Do you feel you are losing precious fishing time re-tying knots when changing lures? Want to speed up the process? Lure clips or snaps may be for you.

We all want speed and efficiency when it comes to our fishing. Lure clips can help us achieve this.

Tying your lure on with loop knots may be the most cost-efficient way to connect your line to your lure. But knots fail if not tied well. Lure clips require only a simple Uni-knot.

Years ago, I would rarely recommend lure clips or snaps to clients. I’ve had plenty of negative experiences with them, all resulting in lost fish.

And during those early years of mine, I didn’t have a keen eye for detail and would quickly put the blame on tackle failure. Rod, reel, line, hooks, and terminals. All of these had their share of my blame.

But one of my most heart-breaking fish losses was blamed on a lure clip. A snap swivel to be exact. A swivel with a clip attachment, used for quick lure changes.

A lure clip and a snap swivel are very different pieces of equipment. But I was young and inexperienced, and I put the two together.

The point of failure was not the “clip” itself, but the eye of the swivel. Nonetheless, never again did I trust these “paper-clips” when I went out fishing.

Years later, with experience and age, plus some good old-fashioned common sense, I distinguished the difference between snap swivels and lure clips, and how convenient it is to have them when fishing for certain species.

Yes, lure clips are great for fishing and we highly recommend using them to help improve your fishing.

Why Use Lure Clips?

The benefits of using lure clips outweigh the cons significantly.

When fishing for Barramundi, Murray Cod, bass, flatties, and other “light tackle” species, anglers have to change lures often to find the one the fish likes at that moment.

Times when reaction strikes are few and far between, and the fish are not in an aggressive feeding mood, is when we have to “match the hatch” or imitate what the fish are feeding on.

And to get the color and/or lure style to match the hatch, plenty of lure changes is a must.

Having lure clips at the end of your leader just makes things faster and more efficient. Especially if you only have 1 or 2 rods at your disposal.

Another benefit of having a lure clip connection between leader and lure is the free space it creates at the lure tow point.

This free space allows the lure to have more freedom of movement when retrieved, resulting in a more natural or sometimes more erratic and attractive swim.

A loop knot provides the same results but is time-consuming, and very ineffective if your knot tying that day is sub-par.

Disclaimer – I still refrain from recommending lure clips for intense fishing applications like GT popping, and heavy jigging.

How did we conclude that lure clips won’t cost you your fish of a lifetime?

Our good friend and professional angler Dean Silvester did a stellar job explaining and proving to us anglers that we should not look down upon the humble lure clip.

Dean’s YouTube video shows that the lure clips are the least of your worries in terms of your connection to the fish.

Click here to watch the video on YouTube or head down to the end of this post to watch it.

The Test

Dean’s test consisted of tying two lures together with 60lb Sunline Fluorocarbon leader.One end had a loop knot tied onto the lure, and the other end had a lure clip connected to the lure.Dean pulls the lures away from each other until something broke.

With five or so attempts, the results were very conclusive.

The Results

Dean concluded that the leader or your knots will fail long before the lure clip will.

The failures were seen on the knots and the leader itself snapping.

The lure clips were deformed at most, but still closed and will keep the attachment between fish and angler solid.

The results finally give us the confidence to use lure clips for freshwater, impoundment, river, or light saltwater fishing.

The results shouldn’t be surprising at all though, as the most practical sized lure clips are rated from 40 – 50kg at the lightest.

Last Cast

Dean’s video proves how sturdy these little things are, and that we should confidently tie them on the next time we head out fishing.

But quality should be kept in mind when buying your next batch of lure clips.

You get what you pay for – Buy the best that you can afford. Lure clips will probably be the cheapest part of your fishing outfit, so getting high-quality lure clips won’t hurt your wallet much.

Dean recommends the Maria Fighters Snap lure clips. They are made in Japan and if Dean uses them regularly, we can confidently say that they will work well.

If you can’t find Maria branded lure clips, check out Mustad’s Fastatch Clips. It is a bit different than the regular paper clip style design but still provides the same utility. It is built with a twist connection on one end, the Fastach Clip gives anglers the ability to swap out lures with a simple turn of the wrist.

Another option is Owner’s Quick Snaps.

Brand or manufacturer is a matter of personal preference but getting good quality lure clips is essential.

These buggers are also quite small and can easily get lost in your tackle trays or tackle bags. We suggest you keep them in their original packaging before storing them in your tackle trays.

And finally, like all parts of your fishing system, proper care and maintenance are needed to keep your lure clips in top condition.

If left unwashed after saltwater use, expect them to rust and corrode, rendering them useless.

A good rinse with freshwater after use will keep them useful for longer.

If you haven’t subscribed to Dean’s YouTube channel yet, please do. His fishing videos are so addictive, and he regularly uploads his fishing adventures, so you won’t miss any of the action.

Make sure to check out his Instagram as well for amazing photos plus news and updates about his fishing adventures.

Photo Credits: All photo and screen captures used courtesy of Dean Silvester.

What is your opinion on lure clips? Do you use them? Or do you still need more convincing? [vc_video link=”https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nvBgMWvIfrc” align=”center”]

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