutters on these pliers are inside the jaws which can help give a little more umph when trying to cut, but we prefer the line cutters on the side for easier access.
That aluminum handle is nice and lightweight. The grip is ok, but the rubbery no-slip grip on the KastKing Cutthroat can be better if your hands are wet.
Overall these are still great pliers for the price and you shouldn’t think twice about a purchase.
Best Hemostat: Berkley Hemostat Fishing Pliers
- Length: 6″
- Material: Stainless Steel
- Line Cutter: No
- Lanyard: No
- Spring Open: N/A
My pick for best hemostat fishing pliers are the Berkley 6″ Hemostat pliers. The slip resistant grip gives them the edge over budget hemostat fishing pliers.
Every angler should have a pair of hemostat pliers in their tackle box. They are no question the best tool for removing tough or deep hooksets. They help you safely release fish with minimal harm.
Hemostat forceps style pliers offer unparalleled dexterity. They have long, narrow jaws and they are able to ‘lock’ onto finicky hooks (helpful when twisting/wiggling hooks out). The narrow jaws give you room to maneuver and can get into the mouth of undersized fish.
You don’t need to overthink it with hemostat fishing pliers. Budget versions are fine as long as you have a set in your tackle box.
This type of pliers is extremely basic and usually comes with minimal (zero) extra features. Commonly they are made from metals that will eventually rust. They’re cheap enough that I just replace them every few years once they pass the point of no return.
Best Heavy Duty: Booms Fishing F05 11″ Fishing Pliers
- Length: 11″
- Material: Stainless Steel Chrome Coated
- Line Cutter: No
- Lanyard: Lanyard hole
- Spring Open: Yes
Our top choice for heavy duty fishing pliers are the Booms Fishing F05 11″ fishing pliers. Sometimes you just need a no-frills, beefy set of pliers to get out the toughest hooks on the biggest fish and these are a great option.
These pliers are 11″ long and have great rubber no-slip handles. They are saltwater recommended and should holdup for a long time. We like that Booms did not overdo it with features on the pliers. We prefer multiple features on medium sized pliers because they’re easier to handle. Only pull out these bad boys for the most heavy duty jobs.
Best High End: Van Staal 7″ Titanium Fishing Pliers
- Length: 7″
- Material: Titanium
- Line Cutter: Yes
- Lanyard: Yes
- Spring Open: Yes
If you’re looking for nearly indestructible, high-end fishing pliers that should last forever, look no further. The Van Staal 7″ Titanium Fishing Pliers are essentially corrosion proof because they are made from titanium.
They have powerful line cutters, spring-open, and come with a great lanyard and carrying sheath. They don’t have all the features of other pliers on this list (like split ring tool or sinker crimps) but these really are top-end quality fishing pliers.
The price point is steep in our opinion, but there definitely is an argument for purchasing a set of these for life vs replacing more budget friendly options every year or so. Also, if you predominately saltwater fish, getting the most corrosion resistant tools can be a solid choice.
Best Fishing Pliers Features
Fishing pliers come in all shapes, colors, and sizes. It is important to remember what features are actually important.
Critical Features
The core job of fishing pliers is to help remove tricky hooks from fish. It is easy to get distracted with the extra features built-in to most modern options. To fulfill their core role, fishing pliers need:
- Long, narrow jaws that can reach inside a fish’s mouth
- Strong gripping capability for both the angler’s hands and to grab the hook
That’s it. Everything else is extra.
Tricky hook removal includes anything from gut hooked fish to hooks in toothy fish mouths where access with just your fingers is not feasible.
Extra Features
Modern fishing pliers are packed with extra features that improve comfort and versatility. Unnecessary? Maybe. Useful? Definitely.
The most common extra features are:
- Line cutters – Convenient for cutting fishing line
- Lanyards – Keeps you from losing your pliers
- Belt/Pack Pouches – Keeps pliers within arm’s reach
- Corrosion-Resistant Material – Keeps your pliers from rusting
- Fancy Grips – Avoid slippage while wet
- Metal Cutting Jaws – Cut hooks or leaders with ease
- Split Ring Tool – Grab and split split rings for easy removal
- Spring-loaded Jaws – Helpful for grabbing tricky hooks
You can get away with using a pair of dollar store needle-nosed pliers, but spending a bit extra for the right tool for the job is worth price.
Also, bigger isn’t always better with pliers. Smaller pliers generally allow better dexterity, especially if you have a tricky hook in a small fish.
Pro Tip: Two is one and one is none. Redundancy in gear capability goes a long way. Accidentally dropped your scissors or knife overboard? No problem – your fishing pliers have a line clipper too.
Conclusion
Quality, made-for-purpose, fishing pliers allow anglers to safely remove tricky hooks without causing extra harm to the fish. Medium sized, multi-purpose pliers are the best choice for more anglers.
Every anglers should have a set of hemostat style fishing pliers for the trickiest hook removals.
A good practice is to have hemostat style pliers for finesse situations and beefy pliers for the heavy lifting.
Remember: Two is one and one is none!
Check out our guide for the best fillet knife so you can properly process the fish you just unhooked with your fishing pliers!
Check out our fishing rod articles for solid rod options to help catch the fish you need pliers to unhook:
- Best Bass Fishing Rods
- Best Flipping & Pitching Rods
- Best Frog Fishing Rods
- Best Inshore Fishing Rods
- Best Saltwater Fishing Rods
- Best Surf Fishing Rods
- Best Pier Fishing Rods
Check out our articles for great reels to pair with these rods:
- Best Baitcasting Reels
- Best Surf Fishing Reels
- Best Saltwater Baitcasting Reels
- Best Saltwater Spinning Reels
Fishing Pliers FAQs
What are fishing pliers?
Fishing pliers are a multi-use tool in fishing that are predominately used to remove hooks from fish. Many fishing pliers include additional features like line cutters, lanyards, and tools to comfortably work on fishing equipment.
What are pliers used for in fishing?
Fishing pliers are used for hook removal, cutting line, and working on fishing tackle.
Can I use regular pliers for fishing?
While you can use regular pliers for fishing, it is highly recommended to get pliers made for fishing. Fishing pliers are made from corrosion resistant materials and have features like line cutters that make them a better choice.
Do you need pliers when fishing?
Every ethical angler should have fishing pliers. Fishing pliers are mainly used to remove hooks from fish. Without pliers, it may be nearly impossible to remove a hook from a fish.
Saltwater vs. Freshwater Pliers
Saltwater pliers need to be more corrosion resistant than freshwater pliers. Also, saltwater fish are generally larger than their freshwater counterparts. Size up to remove big hooks from big fish in saltwater, or size down to unhook smaller fish in freshwater.
Written By: Andrew Juran
Andrew is a seasoned angler with over 25 years of experience fishing across the United States. He has caught hundreds of fish using various techniques and mentored many in the art of fishing. An advocate for sustainable fishing, Andrew is an active member of the Coastal Conservation Association, an organization committed to marine conservation.
For frequent fishing tips, behind-the-scenes looks, and real-time catches, connect with Andrew on Instagram
