Braided line is designed to be strong, so it’s harder to cut than other types of line. There are four common options for cutting braid. We’ll discuss the three options and give our recommendation on which you should in different situations.
Braid Cutters
The best tool for cutting braided fishing line is a pair of specialized fishing line cutters designed specifically for braided lines. These cutters have sharp blades that are designed to cut without fraying the line. They are also typically made from high-quality materials like stainless steel or tungsten, which ensure that they remain sharp and durable over time.
Many line cutters have a retractable tether so they’re right there when you need them.
Fishing pliers with line cutters
Most fishing lines now come with line cutters built-in. I’ll admit that the line cutters don’t work great for braided line. That because the line cutter on fishing pliers uses a pinching motion. So while the built-in line cutter works well for snipping mono or flouro, they’re not great for cutting braided.

When I’m fishing in the ocean, I use the KastKing Cutthroat 7″ pliers, which are one of the best saltwater fishing pliers. I’ve found that they will cut braided line it, but it takes some effort and the cut isn’t clean.
Bait knives
Bait knives work great for cutting line, even braided line. Some bait knives, like the {RAPALA} pictured below, have a serrated edge and a straight edge. Either will cut braided line, but I usually get a clear cut (less fraying) from the straight edge.
Filet knives should be sharp to properly filet a fish. They’ll also cut through braided line.

Although bait knives and filet knives aren’t intended to cut braided line, they will do the job and you probably have them on hand already. In the picture above, I’m cutting through 65lb braided line like butter.
Scissors
A pair of sharp scissors will cut through braid. While they’re not the best option, you probably already own a pair.
Cutting braided fishing line with scissors can be a bit challenging as braided line is made up of multiple tiny fibers that can easily fray and become uneven when cut with scissors that are not sharp enough. Plus scissors don’t serve any other fishing functions, so they’re an additional tool taking up space in your tackle box.
Scissors are fine when you’re preparing rigs at home, but the other options on this list work well and are more convenient.
My recommendation
I recommend getting picking up a pair braid cutters with a retractable tether. The Boomerang Line Snips work great. They’re designed to cut braid and they’re pretty cheap. Or if you already have a pair of fishing pliers, you can get away with using those. Fishing pliers have several uses other than cutting line.
Bait knives rip right through braided line, so they’re a good option as well. Scissors work fine, but it’s one additional tool to carry around.
Be safe!
Every tool we mentioned above has a sharp blade, so be careful when cutting. If you’re using a knife, always cut with the blade away from you and not near any other people.
Happy fishing!
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Hello! My name is Tim and I’ve been fishing for over 30 years. I’ve learned a lot about fishing during that time and I love sharing that knowledge with others. I’m also a member of the International Game Fish Association (IGFA). Thanks for checking out the site!