Help with what Knipex to buy

Since I’m taking by boat to Canada this fall, I decided I should get me a pair of my own Knipex just in case I need to cut some Hooks out of a fish or worse yet out of someone’s body. I had no idea they had so many offerings till I went to their Web site. I believe what I want for cutting large gage hooks is a Bolt cutter rather than a side cutter. Even narrowing it down to bolt cutters there are lots of choices. So many look and sound the exact same. I can’t really tell the difference in them. For those of you that own a knipex, What model do you use????

This is what I have for musky fishing.

Knipex Hook Cutters

Call thorne brothers.

This is the one basically every musky guy uses. I don’t have one but this is probably the best one.

Knipex Hook Cutter

KNIPEX – 71 01 200 Tools – CoBolt Compact Bolt Cutter (7101200), 8-Inch https://a.co/d/cL03YCy Is the one I have . 40 bucks on Amazon

One difference I see is that some have a 20 deg. angle to the cutting part. See any advantage in angled or strait. I also notice that some are spring loaded to aid in opening. I would think this would be helpful if useing solo and possibly only one hand to work with – Thoughts ???

I’ve used all those models and prefer the standard 8″ straight, 71 01 200 that andy linked. Spring loaded is fine too. They’re all good, don’t overthink it. Just make sure you tether them.

isu22andy wrote:

KNIPEX – 71 01 200 Tools – CoBolt Compact Bolt Cutter (7101200), 8-Inch
40 bucks on Amazon

I’ve used knipex and other cheap off brand cutters. There is a reason most muskie fisherman use Knipex. They are awesome. You can cut fishing line with them too. Spring loaded ones are nice. I have 1 for my pontoon and another for my fishing boat. Sucks when you have to use them to cut a hook out of yourself verses a fish.

What part of Canada ? Manitoba and Ontario are barbless, so if someone gets a hook in the flesh, it should remove easily, compared to having to shove it all the way through and cutting off the barb ?

big_g wrote:

What part of Canada ? Manitoba and Ontario are barbless, so if someone gets a hook in the flesh, it should remove easily, compared to having to shove it all the way through and cutting off the barb ?

Even with pinched barbs, We have often needed to use the knipex to cut hooks out of Hands, Arms, Fingers, Legs, Ect. If the barbed end is all the way through Id rather cut the hook and advance the hook through from that side rather than back the Pinched Barb end all the way back trough. On some lures you can only pinch those bards down so far. Even when pinched rather well its not always easy to back that end back out. Far easier than with the full barb, but still not easy or painless. Depending on how deep the point is I sometimes find it less painless to push through and cut rather than back out.

Funny story from our spring trip. We had a Newbie with us for the first time catching and hand landing bigger pike. Sure enough we hear him yell while taking a fish off and he’s got a hook in his finger. After managing to get the fish unhooked and released it, it was hook removal time. My buddy ( his father in law ) was excited as a kid in a candy store getting to put his hook removal skills to work. Since the hook point was almost threw we decided to push it through and cut the point and back it out. All went fine till after the hook was out, the guy tossed the big pliers he had been holding into the lake. When my buddy told him what he did he didn’t even realize he tossed them. Funny as hell. I guess he was a little shook up.

fishthumper wrote:

We have often needed to use the knipex to cut hooks out of Hands, Arms, Fingers, Legs, Ect.

Good lord use a net, or lip gripper, or literally anything other that what you guys are doing – it doesn’t have to be that way…

Ontario isn’t barbless.

I ended up going with these. I liked the idea of the Spring and locking feature as well as the Tether feature.

https://www.knipex-tools.com/products/bolt-cutters/knipex-cobolt-compact-bolt-cutters/cobolt-high-leverage-compact-bolt-cutters/7132200TBKA

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Ontario Fishing Regs is not real clear on their Barbless rules… seems some trout fishing is barbless. I wasn’t sure, thanks for clarifying. I didn;’t think we pinched barbs back in the 90’s in Sioux Narrows.

big_g wrote:

Ontario Fishing Regs is not real clear

Or just in general… Ontario regs book is brutal. I think it makes the MN fishing regs look like a children’s book in comparison. The barbless regs for Ontario vary by lake, park, fish species, and even the season! The only thing I’m sure of is that it’s not province wide barbless like Manitoba.

I have this on my boat. Not a Musky guy though. Had to use it on myself last year and worked fine after a bigger Northern gave one last head shake.

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tswoboda wrote:

<div class=”d4p-bbt-quote-title”>fishthumper wrote:</div>
We have often needed to use the knipex to cut hooks out of Hands, Arms, Fingers, Legs, Ect.

Good lord use a net, or lip gripper, or literally anything other that what you guys are doing – it doesn’t have to be that way…

Ontario isn’t barbless.

A net is a masive big mess on Big pike. They react much different in a net than most Muskie. I hate to think of the # of fish that would not release alive if we use a net on them. Have never used a lip grabber but would think that would be a real issue as well. For the most part the hand landing is the way to go. 99% of the time once you get a grip locked in on them you have great control of them and hook removal becomes real simple and the fish is released back in the water quickly and swims away great.

Umy wrote:

I have this on my boat. Not a Musky guy though. Had to use it on myself last year and worked fine after a bigger Northern gave one last head shake.

Side cutters like those will not work real well on Large heavy gage hooks that are found on most large pike/muskie baits. They will work fine on smaller gage hooks though

tswoboda wrote:

Good lord use a net

I am also in the camp of using a muskie net for big pike. Its designed for it. They are in the water the whole time while you work on removing those hooks. Safer for the fish, safer for the hands.

Granted, I rarely catch any here that I would call “big” but the chances are higher when I’m specifically targeting muskies. Used it a couple weeks ago on a 33.5 inch pike and a 38 inch tiger.

When I catch a sizable pike while I’m bass fishing I obviously don’t have my muskie net with me so then I put on the lindy glove, gill plate them, and go to work. I much prefer using a muskie net than this manual hand nonsense.

fishthumper wrote:

A net is a masive big mess on Big pike.

I get it esox love to gator roll in the net and it’s a pain to deal with when you’re catching a bunch of big ones (first world problems, right). My post was mostly tongue in cheek reacting to the line about cutting hooks from all parts of the body. I think you’ve had similar comments in the past so I have this vision of you guys pulling hooks out of people every day like it’s a fishing trip tradition or a badge of honor

I know some muskie guides use lip grippers or boga grips to help with hook removal. I wonder how Northern Sask resort guides handle fish since they probably have more time and experience landing big esox than anyone. I can’t imagine they’re putting hooks in hands multiple times every summer.

Oh and not all nets are created equal. Frabill makes 1 really good heavy bag but their others are trash. The original Beckmans were awesome too but the new ones are garbage.

tswoboda wrote:

The original Beckmans were awesome

That’s the version I have. My Grandfather gave it to me in 2012 before he died of cancer so it has some sentimental value as well. I don’t know what year it is but he had and used it for at least a decade before he passed.

Ive put lots of nice pike in a musky net just fine and havnt had a mess. Look into drifter nets. I think the net material makes a huge difference.

tswoboda wrote:

I know some muskie guides use lip grippers or boga grips to help with hook removal. I wonder how Northern Sask resort guides handle fish since they probably have more time and experience landing big esox than anyone. I can’t imagine they’re putting hooks in hands multiple times every summer.

The two people who I know have been with a Guide fishing BIG pike in Canada said a guide would never use a net on a Big pike. They do not even have one in the boat. They don’t even let the fishermen land or hold their own fish. They often remove all but 1 or two hooks from all lures fished. As to how often they get a hook in a body part, they said several times a summer. My two buddies each asked their guides the question.

gim wrote:

I am also in the camp of using a muskie net for big pike. Its designed for it. They are in the water the whole time while you work on removing those hooks. Safer for the fish, safer for the hands.

To each their own. This will be my 3rd try at posting this reply. Hope it works this time. Every Big pike ( 40″+ ) that we have netted with a quality Muskie net, has turned into a big disaster. Just something about how pike roll with 3 sets or treble hooks that turns into a real cluster F. There is a big difference between a large muskie caught out of warn/hot water and a Big pike caught out of cool/cold Canadian water. I watch videos where someone nets a Muskie and it just sits in the net calm while the fishermen reached down and removes the hooks. This has never happened with a pike. Most of the time the pike ends up wrapped and pinned tight like a burrito. I bet the release time using a net is 3-4X longer. It doesn’t matter if the fish is in the water the whole time or not if its not upright with its gills working properly. Those fish once released are not likely to survive.

gim wrote:

tswoboda wrote:
The original Beckmans were awesome

That is the same net we own and use.

Youbetcha wrote:

Ive put lots of nice <em class=”ido-tag-em”>pike in a musky net just fine and havnt had a mess. Look into drifter nets. I think the net material makes a huge difference.

I may have to check out the drifter nets.

Good points Fishthumper. My experience with pike is around here and they aren’t 40 inchers out of cooler Canadian water. Your experience with them is much different, with bigger fish, in colder water, hundreds of miles north of here, not in the summer. Many factors to consider. Mortality is a factor in the heat of summer with warm water temps. In colder Canadian water, not as much.

fishthumper wrote:

There is a big difference between a large muskie caught out of warn/hot water and a Big pike caught out of cool/cold Canadian water. I watch videos where someone nets a Muskie and it just sits in the net calm while the fishermen reached down and removes the hooks.

And how many muskies have you landed or been in the boat for? I’ve watched videos of pike laying next to the boat while getting unhooked but I don’t assume that’s what they all do. You really think a musky that eats with 14″ of line out and hits the bag 5 seconds later just lays there and opens its mouth like it’s at the dentist?

Was it the fin-saver with the really small mesh on the sidewalls and normal big mesh on bottom and top? If so the Drifters are for sure no better. The Frabill heavy coated net bag model #4666 is by far the best esox net available for being tangle free.

tswoboda wrote:

<div class=”d4p-bbt-quote-title”>fishthumper wrote:</div>
There is a big difference between a large muskie caught out of warn/hot water and a Big pike caught out of cool/cold Canadian water. I watch videos where someone nets a Muskie and it just sits in the net calm while the fishermen reached down and removes the hooks.

And how many muskies have you landed or been in the boat for? I’ve watched videos of pike laying next to the boat while getting unhooked but I don’t assume that’s what they all do. You really think a musky that eats with 14″ of line out and hits the bag 5 seconds later just lays there and opens its mouth like it’s at the dentist?

I generally just tell the muskie if it doesnt hold still I will hit his pontoon with 1/2 ounce jigs in his boat lift. Works everytime.

I have a beckman musky net and I plastidipped the bag WAAY back before they were coated or anything. Makes a huge difference. Do they even make nets anymore? There have to be rubberized nets now and that will make a big difference. I remember when cradles were all the craze, funny you never see them anymore. My buddy even had that Frabil massive one, man did that hog up space in the boat. Big Kahuna I think it was called.

tswoboda wrote:

And how many muskies have you landed or been in the boat for?

After fishing Miskies for 20 or so years I’d say a fair amount of them. I can tell you I never had as much of a issue with a Muskie in a net or Cradle as I’ve seen the times we have decided to net a pike. Each year on each trip we almost always think its a good idea to net the first Big pike we get and after doing so we normally always say the same thing ” Not doing that again ” and don’t use it again. Just so we are clear, Its not like every day someone gets a hook in a hand or other body part. But with 4-6 guys fishing for 6-7 days 2 times a year, it does end up happening from time to time. You have to remember we are talking about 40-60 40″ fish a year and Countless 30-40″ fish. My buddy who have been making 2-3 trips each year for probably 25+ years now has probably caught and released more 40″+ fish than 99%+ of fishermen. Till I started going to Canada with him 5 or so years ago, I had never caught a 40″ fish. Now I have probably caught over 50+. If we were talking 1-2 fish a year and not likely to get another one for a year I would net everyone of them. wasn’t buying the Knipex in hopes of needing them to cut a hook out of a body, was just getting them in case I needed to. We also use them a fair amount to cut hooks in fish when they are hooked bad and to give the fish the best chance to survive its better and quicker to cut hooks rather than try and get them out with a pliers.