The Complete Guide to Snaps & Swivels - Use Them Like A PRO!

0:00 Hey, what's going on guys? Welcome to the ultimate guide for fishing with snaps and swivels. Now, in this video, you're going to learn everything you need to know about what these pieces of hardware are designed to do, as well as what they're not designed to do. Snaps and swivels definitely have their place in certain fishing rigs and systems to make that system work properly, and it simply won't work without them. But in other cases, these snaps and swivels can deaden the action of your lures. They can spook fish and otherwise ruin a perfectly good presentation. One of the most common mistakes that I see beginner anglers make and even some seasoned anglers is the improper use of snaps and swivels. Now, in this video, I'm going to cover when and when not to use snaps and swivels, as well as what sizes, types, and styles of snap swivels will

0:46 work well in just about any situation you might come across. Now, before we start, there's one thing I want you to remember in this video, and that is less is more. If we can get away without putting extra hardware on our presentation, most of the time that is preferable. There are some exceptions that I'll get into here, but keep that in mind as we go through the video. All right, guys. Let's get started with swivels. Now, swivels have three main purposes when it comes to fishing. The number one purpose, as you might have guessed, is to prevent line twist. Now, these swivels are designed to take out the twist in any line toleer connection or line to lure connection so that you don't end up twisting up your main line. So, when you tie, say, a short leader on the back end of this to a lure that spins, it's going to allow that leader

1:34 to spin but not twist up the main line because the the swivel is going to take the twist out of it and it's going to spin instead of your line. Uh, very important in some situations. Number two purpose for these these swivels is really a line-to-line connection. So if you want to use braided line and have a monofilament leader or fluorocarbon leader, you can tie your main line braid to one side of it and then go a different type of line to your lure. There's a lot of reasons to use two different lines and a swivel allows you to do that with just two simple knots on each side. Now, a third thing we use swivels for oftentimes is to stop gear or pieces of our system from sliding down the line all the way to the hook. So, for instance, on a Lindy rig, we'll use that to keep a egg sinker from sliding back to the hook. A slip bobber

2:20 system, you typically use a swivel to stop the bobber from sliding all the way down the hook and getting caught. Uh, also on a planer board system that breaks loose, oftentimes you'll let that board slide all the way down to the swivel, but you don't want it to slide down and knock the fish off. So, just kind of adds a stopping point in our line to stop some of that sliding gear from moving back and forth. Now, when do we want to use a swivel to prevent line twist? There are a couple situations. Virtually anytime when you're trolling spoons or uh spinners or flashers, anything that can spin and twist the line over a long period of time. Doesn't matter what kind of line you're using or what kind of setup you you're using, you want to use a swivel in there somewhere. and sometimes multiple swivels uh depending on your setup because trolling

3:07 a spinning lure through the water creates line twist like nothing else. Um now another situation is if you're casting a spinner like a spinning lure such as this for instance where that spinner spinning through the water and it's also spinning the shaft of the lure constantly. That's a good place to use a swivel or a snap swivel. Now, we'll get into snap swivels in a little bit, but uh they they are included in the swivel category. Another case is when you're vertical jigging a lure that likes to swim in a circle, like a jigging wrap. Often times those will continue to to just twist up your line unless you're using some type of swivel. Now, there is a difference between using a swivel on monofilament versus braid. Braided line can take a lot more twisting and I've

3:54 found you can get away with not using a swivel most of the time unless you're trolling with braided line. Monofilament or fluorocarbon total different story. That cannot take twisting hardly at all. So I use swivels much more when I'm trolling with mono or casting with mono because it's going to take that twist out that causes so many problems with those types of lines. But really braid is pretty twist resistant I guess you would say. Now, when do we use a swivel for a line-to-line connection? Oftentimes trolling, it works great because you need a swivel in there anyway. You can use braided line or a heavier line and then go lighter to your leader if you want to. Um, also, if you're not confident tying a line-to-line knot. Now, I definitely recommend in most applications you learn to tie an FG knot or a double uni knot.

4:41 If you want to use braid, learn to tie that knot so you can have a nice long mono or floral leader. And you don't have to use the swivel, but using a swivel and a short leader of a foot and a half or so of monofilament or fluorocarbon is still better than tying braid directly to the lure. You almost never want to tie braid directly to a lure unless you're flipping heavy cover for bass or frogging or something like that. Use that swivel to give yourself a little bit better uh leader on that line. Now, you don't want to tie too long of a section or you're going to end up reeling that swivel up into your guides. And that's why I recommend using the lineto line knot because you can make a nice long leader and not worry about reeling that swivel up there. But you start reeling swivels into your guides, you're going to start smashing guides, breaking guides, and that is

5:27 something you definitely do not want to do. So that pretty much covers swivels. Now, let's get into snaps. So, there are a few applications for snaps as well, but the primary reason for using a snap is to make a quick line to lure connection without having to tie a knot. It's a very quick way to just snap that thing open, clip a lure on, snap it shut, and not have to retie every single time that you want to change your bait. Uh, another purpose for using snaps is to reduce line wear on certain types of lures that have uh not necessarily a smooth eyelet to tie onto, and that snap can kind of absorb some of those sharp edges. Now, a third thing that snaps can actually do is enhance the action of certain lures because that bend can actually allow the lure to to kind of

6:13 swing freely in that clip versus having a hard line tied to it that kind of stiffens the action. Now, let's talk about when to use snaps. Snaps work really well when you're rotating through a lot of different baits in a day. Let's say we're trolling, for instance, and we want to try five or six different colors of spoons, a couple crankbaits. We can easily change those out with just a snap. Take the lure off, slide the new one on, snap it close, let it out, and away you go. So, it's just a huge timesaver when we're rotating through all kinds of different lures. Now, another case where we want to use a snap is when we have a a bait that has a hardsided line tie with corners or edges that could chafe our line if we tie it onto it directly. Something like this blade bait. You can see here it's got a

7:00 square edge on those three line ties. If we tie directly onto that, it's going to wear through our line really quickly. So, we're just going to use that snap, slide it through, snap it closed, and now that snap is going to take all that the brunt of that wear on that hard edge. And certain spoons and other baits have kind of that design where they really do need a snap involved to make that connection. And then we also want to use a snap in certain applications where we're trolling crankbaits or lures that don't have a split ring that need to have that motion to work properly. Uh there's a lot of spoons, for instance, that don't come with a split ring or the split ring's been removed. Again, that's kind of a hard cornered edge as well.

7:45 That's when you want to use a snap on there to allow that bait to kind of swing freely and not be tied up by that hard line tie. and even certain crankbaits and jerkbaits, you can use that method to give that bait a little bit more action as long as you use a snap that's not too big for the lure. So, those applications are really when you want to use a snap. Now, when do we not want to use a snap? Anytime you're using a live bait presentation with a single hook or treble hook, any kind of live bait finessy scenario, you do not want to use a snap. it's going to completely ruin the action. And you want that live bait to look as natural as possible in the water with no hardware on it. Just tie direct. Take the time to tie a good knot. And the same goes for most jigging and slowmoving lure

8:32 applications. If you're using, say, a walleye jig and plastic, don't use a snap on that bait because that snap's going to flop all over the place and it's just not going to look natural. As a general rule, the slower you're going to work that bait, the less likely you're going to want to snap on it. Snaps are generally for fastmoving baits like crankbaits, spoons, spinners, stuff that you're retrieving quickly or trolling through the water. So, that's a good general rule of thumb on when not to use a snap if if you're going to work that bait slowly. Now, the other thing that a snap will do is it'll ruin a weedless presentation because, as you can see, there's a bunch of hard edges on that bait. And if you're using something weedless, that snap is going to snag on all kinds of weeds, give you all kinds of problems, and there's really no need for it. So if you're running it through the weeds, al also

9:19 leave that snap off of it and you're going to have much better luck. So that pretty much covers your snaps and your swivels individually. Now let's talk about this little guy, the snap swivel. A snap swivel is basically just a snap and a swivel integrated into one piece. Unfortunately, a lot of people just use these out of kind of habit rather than for any particular reason. Uh they use it in place of just a snap. The only time I really use a snap swivel is when I'm fishing a bait like a spinner or a spoon that I'm casting and retrieving at a fast pace. There's so much hardware on a spinner or a spoon already that it really doesn't affect the look of the bait that much. And you add that that swivel in there that's going to catch that that line twist. And it's a quick change deal, so you can change your

10:04 spinners and spoons really really quickly when trout fishing and stuff. So, I will use it there. The other application I'll use that for is in terminal tackle situations when I'm trolling to like clip on say a dipsy diver or other terminal tackle in a place that the fish aren't going to see it. The reason I don't use a snap swivel to attach directly to the lure typically is it's just so bulky that it really affects the action of the lure and it is very visible to fish. It just adds a lot of hardware on the front of that bait that is unnecessary. Probably the least used piece of tackle in my arsenal here is going to be the snap swivel. So, that's the end of section one. That's pretty much the uses of snaps and swivels and what they're designed for, what they're not designed for. Now,

10:49 we're going to get into the actual types of snaps, the types of swivels, and when and where to use each one. So, we're going to start with snaps. The first one I'm going to show you here is kind of the original style snap, and it's typically found on snap swivels only. And all that's holding that wire in there is one little clip. And I frankly don't use these ever. Uh I've had fish come unpinned with these. You get enough pressure on these, they're going to fail fairly easily. So not a snap I recommend. They're super common, especially in department stores and stuff, but I would not recommend using this type of snap swivel in any application where you are concerned about losing a fish. So we can kind of put that one to the side. The next most common type is going to be the interlock

11:37 snap. And typically this is also found on snap swivels only. Uh it's a similar design, but it has a little wire catch on one side, so it's much less likely to pop out. Um this is probably the weakest style snap that I would use. It'll work in a pinch. It's not my favorite uh type snap, but it is an easy one to open and close. It's probably the easiest one to open and close and actually hook on a bait. So, if you have a hard time using snaps, if they're uh if your fingers aren't super dextrous or strong, the interlock snap might be your best bet. Now, the next type of snap is called the dual lock snap. And it's one piece of wire and it's just got a specific series of bends to it. And this one is also fairly easy to open, close, and put

12:22 baits on. Uh, it's probably the next step up from the interlock snap as far as strength goes. It does have a hook on the end. It is a fairly strong snap, but definitely not the strongest. So, if you're going to use a snap in applications where, you know, you're you're changing a lot of baits out, you're fishing for more average size fish, this one is totally fine. Walley, smaller trout, uh, bass, that sort of thing, that dual lock snap will do the job. But if you hook a really really big fish, I have seen these fail at times under a lot of pressure. So once we get to big fish, heavy trolling tackle, that kind of thing, there's two more types of snaps that you want to look at. One is called the cross lock snap. And basically, it's got two 90° bends and a

13:09 hook that goes all the way around the other side of this this wire. And these are very difficult to uh bend out. So, they can handle a lot of pressure. The one downside is they're a little bit harder to push apart and they have this little hook on them that you have to get your eye around. So, they are a little bit less user friendly when it comes to actually putting these on a bait, especially a bait that has a smaller eyelet, but they are going to hold up to much bigger fish and much more pressure. And then the last style is going to be coast lock. Now, the coast lock is one of my favorites. It's very simple. It's just a triangle bend with a hook at the end that wraps back around the shaft. Again, a little bit more clumsy to use, but very strong and can hold up to just

13:55 about any size fish. So, those are those two are fairly interchangeable when it comes to strength. But, uh, definitely want to use either a cross lock or a coast lock when you're dealing with bigger fish and and heavier, uh, situations. Now, let's talk swivels. There is basically only two types of swivels that you really need to be concerned with. Number one is going to be what's called a barrel swivel. And that really just has a couple of bent pieces of wire going into a barrel. And they're going to spin uh just independently of each other. One end will spin, so will the other. And the barrel is just kind of what holds it together. The other type is going to be a ball bearing swivel. And these swivels swivel much, much easier. They have a lot less friction. They're designed like

14:41 a ball bearing. So, if you're using a swivel in a high line twist situation such as trolling or if you're using monofilament and fishing with something like a spinner, I highly recommend a ball bearing swivel because that's going to take out the line twist much much faster. It's proven to do so. A barrel swivel works great as far as braid to mono leader or uh using something like a slip syninker rig or a Lindy rig. No problem using a barrel swivel. They're way cheaper. The ball bearing swivels are much more expensive per swivel than than the barrel swivel. So, if you want to use one that is going to work for most applications that aren't high twist but not spend the money, go with the barrel swivel. If you want that high function and uh high line twist uh management, go with the ball bearing

15:28 swivel and you'll be much happier. Now, there are some other types of swivels. three-way swivels and like your high-speed rolling swivel that is like a triple swivel for super high-speed trolling and those kind of things do work as well for very specific applications. We're not going to dive too much into that. A three-way swivel just basically allows you to add a dropper and uh works really well for that, but you know, we're kind of trying to keep it to mainly just single line applications. So, I just wanted to mention that there are other options available. Definitely keep that in mind that you may find some other types of swivels out there. All right, guys. Now, let's talk size and strength. So, snaps and swivels, unfortunately, are not standardized when it comes to sizing or brake strength testing. So, each company

16:14 kind of has their own uh system for sizing and testing these things. The one that I look for, which is on most of the higherend better snaps and swivels, is the actual brake strength. And that's going to be in pound test. So whether it's a swivel or a snap and there they range anywhere from 12 pound test all the way up to hundreds of pound test. Um now some manufacturers don't actually put the pound test rating on their packaging. I found that most of those probably is for a reason. It's probably because they don't do well in the brake strength testing and that's typically on your cheaper snaps and swivels. And that kind of brings up a second point. When you're buying snaps and swivels, don't buy the cheap Walmart style no-name

17:00 brands. Buy the best ones you can get. VMC, SPRO, Opti Tackle, like the ones that are wellknown and wellestablished. I'll leave a list down below in the description of kind of my top uh options for snaps and swivels so that you know which brands actually are uh rated. uh these brands that are are well known and and cost a little bit more money. Most of the ratings are posted on the packaging and they will break at a higher strength than they've been tested at. A lot of the cheaper brands, they may list it, but it's been tested. I've watched lots of videos where they've tested these things and they will break well under their strength. Especially like those Amazon, Chinese brands. Don't even mess with them. You can't trust them. Uh, you do not want to lose a big

17:46 fish by going cheap on your snaps and swivels. I know it's easy to do because it's, you know, just terminal tackle, but man, that connection between you and the fish, you don't want that to be the weakest point. So, uh, again, I'll leave links below for for some trusted brands for snaps and swivels. Now, when it comes to, uh, actual size, you just kind of have to eye it up. The main thing is you don't want the snap or the swivel to be so big that it outshines the lure itself. Uh so you want something that's going to be small enough that it it doesn't overpower the lure, but you also want something that's big enough that it's going to hold the fish. So um you know, if you're fishing for midsize fish, get something that's going to be 80 lb test, look for something that's high quality and a little bit smaller,

18:33 and that's the route you want to go. You don't want to get some big giant snap swivel and put it on a tiny little lure or it's just going to deaden the action of the lure and the fish is going to see way more hardware versus lure than than it should. So, uh again, that that higher quality tackle is also going to be smaller per its brake strength and you're going to be able to get away with a much higher rating with less footprint, which is kind of what you want when it comes to snaps and swivels. So again, sometimes they will be labeled uh as, you know, a number two or a number 12 or, you know, whatever it is. That really doesn't mean anything. Uh you really want to check the brake strength. And again, if it doesn't have it on the package, I would just skip and find another brand that does actually list that brake strength. So that's the

19:19 basics, guys. And really to wrap up, I'm just going to summarize kind of what we learned in a in five points here. Point number one is use snaps and swivels with purpose, not out of habit. Don't use them just because. Use them in the right situation at the right time. And you will find that they are very useful in certain situations. But if you can eliminate using them from some of those rigs that maybe you have been using them on, you're going to catch more fish. Point number two, favor minimalism. The smaller, the less footprint, the less you can get away with, the better. And use that as a general rule when it comes to snaps and swivels. Point number three, match the type of hardware to the situation. Don't use a snap swivel on something that you don't you could get by with only a snap on. And don't skip

20:05 the swivel and just hope the line doesn't twist on a trolling presentation. Make sure you're using them for the correct application. And again, you're going to have a lot less trouble and a lot more fish catches if you do it that way. Point four, invest in quality brands. Do not buy cheap snaps and swivels. You don't want to lose a fish because you cheaped out on the hardware. And point number five, if in doubt, tie direct. It's always better to have less. So, if you can get away with it, those slowmoving baits, your jigs, your worms, uh, anything that's not being directly pulled through the water, you're better off just tying direct. And most of the time, you can get away with that and you're going to have a much better presentation for those fish. So, that's pretty much it, guys. If this video was helpful to you

20:51 and helped you learn a few things about these snaps and swivels, consider subscribing to the channel. I've got a lot more educational content like this. And if you can think of a buddy who still uses snap swivels on everything. Make sure you send in this video as well. Thanks guys for watching. I really appreciate it. We'll see you next time. Get hooked up. [Music] Hey, [Music]