Should you use snap swivels with lures?
No. Snap swivels do not add enough time saving value to offset the lower number of fish strikes that you will receive because of a bad lure presentation. Do not use snap swivels with lures especially for fishing inshore like on the grass flats; around the mangroves; or around docks.
It takes less than 30 seconds to tie on a lure to your line. This takes into account a loop knot; a fishermen's clinch knot; a palomar knot; a uni knot and just about any other knot that you can think of.
You will get many less bites when using a snap swivel. It is just not worth ruining the presentation of your lures just to save a little bit of time.
The author of this article is a FISHING CHARTER CAPTAIN. He has been fishing the grass flats, oyster bars and mangroves all over Florida for more than 40 years.
In the article below, we will talk about some of the uses for snap swivels.
Let's get started.
Watch the video below to learn more about snap swivels and lures.
No. Snap swivels do not add enough time saving value to offset the lower number of fish strikes that you will receive because of a bad lure presentation. Do not use snap swivels with lures especially for fishing inshore like on the grass flats; around the mangroves; or around docks.
It takes less than 30 seconds to tie on a lure to your line. This takes into account a loop knot; a fishermen's clinch knot; a palomar knot; a uni knot and just about any other knot that you can think of.
You will get many less bites when using a snap swivel. It is just not worth ruining the presentation of your lures just to save a little bit of time.
The author of this article is a FISHING CHARTER CAPTAIN. He has been fishing the grass flats, oyster bars and mangroves all over Florida for more than 40 years.
In the article below, we will talk about some of the uses for snap swivels.
Let's get started.
Watch the video below to learn more about snap swivels and lures.
Do swivels affect lures?
The answer to this question is yes. Lures are specifically engineered to perform perfectly in the water right out of the box. When you add or subtract something from a lure you will definitely affect the performance of the lure.
This is especially true when you are fishing with hard baits like top water, suspending lures and twitch baits. Those are are designed to look natural as they are being fished. A snap swivel will often make them lean too far forward in the water column and have a negative effect on the lure's performance and action.
When the water is clear the fish can see the lure better. Anything added to the front of the lure like a swivel will lead to less strikes in clean water. You can get away with swivels and snap swivels when the water is murky or if you are fishing in low light scenarios but most of the time it will lead to fewer hook ups.
There are many sharp eyed fish species that use sight more than others. Tarpon have large eyes and will notice your swivels in clear water. Snook and spotted sea trout will also notice your extra hardware attached to your lures in clear water too.
Even a fluorocarbon leader can scare off finicky fish in clear water. What do you think will happen when they see a big piece of metal hardware hanging off the front of your lure?
That's right. You will catch a lot fewer fish.
I wrote an article on this website all about using the correct leaders and fishing lines to catch more fish. You can read it by clicking right here.
Should I use a snap swivel with a spoon?
Some spoons are specifically designed to be fished with a snap swivel. When a lure is designed and manufactured to include a swivel or snap swivel, then your lure action will most likely not be affected in a negative way.
You will still get fewer bites in clear water conditions because the fish will see the extra metal on the front of the lure. Most spoons are designed and come with a small barrel swivel attached to the front of the lures.
The barrel swivel is attached to help from twisting up your line after repeated casting and lure spinning. The twisted line will lead to a big birds nest on your spool if you let it get twisted. You can even tie another small barrel swivel a few feet away from the lure to minimize line twists even more.
Tying a leader directly to your spoon is the best visual presentation for fishing with spoons. You can fish with them this way as long as there is a barrel swivel further up the line to help stop your line from getting twisted up. This set up is great for vertical jigging with a spoon too.
Spoons are one of the lures that are most prone to twisting up your fishing line with repeated casting.
Spoons are effective because they are a reactionary bite for the fish. The low frequency vibrations that the spoon sends out through the water column and the flashes in the sunlight and moonlight are the characteristics that make a spoon so effective.
I would say that one of the only lures that wont be affected as much by a swivel or snap swivel would be a spoon. They work because of their erratic retrievals and flashy presentations. The fish usually don't take a very good look at the spoon because they are just reacting to the lure.
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Conclusion:
The bottom line with using snap swivels and barrel swivels with lures will lead to less fish on the line. There are some time savings to be had by using snap swivels instead of retying every time but those are offset by the lower number of strikes that you will get.
Let's assume that it takes 30 seconds to tie on a new lure instead of snapping another one on with a snap swivel. Let's also assume that you have to retie 9 times during your fishing adventure. Let's also assume that it takes 10 seconds to put another lure on with a snap swivel.
This means that you will only save 180 seconds in a whole day of fishing by using a snap swivel. That is a time savings of only 3 minutes in a whole day of fishing.
On the other hand, you will have lost countless fish bites because of your lure's poor presentation. Trust me when I tell you that it is just not worth it. Practice tying your fishing knots so that you can do them more efficiently and effectively.
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