Fishing pliers are an essential tool for all anglers. They have many functions from cutting line to removing hooks and so much more. Saltwater pliers need to be especially durable to withstand the exposure to salt and sand. There are a lot of options out there, so let us help you pick the best saltwater pliers for your budget.
If you’re in a hurry, here are our picks for the best saltwater fishing pliers:
- KastKing Cutthroat 7 inch Fishing Pliers [Best Value]
- Piscifun Fishing Pliers
- Bubba Blade 7.5 Inch Fishing Pliers [Best Overall]
- ZACX Fishing Pliers with Fish Gripper
- Booms Fishing X1 Aluminum Fishing Pliers
Key Components of Saltwater Pliers
Material
Saltwater corrodes some types of metals, so a good pair of saltwater pliers should be made of stainless steel, aluminum, or titanium. Titanium is the best out of those options, but can be expensive.
A really good pair of titanium pliers, like the Van Staal Titanium Pliers can cost over $300. That’s why most of pliers are made out of stainless steel or aluminum, which are more affordable and still resistant to corrosion. You’ll also see pliers coated with a protective material like Teflon.
Length
The length of fishing pliers nose will vary, but for saltwater fishing (either from a boat or from the surf) you’ll probably want something around 7″. Longer pliers will be better for removing hooks from bigger fish. All the pliers listed on this page are in the 6″ or 7″ range.
Grip
Grip is an important feature of fishing pliers, especially since your hands will often be wet when you’re using the pliers. Most pliers will have finger contours to help provide a better grip. We prefer a rubber grip to ensure your fingers don’t slip when you’re using the tool.
Lanyard
A lot of modern fishing pliers come with a lanyard that attaches the pliers to a sheath, a belt loop, or anything else. A lanyard makes it easy to quickly find the pliers. Lanyards ensure you don’t drop the pliers in the bottom of the ocean. You don’t want to be fumbling around a bag when you have a big fish to unhook.
Other Features
Saltwater pliers offer multiple features. The main purpose of a pliers is a hook remover. The other essential feature is a line cutter. You’ll use the line cutter every time out, and hopefully you’ll use the hook remover often. Other features like the the split shot opener/crimper aren’t as useful for saltwater fishing, but they can be helpful if you also freshwater fish.
Saltwater Pliers Reviews
KastKing Cutthroat 7 inch Fishing Pliers
The KastKing pliers have everything you need for a great price. They’re made of stainless steel, so you can trust them to stand up to salt and sand. Cutting the thickest line is very easy with these pliers. They come in a variety of colors (I like the orange handle).
The KastKing Cutthroat comes with a sheath and a lanyard so you’ll know these pliers will always be there when you need them. There’s also a model for a split ring nose, which is useful. Although we prefer the straight nose version. Either way you can’t go wrong with the KastKing Cutthroat pliers.
Piscifun Fishing Pliers
We never heard of this brand before trying out these pliers, so we were surprised by how much we liked them. The lightweight aircraft-grade anodize aluminum is lightweight but feels super sturdy. The cutters are made from tungsten carbide, which makes cutting line effortless.
The Piscifun pliers are sping loaded, which means they’ll open when you’re not squeezing them. That mean you can easily operate them with one hand, which is often necessary if you’re holding line (or hopefully a fish) in your other hand. These are tough to beat for the price.
Bubba Blade 7.5 Inch Fishing Pliers
Nothing against the other pliers on this list, but the Bubble Blade pliers are on another level.
Bubba is one of our favorite brands of fishing tools. Everything they make is high quality, but not high priced. Theses pliers are super strong, yet lightweight. The non-slip grip and spring loaded design make them super easy to use with one hand. They cut great and the straight nose makes hook removal easy.
The Bubba Blade pliers will be the last pair of pliers you’ll ever buy, unless you lose in the ocean. And since they come with a lanyard and sheath, that’ll probably never happen!
ZACX Fishing Pliers with Fish Gripper
The ZACX pliers are another durable and functional set of pliers. Made of aluminum and stainless steel, these pliers can remove hooks, cut lines, split rings and more.
The pliers come with a lanyard and sheath, but the bonus fish gripper is what really sets the ZACX apart from other pliers. The fish gripper is a good tool for removing hooks from toothy fish, like bluefish.
Booms Fishing X1 Aluminum Fishing Pliers
The Booms Fishing X1 Pliers are another high-rated pair of saltwater pliers. You’ll get all the standard features (line cutter, hook remover, sheath/lanyard) for a really good price. They weigh less than a third of a pound.
The Booms X1 pliers are spring loaded and feel perfectly balanced, so they’re super easy to use with one hand. The also come in some cool color combinations, including black/silver, green/silver, and blue/silver.
Yes, the line cutter on most pliers will cut through braided line. However, it’s not the best tool to use. For more information, see our guide to cutting braided line.
Fishing Fanatiks is reader-supported. If you buy via the links on our site, we may earn an affiliate commission at no cost to you.
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!