plier choices

[BigFish]

You guys lose your pliers....sounds like you need to get the VS with the lanyard.......I have had mine 4 years now.....have not lost them yet! Gotta be a damn fool if you lose them with a lanyard!!!

[fishpoopoo]

Get a dozen $3 stainless steel pliers from Ocean State Job Lot.

Send them into a place that provides saltwater resistant coating for $5/apiece.

Not a bad option if you're prone to losing pliers like I am.

Van Staal pliers are nice, but they're not bulletproof.

[BigFish]

I don't shoot em'.....just release fish with them! Boils down to convenience......wanna keep swapping out your crappy pliers every month or so, or have them so rusty when you are waist deep in water trying to unhook a fatty that you wind up getting a hook buried in your hand with the fish still attached because you were futzing around with your crappy pliers (on top of that you won't be able to cut the hook to get it easily out of your hand) then by all means.....do what you think is right!

[JFigliuolo]

job lot pliars. 1 can of wd-40. Going on 3 years. rusted to crap but still get the job done.

[Redsoxticket]

Improvise and be creative. IF you don't have a laynard use surgical tubing.

Dame fool not I, bet you also never lost your mittens because you had a string tied to both mittens via the jacket.

[cheferson]

Joblot or wallyworld pliers, ive been fishing 4+ nights sence april and im on my 3rd pair still. Do not use any oil or wd-40 on them either. So maybe gonna cost me $10 for the season. $250 + for one pair of vs = 25 seasons of wallyworld/joblot pliers

[keeperreaper]

Ocean state 3.99. If you lose 'em you won't care.

[luds]

Van Staal 7" pliers.

[RIJIMMY]

I too use the cheapy stainless ones, the vs may be great but I'll losteem for sure and cant bear to spend 200+ on pliers.

[Casting Z's]

What if you guy where to tether your gear to your plug bags, like this?

[shadow]

stay away from the donmars the pivot losens up after time no way to thighten them up,the older ones feel alittle sloppy.

[BigFish]

Riverrat2 knows the VS cuts hooks....no problemo!

[Adam_777]

Wow 2 pages of replies about pliers!Anyone still fish in here?

[fishaholic18]

Originally Posted by Adam_777

Wow 2 pages of replies about pliers!Anyone still fish in here?

I took a hook out of 13 fishies mouths yesterday with my pliers

[Pete_G]

It's odd how the plier threads always come down to cutting hooks.

Here's a reality check. Accurate, Ross, BPS, Cabelas, Browning, Van Staal, and anything else that has recently come to market based on the VS plier shape aren't built to cut hooks. That's just the way it is. It's almost not worth debating. Job Lot pliers, same thing.

Most can do it, especially the Van Staals, but it is NOT what they're built for. Don't buy them for that. You're going to be disappointed. None of them are going to cut a 4/0 4x VMC unless you get lucky.

If you want to cut hooks I guess buy Manley. Although there's a thread on another forum with a poster looking to buy new pliers since his Manley's jaws shattered trying to cut a hook. Go figure.

Trying to cut hooks with the above is like trying to drive a screw home with a hammer. If you want to reliably cut big hooks and heavy wire get some real wire cutters.

Lastly my VS 7" cut 2 trebles over 2 years plus mono, wire, and braid. They only finally stopped cutting braid recently. The pliers are brand new otherwise after 6 years. Paid full price and would do it again. Numbskull said it best, "good old tools become your friends".

[fishaholic18]

Originally Posted by Pete_G

trying to drive a screw home with a hammer.

Done that

I have a pair of side cutters for cutting hooks.

[Nebe]

3 dollar plyers works for me too- I took a black telephone chord and heat shrinked the chord to one of the handles and did the same to a 5 dollar leather pliers holster-

A VS reel is going to help me catch more fish just on its reliability- a good surf rod is going to help me catch more big fish because it will be light, cast better, and hopefully be more reliable as well, but pliers bring me back down to earth.

[Bill L]

I can think of 20 things I need to spend 200 bucks on before pliers, but hey, if you got the dough,......

[eastendlu]

I use my teeth to cut braid, hooks ,whatever.

[Slingah]

get the pliers andy...if someone gave me a gift certificate for around that kind of money Id buy buy 'em too...
that is a perfect gift.....getting something for yourself you normally wouldnt get...

that being said.... I have cheepos and would never spend that kind of money on a pair of pliers

[GonnaCatchABig1]

jesus.. those are some fine pliers.. but no way in hell would i drop $200 on a pair of pliers.
that said..

bass pro shop pliers.. $15 love em.. get the hooks very well. cuts braid like butter. convent. not $200. only problem.. they are not very rust resistant. but they are pliers so i dont exactly take the highest care of them. i am sure a fresh water bath when ya get in will fix that. i how ever usually leave em in the bottom of a bucket which gets rained in and then they sit in the water for two days at a time.. still work though. not heavy rusting but its there. we have lost a few pairs of these to and i can say it doesnt hurt as bad as losing a $200 pair. i couldn't imagine being more worried about my pliers than my reel.

[Nebe]

actually, now that i remember, my plyers holster on my surf belt are made by VS..

[RIROCKHOUND]

Split the difference.
I bought the browning's for 30 or 40 on Ebay, I never rinse my surf gear/belt (well it's rinsing today in the back of the truck, O.K.
No problem in 2 seasons. some MINOR rust on the cutters..

will they cut a hook? I doubt it. but the heavy ones in my tool box will!

[Mako927]

I don't have a preference on pliers. I am still in that stage of my Striper career where I am hoping to catch a fish. I'll be happy putting any pliers in there because it would mean I have a fish. I just had to toss my 2 cents in here and say I never, ever thought pliers would make such an engaging and dynamic conversation. It is great to see the debate/discussion going three pages long... =)

[Adam_777]

Originally Posted by Mako927

I don't have a preference on pliers. I am still in that stage of my Striper career where I am hoping to catch a fish. I'll be happy putting any pliers in there because it would mean I have a fish. I just had to toss my 2 cents in here and say I never, ever thought pliers would make such an engaging and dynamic conversation. It is great to see the debate/discussion going three pages long... =)

I hear ya man!2yrs on the surf and not much to show for it.I'd trade my clean not rusted never been used pair of pliers for a fish and take the hook out with my bare hands!BTW being a mechanic I grabbed a pair of needlenose from the cornwell tool guy for 20 bux.If they ever rust I'll let ya know.

[pmueller]

The Accuerates are a decent set for the money. Gotta keep them clean and spray them with wd40 every now and then.
The new Ross pliars look nice.

Originally Posted by Finaddict

Okay so I got a gift certicate to Cabelas from work, I thought I'd get a nice pair of pliers with it ... Cabelas has the Donmar Checkpoint CP850 EX and the CP880 Side Pliers ... as well as the Van Staal stainless steel 6 inch pliers on sale only $10 more than the CP880 Side Pliers from Donmar and neither the top Donmar they offer or the Van Staal on sale offer sheath or lanyard ...

... that said, has anyone here used the Donmar pliers and what are your thoughts as I don't necessarily need the Van Staal pliers, although they would be nice to have, just $50 more when said and done ...

... any body have insight on these two/three pliers?

Thanks

[UserRemoved1]

I second the shimano pliers I'm on a 3rd season with them and no lanyard, PB Blaster every few months when they start to feel stiff. And a pair of knipex cutters stowed away in a bag...

[steve]

Van Staal-- The best--- Second choice-- Accurate

[Fishpart]

Originally Posted by #^&#^&#^&#^&#^&#^&#^&#^&#^&#^&#^&

And a pair of knipex cutters stowed away in a bag...

They'll cut any hook I've ever used....I carry a pair of them and a set of Job-Lots 5 years old....