A good set of fishing pliers is a must-have tool for every fisherman! If you’ve ever handled a toothy fish such as a Barracuda, then you know what I’m talking about! The problem is that with so many brands and styles being sold on the market today, how do you know which ones to pick?
To help you in your search, we’ve nailed down 5 of the best fishing pliers for the money for both saltwater and freshwater. In my experience, the T-Reign fishing pliers win this roundup as the best pair of fishing pliers for the money.
(Quick Pick) The Best Fishing Pliers
Reviews Of The Best Fishing Pliers For The Money
1. T-Rein Fishing Pliers (Top Pick)
Honestly, the thing that I like most about these pliers is the sheath that comes with them. Unlike most other sheaths, T-Reign’s “ProSheath”, is made of a heavy duty 600 denier, nylon coated material.
What that means to you is that it’s super strong and will last a lifetime. In fact, the sheath actually comes with a lifetime guarantee.
A Sheath That Stays Put
The other feature that separates this sheath from all of the others is that it not only comes with a stainless steel belt clip but also comes with two fixed loop straps, making it easy to keep it attached at the hip with a belt. I don’t know about you, but when I pull my pliers out for use, the sheath sometimes wants to come too.
Now that I touched on the good points of the lanyard, I’ll briefly mention what I don’t like.
My two biggest complaints are that the retractable lanyard sometimes gets stuck when you pull it out all of the way, and it’s a little bulky in my opinion.
Now that we’ve talked about the sheath, let’s talk about the actual pliers.
Replaceable Tungsten Carbide Cutter
The T-Reigns are made of an aluminum body and come with a replaceable tungsten carbide cutter. These cutters are so strong and so sharp, it’s as if you were slicing through butter when cutting braided fishing line.
As with most fishing pliers being sold on the market today, the T-Reign’s jaws are made from a corrosion resistant stainless steel and come complete with a split ring opener and crimps.
As I mentioned before, there is a lifetime service policy for the sheath and a 5-year service policy for the actual pliers.
For more information, including the current price, check here on Amazon.com
2. Piscifun Aluminum Fishing Pliers
The Piscifun Aluminum fishing pliers offer many of the same great features as the other pliers on this list, but their design makes them much lighter. The only major difference is their unique handle design.
Silicone Grip Aluminum Handles
While the other pliers have the solid handles that feature the silicone grip to help with gripping the pliers when your hands are wet.
The Piscifun pliers feature a machine cut all aluminum handle that has holes in it to reduce weight. The lack of grips reduces the weight of the pliers, but they are easier to lose control of when your hands are wet. They do not offer the same level of grip as the Madbite pliers.
With handle design aside, the Piscifun fishing pliers offer many of the same rig friendly features as the Madbite pliers.
Multi-Use Tool
This includes the split ring tool, stainless steel jaws, split shot crimper, tungsten carbide line cutter, sleeve crimper, spring-loaded design and a belt clip with a lanyard to prevent you from dropping them overboard.
Saltwater and Freshwater
The Piscifun pliers are also resistant to corrosion so they can be used in saltwater as well as freshwater like the Madbite. While the two are very similar, the Piscifun are lighter, but you will be giving up some of the grip that the Madbite provides.
The Piscifun is an excellent choice for any angler, and it is considered one of the best fishing pliers on the market.
For more information, including the current price, check here on Amazon.com
3. Manley Professional Fishing Pliers
The Manley Professional Fishing pliers offer anglers the basic model of fishing pliers.
These pliers are corrosion resistant and are designed with a line cutter as well.
The Manley pliers are like the first two pliers discussed above but are lacking some of the bells and whistles that are on the other pairs of pliers.
They do not feature the useful rig building feature, but instead, they have a basic flat jaw that you would see on a pair of needle nose pliers.
While this may seem basic, it is not a bad thing since many anglers do not need the split ring or won’t need to crimp a sleeve onto a wire leader either.
The Manley also features an all-metal anodized aluminum design. It also has a spring-loaded handle design, and a line cutter as well. It also comes with a sheath and lanyard.
The Manley fishing pliers offer the no-frills plier that helps you get the job done. Being corrosion resistant will help them last in freshwater or saltwater conditions. It also comes in different colors so you can choose a fun and different color.
For more information, including the current price, check here on Amazon.com
4. Booms Aluminum Fishing Pliers
If you’re on a tight budget, but also want a quality pair of fishing pliers, then the Booms aluminum fishing pliers may be just what you’re looking for.
Coming in as the lowest price set of fishing pliers on our list, the Booms pliers will not disappoint!
They boast some of the same features as their more expensive counterparts, including being made of a corrosion resistant anodized aluminum that can withstand even saltwater. They also feature the same replaceable tungsten carbide cutters for slicing through braid, as well as a split ring tool.
The Booms fishing pliers come with a spring-loaded handle for easy opening and include a sheath and steel wire coiled lanyard.
The only thing that they don’t have is a crimping tool!
The biggest complaint that I have with these pliers is their sheath and lanyard. They both seem to be cheaply made and will most likely not last nearly as long as the pliers will.
However, for the price, I don’t see where you could go wrong with buying these fishing pliers.
For more information, including the current price, check here on Amazon.com
5. Madbite Fishing Pliers
The Madbite Fishing pliers offer an angler all of the specific features which make a great pair of pliers that will last a long time.
MadBite pliers are constructed from factory machined aluminum and are anodized to provide an angler with increased strength and corrosion resistance.
While the pliers are made of aluminum which is usually susceptible to saltwater and will rust easily, the anodization helps to prevent corrosion and ensure that your pliers will last longer. With the durable, corrosion-resistant anodized coating, Madbite pliers will last in both saltwater or freshwater conditions.
The ergonomically shaped, silicon grips will provide for easy handling, even when taking a hook out of a slimy catfish’s mouth. No need to worry about these babies slipping out of your hand!
The stainless-steel jaws provide one of the strongest designs on the market! While the handles are made from aluminum, the jaws are made of high-grade stainless steel that will last a lifetime.
The Madbite offers a unique feature on its steel jaws that many other pliers do not. There is a tool that helps remove and install split rings. These are the small rings that connect the lures to the hooks like crankbait and topwater plugs. When you squeeze the split rings, it opens and can be added or taken away from the lure.
The Madbite also has a sleeve crimper as well. This is used for crimping sleeves that are used in making wire leaders and rigs. A small indent will help to hold the sleeve in place while pressing down firmly on the sleeve until it pinches and helps to secure the wire.
The best aspects of the Madbite fishing pliers is the tungsten carbide coated blade on the outside of the jaws which makes cutting line a simple task. The blade is sharp and will cut through all types of line, including a braided line which is often very difficult to cut through.
These cutters are only meant for small diameter wire, and you should avoid cutting large diameter wire with the blade. The spring loaded feature will make sure that your pliers are ready to go at a moments notice.
The Madbite pliers are some of the best fishing pliers on the market, and make taking a fish off a hook, or doing some custom rigging a breeze.
For more information, including the current price, check here on Amazon.com
Buyers Guide: How to Select Fishing Pliers
Corrosion Resistance
Most fishing pliers are made of special materials that won’t rust or degrade when exposed to saltwater or put away wet. There’s nothing worse than opening up your tackle box at the beginning of the fishing season to find a rusty set of pliers that are only fit for the trash can. You must make sure that the pliers will hold up against the elements and purchasing corrosion-resistant set of pliers will help increase the longevity.
Rig-friendly features
The best fishing pliers include features that are designed specifically to accomplish certain rigging tasks such as cutting braided line, crimping split shot sinkers, or opening split rings. Consider the features and what you will be using your pliers for before you purchase them.
Belt-ready
Every angler uses his fishing pliers frequently. It is best to keep your pliers handy, and within arm’s reach. Most pliers are sold with a lanyard and sheath that can easily be attached to your belt. This prevents you from dropping them or placing them down and accidentally kicking them overboard. It will be much more convenient to have them attached to your body, then having to fumble through your tackle box every time you land a fish.
Final Thoughts and Recap
Whether you fish freshwater lakes for bass and bream or saltwater estuaries for speckled trout and flounder, you need the best fishing pliers to make rigging up and dehooking your catch as easy as possible.
As we discussed above the T-Reign fishing pliers are the best fishing pliers for the money in my opinion. They will not break the bank and offer excellent quality. The T-Reign pliers offer several features that will make life on the water a whole lot easier, especially if you’re lucky enough to be catching some fish.
Here’s another look at the fishing pliers that were reviewed in this article. Click on any of them to learn more information and read even more user reviews on each of them.