Frankly, speaking, I have never thought to write about this piece of fishing equipment. Probably what forced me to write is the peculiarity of the fishing tackle market in Canada, specifically Walmart and Canadian Tire.
FUNCTIONS
A fishing snap is a small but crucial piece of fishing tackle with several important functions designed to enhance the fishing experience. Here are the primary functions of a fishing snap:
1. Quick Lure Changes: The primary function of a fishing snap is to allow anglers to quickly and easily change lures or leaders without the need to tie new knots. This is especially useful when fishing conditions change rapidly, or when experimenting with different lures to find what works best. Rigid and high-quality stainless steel will ensure that you can open and close your snap multiple times without deforming it and possibly compromising its strength. Also, the right design is important; below, I will comment on a few fishing snaps that you can find on the shelves of Walmart and Canadian Tire.
2. Reduced Line Twist: Snaps can help in reducing stress and twist on the fishing line. When a lure is directly tied to the line, it can cause more twists and potentially cause a bird’s nest on your reel. A swivel that is on a snap allows the lure to move more freely, thereby reducing line twist. Now, from my 25 years of fishing experience, the only time I needed a swivel is when fishing with a cheap spinning reel (the reel that has a problem with laying the line, e.g., does not have a ball bearing in the line roller. Usually, reels that cost $30 and higher don’t have this problem). When I started fishing with better-quality fishing reels and pretty much any baitcaster, I have NEVER had a problem with twisted line because of a lure. I can’t say about saltwater fishing with heavy lures, though. Please let me know your experience in the comments below.
3. Enhanced Lure Action: Certain types of snaps can actually improve the action of some lures. By allowing more unrestricted movement, snaps can enable lures to move more naturally in the water, potentially making them more attractive to fish. It is easy to find out if your snap possesses this quality. The wider the loop of a snap, the more play the lure will have. Especially, it is important when fishing with hard baits, spoons, and other lures that tend to swing side to side or have wobbling actions.
4. Strength and Security: High-quality snaps are designed to be strong and secure, ensuring that lures or leaders remain attached during casting, retrieval, and, most importantly, when a fish is hooked. First of all, keep in mind – not all snaps are designed to attach your lure to the line; some, for example, are designed for bobbers or floats attachment. So such a snap, as shown in the picture below, will open once you have a big enough fish on the other end of your line.
Another aspect to consider is material that a snap is made of. – quality and thickness of stainless steel. Ussually more rigit material indicates of high quality and strength.
5. Lure Presentation. The fishing snap attached to the lure inevitably plays a big part in lure presentation. Actually, this paragraph probably should be the first on the list. You always want to have the most miniature fishing snap on your lure. WHY? Because you are trying to entice fish to bite, and the more realistic your lure looks, the bigger chance you have to catch fish. Well, one may object: “I have caught tons of fish using THIS big snap” … I don’t doubt that there is a place and a time when fish don’t particularly care about the size of your snap. Having said that, there is also a place and a time when they care. If you have ever attended a fishing tournament, you know what I am talking about. Sportsmen always try to use as small a snap as possible, and there is a reason for that. Another disadvantage of a bigger snap is the weight – excessive weight can easily ruin the presentation or even action of your lure, especially if it is a small lure also known as Bait Finesse System (BFS).
The design of a snap itself also plays role in the overal looks of your lure. While 2 snaps might be of a same size, one snap might luke significantly more bulky then another, see this 2 pictures:
WHEN I NEED A SWIVEL
Once again, I personally have not needed a swivel in the last 20 years of fishing. The only time when you might need it is while using spinners or other lures that spin a lot while you retrieve them. If you use them for the whole day of fishing, then maybe it will be helpful. And I must also say that the only effective design of swivels that REALLY prevents twisting of your line is shown in the picture below.
Now I will comment on few fishing snaps that are found in Walmart and Canadian tire:
Eagle Glaw = $1.07 \ 7pcs in Walmart
- Weak! not for fishing lures!
- Bulky
- heavy
- low quality useless swivel
- cheap material
Eagle Claw + $3\ 3pcs in Walmart
- Bulky
- heavy
- Good quality swivel, though
- cheap material
Mustad fishing snap = $5 \ 12pcs in Canadian Tire
- Weak! not for fishing lures!
- Bulky
- heavy
- Looks like better quality then previous
XCalibur fishing snaps = $5 \ 7 pcs in Canadian Tire
- Bulky
- heavy
- Useless swivel
- kinda OK materials
Mustad snap $3.2 \ 10pcs in Canadian Tire. Unfortunatelly I have not found them in Canadian Tire in Surrey…. I used to buy them in Winkler MB, as it was only one kind of decent fishing snaps that can be usefull in the stores in area.
- Miniature
- Small and light
- NO swivel is a plus!
- Good strong stainless steel;
- Miniature
- Small and light
- NO swivel is a plus!
- Premium strong stainless steel;!
- Wide openning ensure best action of your lure!
Just to compare the size of fishing snaps.
Here is a quick video on how to easily open a fishing snap:
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