This Is The Only Time To Use A Swivel For Inshore Fishing

Allow me to introduce you to one of the most misused and misunderstood saltwater fishing tactics known to man…

The Swivel!

We have received numerous questions from our readers (and the Salt Strong Insider Club) regarding the use of swivels on fishing leaders while inshore fishing.

And after hearing so many different questions (and some horrible advice that accompanied in some of the comments), we knew we had to make this blog to clear up when (and when not) to use a swivel.

Here’s a short list of the most common questions about fishing swivels:

1. Should I use a swivel?
2. If so, where should I place the swivel on the leader assembly?
3. If I use a swivel, what knots should I use to tie a swivel to a leader?

So this post will address these 3 questions in hopes that it helps others become more aware of the pros and cons of swivels along with how to most effectively rig them when they’re used.

Note: If you have any tips you’d like to share about using swivels, then please use the Comments section at the bottom of this post so others can learn from you.

Should You Ever Use A Swivel For Inshore Fishing?

Many anglers have asked about using swivels, and the true answer is that it all depends on what type of fishing you’re doing and what sort of bait or lures you’re using.

From my experience (lots of inshore fishing and a fair amount of offshore fishing), I’ve found the best results going without swivels in most situations.

But there are certainly some instances where I believe swivels are necessary, so I absolutely always have at least one swivel in my tackle box at all times.

Since swivels should only be used in specific situations, we’ll cover those first before diving into the reasons why I believe swivels should be avoided in most cases further down in this post.

Why It’s Better To NOT Use Swivels (In Most Cases)

There are multiple benefits to NOT using swivels when it comes to inshore fishing.

Here are the top 3 reasons not to use swivels while inshore fishing (in my opinion).

1. Swivels put the more fragile main line at risk of getting weakened

Although the weight of most swivels is minimal, even the smallest amount of weight can cause the main line to drop lower than it would with a line to line knot which increases the odds of the lighter main line rubbing up against sharp objects on the bottom.

And when fishing shallow oyster bars with long casts, even the slightest dip of the line below the surface can cause the main line to rub up against the very sharp oyster shells which will create weak points in the line that often aren’t known until it’s too late and the biggest fish of the day got off from a broken line.

2. Swivels can damage rod guides

I remember the first time I noticed my brand new line looking like it was getting shredded by some sort of underwater structure.

But I was fishing grass flats so there really wasn’t anything out there that could do the damage that I was seeing…

So I started looking at my rod guides and noticed a slight fracture in the top one which was created a sharp edge inside the guide.

And as my line was getting retrieved, it was getting pulled directly over that sharp edge which was shredding my line.

After asking around trying to learn how that type of fracture was possible, I realized that a common cause of chipped rod guides is from swivels that get reeled up too far and slam up into the guide.

All it takes is one forceful blow, and the rod tip will need to be replaced or else your line will get shredded by any sharp edges from the fracture.

Not fun!

3. Time – It takes longer to tie two knots for the swivel than one line-to-line knot

This one is minimal and of course dependent on how comfortable you are with line to line knots compared to line to swivel knots, but it’s still a factor.

And sometimes every second counts when the fish are feeding.

If you are using a swivel because you can’t tie a line-to-line fishing knot, here is my advice…

LEARN how to tie a solid line-to-line knot (like the FG knot).

However, if you are in a situation when a swivel really is the best solution, here are the answers to the other two most popular questions we get about saltwater fishing swivels.

When It’s OK To Use A Swivel

The core benefit of a swivel is to prevent your line from twisting, so situations in which line twists are a risk is when swivels should be used.

Note: Line twists are bad for anglers because twists can weaken the line and they also can cause the line to get itself into knots when casting (ex: those pesky wind knots).

The only situations when I use swivels are:

1. When using a casting lure that is prone to twist during the retrieve (ex: weedless spoon)
2. When trolling live/dead baits that are likely to twist (ex: trolling ballyhoo while offshore fishing)
3. When soaking live/dead baits in areas with current

And when using lures/baits that have a low risk of causing line twists (which is almost always for most inshore anglers), I’ll simply use my line to line knots to make the connection… explained below.

Where Should You Place The Swivel?

In the rare instances when you would use a swivel for inshore fishing, here is my advice.

The ideal place to have a swivel (if you’re going to use one) is at the top of the leader… away from your lure/hook.

This allows for the swivel to be on the line to absorb line twists from the bait without being an unsightly bulk right next to the bait that can cause more fish to get spooked.

Note: If you’re inshore fishing, then I highly recommend reading a post about tying leaders that I did specifically for inshore anglers (click here).

What Knots To Use For A Swivel?

Before hosting many knot tests over the past year and half since launching Salt Strong, I used to just use whichever knot a trusted friend or family member taught me while growing up.

Because I thought that as long as my knots aren’t unraveling, then they are the top choice.

But I no longer feel that way after seeing firsthand how significant one knot’s breaking point can be compared to another knot the didn’t slip either (sometimes one is over 30% better than another).

So I now always recommend for everyone to make time to test out knots with whichever line you line to use to make sure that you’re maximizing your overall line strength.

Here are links to some of my knot contests which show exactly how to tie the top knots for each type of connection in case you’d like to see the results from my testing:

Line-to-Line Knot Contests

• Braid to Leader
• Mono to Leader

Line to Hook/Lure/Swivel Contests

• Braid to Swivel
• Mono To Hook/Lure/Swivel

Conclusion

There are many applications for swivels in saltwater fishing, but when it comes to inshore fishing I’ve been finding the best results WITHOUT them (except when using lures that are prone to twisting line or offshore fishing when you have a bait that is twisting).

Although a swivel certainly can’t prevent all twists from moving up into the main line, they certainly can help prevent some twisting.

And if you have a different fishing application where swivels can be helpful, then I’d certainly love to hear about it…

Just use the comments section below so others can benefit from your knowledge too.

Fish On!

Related Posts:

• How To Tie A Fishing Leader for Redfish, Snook, and Trout
• How To Make A Grouper Rig That Saves Time, Money, & Marine Life

P.S. – If you think your angler friends or fishing networks would like to see this, please Tag them or Share this with them. It would mean a lot to me.