swivel considerations

[alcom]

Which of these swivel types have you found to be most effective (spins easy and is reliable)? Have you had a bad experience with any of them?

* Simple brass barrel
<http://www.basspro.com/Bass-Pro-Shops-Barrel-Swivel/product/7819/>

* SS ball bearing
<http://www.basspro.com/Bass-Pro-Shops-Ball-Bearing-Swivel-with-Solid-Ring/product/7823/>

* Wind-on (sometimes offered with 3-4 segments)
<http://www.basspro.com/Offshore-Angler-WindOn-Swivel/product/22764/>

When it comes to cost/performance, which delivers best value?

[OldTimer]

I have never used a "wind-on".

IMO:

Best Value = cheap painted black steel from offshore (aka JUNK)............. but I prefer brass to these

Spins the easiest = ball bearing............. (but a Chevy will still get you to the same place as a Cadillac at half the price)

Can't have both................. you git whats ya pay for. And nothing will ensure 100% zero line twist.

But more to the point - unless you're doing a lot of trolling with big spinners, or rolling big baits along the bottom....etc......... why would you need to use any swivels at all. Keep it simple............

Cheers,

OldTimer

[mrclownprince]

I think brass or ss would make a difference in salt water. Not entirely sure though.

[mcfly]

I haven't had issues with the brass one, but the brass snap swivel from bass pro has lost me many fish and lures by breaking at the snap. Never had just the swivel break though.

I use the SS ball bearing swivel in my heavier set ups for pike, carp, or anything big and the brass ones for perch, panfish and small bass. Recently I stopped caring about price and just pick up the SS ball bearing swivels but I think it's because I'm after larger fish and it feels more solid.

For my slip sinker rig, I use the SS ball bearing swivel as the sinker stopper and it's the connection from my main line and my leader. The brass swivel is on my main line and is attached to a small break-away leader to the sinker. Great sensitivity for bottom fishing and if you snag your sinker, you can lose it and still land the fish. I fish some spots where snags are virtually guaranteed.

[MichaelAngelo]

I try to tie direct as much as possible, but use a swivel about 12-18" up the line to join my fluorocarbon leader to my mainline. Honestly, the only thought I put into swivel choice is that I like them small and discrete to improve my presentation, no matter what I'm fishing for. No need to use a 60lb swivel if you have 12 lb main line.

[MuskieBait]

Depends on what you are fishing for...

Most of the time, I used a #8 black of these. They hold up to 44lb (according to BPS) and that's plenty for most of the fish in Ontario. I use them in saltwater too for smaller fish, but you have to rinse them after use or they will corrode over time.

http://www.basspro.com/Bass-Pro-Shops-Ba...duct/7819/

If I need something stronger for larger fish or to fish in saltwater, I've been using these - #2 for general, 1/0 if I am tying up for a grouper rig or a trolling rig for something larger.

http://www.basspro.com/Offshore-Angler-E.../10204581/

For bottom rigs (high-low and bottom bouncing rigging like slinky), I like to use these cross swivels (from #8 to #2). The #8 test out to 30lbs...but I can tell you that I've caught heavier fish with that #8 (over its lb test). As long as you rinse them after use, these can be used in saltwater...otherwise, they do corrode over time.

http://www.basspro.com/Offshore-Angler-C...uct/22763/

If I need a heavier 3-way connection for big fish, I generally don't like to use those cross swivels. If I need to tie a shark rig that looks like a bolt rig, I just attach a cross-lok snap on the "upper" swivel ring (the one tied to your mainline) to attach a sinker to that snap. I don't trust the construction of those 3-way swivel for larger fish...

[alcom]

(07-02-2013 04:19 PM)OldTimer Wrote:  I have never used a "wind-on".

IMO:

Best Value = cheap painted black steel from offshore (aka JUNK)............. but I prefer brass to these

Spins the easiest = ball bearing............. (but a Chevy will still get you to the same place as a Cadillac at half the price)

Can't have both................. you git whats ya pay for. And nothing will ensure 100% zero line twist.

But more to the point - unless you're doing a lot of trolling with big spinners, or rolling big baits along the bottom....etc......... why would you need to use any swivels at all. Keep it simple............

Cheers,

OldTimer

I've experienced severe line twist in two situations:

* Letting the churn beneath a waterfall devour a Rapala (that delivered a nice 6 lb walleye, but my line would twist into loops afterwards)

* Drifting a worm on a bare hook down a fast moving stream, holding it back from time to time

When I get bad line twist, I'll feed out bare line into a fast moving stream and then crank it in under light tension.

I often use a slip sinker, and a swivel makes for a dual-purpose line stop.

[Sailor Joe]

Since I fish saltwater consistently, all I ever carry are these: http://www.spro.com/ProductDetails.asp?P...SHSB%2DALL

Picture is not to scale. These swivels are quite small. And for whatever reason, fish sometimes go after the swivel instead of the hook. Not sure why that is...

[OldTimer]

(07-03-2013 09:01 AM)alcom Wrote:  I often use a slip sinker, and a swivel makes for a dual-purpose line stop.

Yes - I do the same when going for Channel Cats. (30# Brass swivels). Or in the salt.

Otherwise in freshwater I feel that a swivel just adds unneeded knots that may fail, and a hang up point for weeds and debris.

I may use a SNAP-swivel with big spinners.

But - I note that using a snap swivel on many "plugs" actually destroys the action....... Ponder this - If a snap and/or a swivel improved action - it would be part of the lures as sold.

Cheers,

OldTimer

[MuskieBait]

I never like the idea of wind on swivels...a piece of metal on a line under pressure going through the guides on a bend rod...sounds like damage guide to me...unless you are using roller guides...

Even a big knot tied with 60lb mono can rip out guide inserts (nevermind cracking them) on the cast. My Hawaiian friends who cast 8-12oz weight on 60-80lb mono using big conventional reels like Penn 6/0 will not fish with rods that has guide inserts. They prefer simple stainless steel guides instead. Too many guide inserts had popped out and cracked for them in the past.

I can just imagine what a wind on metal swivel can do.