By Nick Simonson

When it comes to tiny tackle, no piece is more overlooked than the split ring.  Whether it’s used as a tie-in point on spoon to provide a little bit more wiggle or utilized in securing a pair of treble hooks to a favorite crankbait, the split ring is a small part of a lure that can make a big difference on the water.  Without the right tools and mindset, opening and manipulating them can be one of the most frustrating facets of fishing, right up there with farsighted middle-age vision trying to thread monofilament through a hook eye.  Being able to manipulate these small accessories is also important in adjusting presentations and modifying baits to get the most out of them with each fishing trip.  What follows are a few guidelines for assessing split rings with a vital tool and accessing them easily for pre-season and on-the-water modifications to favorite baits.

Whether at the vise creating crankbaits, in-line spinners or other offerings which use split rings to secure hooks to lure bodies, the key tool for this component is a split ring plier.  With a small tooth jutting down from the end of the plier’s top jaw, an angler can easily open one of the metal wraps of a split ring so that it can be fed into and wrapped through a metal loop or a hook connector on the created or purchased lure. Sure, other tools such as knife edges or small nails can be utilized in a pinch; but the split-ring plier is far and away a safer and easier choice, and provides the added leverage of being able to turn the ring until it is in place and all wraps of the metal are located inside the connection point or the hook eye. Plus, the odds of injury with a plier are a whole lot less in comparison to a sharp blade, which as any good outdoors person worth his or her salt will tell you with a grin, is designed for cutting only.

This time of year, as tackleboxes get a once over and stocks of favorite baits are assessed, a change in hooks is often on an agenda associated with this spring cleaning of sorts.  A split ring plier makes short work of that task and allows for a quick swap of fresh treble hooks versus those that likely received some wear last season.  It’s always good to inspect those connection points on bigger baits, such as in-line spinners for muskies and pike, as the weakest point is where lures and lines will give way.  Double check to see that split rings are rust and damage free and remove and replace them with new ones – or those that might even be stronger – to ensure that the fish of a lifetime doesn’t find a point of unlikely weakness in that lure pinned in the corner of its mouth.

Well worth the investment in at least one, if not a spare as well for the boat or connected to a favorite fishing vest, a split ring plier and a selection of split rings that can be used at a moment’s notice are an easy and inexpensive add to an angling arsenal.  Take the time now to review split ring needs on favorite lures and be set for all the great spring fishing action to come, ensuring strong connections and quick field repair options are at hand as the season gets underway.