Terminal Tackles - Part 2 Clips & Swivels

Choosing clips & swivels, like hooks, has also become very confusing since they too come with a multitude of shapes, sizes & coloration. There are also anglers who do not use clips & swivels as they feel that the more connecting joints on a rig, more failures would occur. They are neither right nor wrong. Again, it all depends on the fishing situation & personal preferences.

A good assortment of clips & swivels

Why the need for clips?

A clip is to facilitate easy change of connecting terminal tackles. Among casting anglers, the snap is a must, as they need to regularly change lure & baits. There are some who feel that tying leader directly (using loop knots) to lure is more secured, more discreet & better presentation. This is partly true if the angler is experienced & is fishing with a proven lure. As for conventional bottom or float fishing with rigged baits, clips too allow easy change of rigs especially if the angler needs to swap pre-baited rigs on short intervals.

Imagine you are bait fishing at payponds & every minute counts. You can't afford to spend too much time loading baits. So the solution is to pre-tie about 2 or 3 identical rigs, load the first rig, cast it out & place the bait nicely. While waiting, you load the 2nd & 3rd rigs with baits. This will maximize your time in fishing. The snap gives you this capability.

What designs to consider?

I’m not too adventurous with clips & swivels; I mostly stick to 1 or 2 designs but using different sizes & coloration. One very important factor to consider when selecting clips is the shape of the bottom bend or loop.

Round loop

For lure fishing, I prefer to use those with large loops, able to move from one end to the other end at 180° wide. This allows the lure to have plenty of freedom to move, hence, more natural presentation. I also tend to use plain stainless steel clips to add to the shine, which tends to attract predatory fishes.

Sharp loop

For bait fishing, I would use those with small or even sharp loops. This design is most sensitive to bites due to the restricted movement. With regards to coloration, I mostly select those in black or carbon coated coating to reduce shine as some species of bottom feeding fishes. Shinny objects also easily spook herbivores fish.

If you are fishing in waters with brutes, is best to use double-lock clips to avoid breakage. They have a second lock just in case the first gets opened.

What Size to use?

A basic rule of thumb that I always practice is to use clips with poundage ratings that is two times stronger than mainline. If you are fishing with 10lb line, use a clip & swivel with ratings of at least 20 to 30lb but not being too oversized. You do not want your clips to fail while your line is still holding.

Why the need for swivels?

The swivel is to prevent line twist. This is important when fishing with monofilament lines which tends to twist a lot when subjected to repeated cast & retrieval. When fishing with Spinner lures, a swivel is a must, as spinners tend to twist the line more. There are also arguments saying that swivel tends to cause more snagging, I find this is also true.

What design to use?

When it comes to swivels, I mostly stick to one design. That is my favorite barrel swivel, which has served me well over the years. This simple swivel design is aerodynamic,  strong & comes in various sizes.

Barrel swivel

What size to use?

Just like clips, the basic rule of thumb that I use is to match the clip or two times stronger than the mainline.

To buy clips & swivels as a set or separately?

Personally, I prefer to buy clips & swivels separately. I always use larger clips with smaller/slimmer swivels with equal or near poundage ratings.

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