NEVER Tie Your Lures On Using THESE Two Ways… 

I personally use snaps for all crankbaits, mag drafts, and glidebaits. Size 0 snaps are rated for 35lbs perfectly fine for crankbaits and 12lb fluro. A size 1 snap is rated for 80lbs, and perfect for glides and mag drafts and 20lb fluro. Boat flip with confidence!

I have been fishing for 60 years and have tried almost every way to attach a line to a lure. Three years ago I found Mustad's Fastatach. This is an easy to use and so far safe way to hook up. I have not lost a fish due to this quality terminal tackle.

Great info Randy. Thanks for sharing.

I always use a snap on any hard bait so that it's easy to change out baits. Since I've never had one fail I don't have any reason not to use. Mikey Balzz always does this and the number of double digits he's caught with them are hard to argue with

So... The fish can see your loop knot made of fluorocarbon, but they can't see your METAL split ring? What about that giant blade on top of the Chatterbait? And that great big wire arm and blades on a spinnerbait? And those great big hooks on the jerk bait? I'm not sure that a loop knot would be the determining factor for a bath to reject one of these hard baits. Maybe I'm wrong

Great point on the tying to the split ring. I always make sure I tie with the split ring split is riding on the lure eye.

Split rings are definitely the way to go!

Use a oval split ring keeps line from getting into the ring opening 😊

I use snaps when kayak fishing and haven't had any issues. The less you have to retie, the more time to fish. If the fish don't notice the other hardware on a lure, they sure as shit won't notice a size 1 snap. I do replace them every few trips to the metal won't get brittle..Works for me..

I fish mainly for brown trout because of the types of water near me in the sierras. But when i’m fishing light line on small creeks i use a Japanese micro snap swivel because i’am moving very fast and sometimes will switch out 8+ colors of lures before the fish strike, countless times i have changed to the last color in the box in a hole and finally get reaction, so i like the snaps for that.

Totally disagree I am a multi species angler spending a lot of time fishing big strong musky, pike ,bluefish and striped bass and never had a snap fail I doubt a 5 lb bass would straighten out a snap .

I ALWAYS use little tiny snaps and have caught LOTS of huge fish and never had an issue.

This had me thinking about the zero fish I've lost on my chatterbait connections due to a bad snap.

Over 30 years of use and I have never had a snap fail🤷‍♂️

Split ring on a frog will make it turn more without moving forward as much

Ive caught 35lb plus stripers from shore with locked drag with snaps. Throw out a snap after about 10 switches. Buy quality snaps and you'll be fine. Bkk fcl are great. Best splits for big fish are owner ultra or hyperwire which are a bit lighter

What about walking baits and poppers? I've always tied directly to both. I know that in theory, a walking bait should swing wider with a ring, but I've never found much difference and feel like I have more control without any hardware…

This was a good video. I encourage you to do more like this.

The correct snap _direct_ to the line tie. On crankbaits with rattles and trebles, it's hard to believe the snap gets less bites. If the snap breaks, so be it; alert the media. But MY evidence ... I've _never_ broken off ... _with a failed snap STILL on my line._ And ... I've broken off A LOT as a bank angler.

I tie on my jig heads and any lure without a snap ring with a loop knot. I think it gives lures a better action and it's a very reliable knot. I agree with you about snaps. Chatterbaits are the exception, I'd use whatever it comes with. I have used big thick snaps on swivels made for marlin when I trolled a lot in Costa Rica for tuna and mahi mahi. That was so I could pre rig trolling lures and leaders and be able to change them. But I also have a theory that in that situation the lure looks like it's chasing something. I use a swivel once in a while if I use real bait with a Carolina rig type thing, just to keep the weight from banging into the hook or forcing fhe bait to the bottom. Other than trolling or attaching a leader for bait I don't use any extra crap on my line. Just braid tied to a mono leader about 24"-36" long and a lure, usually with a loop knot. I caught a stingray about 40 lbs after a 20 minute war on that setup a couple weeks ago, on 10 lb braid. Don't do that.

Randy, AS ALWYAS I aprpreciate your tips and even your observations/opinions!

I have used snaps for over 30 years and they have failed me twice, both on snags, not on fish. Also, some topwaters work better when tied direct. Rick Clunn ties direct when using a Pop R or a Rico, just as an example.

Use Salt water snaps! They will not brake I been using them for years.

Good one , loved it

I use split rings mostly, or tie direct. I will use a good quality snap on lighter lures like a #5 or #7 Original Floating Rapala and 6 or 8 lb. test monofilament.

I never use a snap as well on any bait except my chatterbaits because it just doesn't look natural to the fish. I have a good mate who fishes with a snap a lot and i always outfish him. Not because i am a better angler i believe but because of my bait looking more natural to the fish.

Randy shares great information but his extremely opinionated take on snaps and braid to flouro don’t apply to most of us. If you’re not fishing for a huge paycheck and have been avoiding braid to flouro because of Randy you really should try it.

I don't use split rings on topwater baits, spooks / poppers but sometimes a non slip loop knot.

I intentionally tie separate knots in the split ring gap and trim them down to keep my line out of the gap.

This is the ONLY TIME I have to disagree with you in the many years I've followed u. I'm 72, I'm on the water for a shorter time than years ago and our eyesight isn't as good. Just on crankbaits is when I use them. Always Good Info Randy! Mic

I think snaps are great, but you can’t keep opening and closing them. Put the snap on the lure once then leave it on that bait. Just like you do with a bladed jig. Quit opening and closing the thing that’s what makes it weak and come open easy

I never use snaps myself,sometimes I'll use a swivel sometimes and quality split rings

Would you recommend split rings for frogs, poppers, and whopper ploppers?

I had that opinion on snaps coming down from my old mans opinion. Been using swivel snaps for the last 15-20 years and I've caught thousands of bass with squarebills and other jerkbaits without ever breaking even 1. The convenience of throwing multiple baits in a time frame on the same knot heavily out weighs the fact that there may come a day in my life when a snap actually fails me.

I use snaps. I do not use heavy line and I am not a pro.

Never buy more than a few Megaasses. Cost too much, cheap, and overrated.

How about the Norman speed clip, is it good?

Do your reels not have a drag, randy?

Never say never. We tie straight to the eye on #18 Rapalas after bending those nose wire loop eye downward. Tie using your favorite knot that goes twice through the nose eye. Twice through better secures the knot so that it stays positioned at the BOTTOM of the nose eye. Way better darting action. Muskie slayer. Reposition the knot as needed as it will eventually move, or even use superglue to keep it positioned at the bottom of the front nose eye. The weak rolling action of the #18 Rapala out of the box is drastically changed with the nose eye bend and direct tie positioning. Muskie lure makers know this trick and position the nose eyes on their homemade lures to facilitate this action.

I have not heard of Earth Shaker bladed jigs.

Do you suggest using split rings on frogs?

This is one of your sillier idiosyncrasies Randy. A good quality snap isn't any more likely to fail than any other connection. Being a single wire, and not doubled wire, snaps give greater freedom of movement than split rings. And they are essential for lures like bladebaits. And old-school thinking and logic called for snaps for jerkbaits and crankbaits, not split rings. Who fishes jerkbaits and crankbaits on 20-25# test? Nobody really, except for some rare extremes. Tjink about this: You'll fish your bladed jig around grass on a snap w 20# test, but won't fish a jerkbait on 6# w one in open water? Because of the prevalence of big Esox in northern waters, we often tie home-made leaders with snaps. And I've caught muskie and northern pike over 40" on fairly light duty snaps, without ever having any failure. Can they fail? Sure. But so can knots and split rings. And split rings can damage your line. I'm a firm believer that fsh don't straighten snaps or hooks, but anglers do. We all have biases, your biases are against snaps, braid, and braid to leader splices. And that's ok. But so is using a snap under the right circunstances. There are times for tying direct (braid to topwaters, loop knots to topwater, finesse applications, jigs etc), there are times for snaps (bladebaits, crankbaits, jerkbaits, glidebaits etc); there are even times where snap swivels make sense (inline spinners, and maybe some spoons). 2 cents.

So does this mean chatterbaits are at risk on large fish since they use snaps? If the answer is no, then the logic breaks down for everything else. Is this simply a matter of there is other alternative so just get over it?

Owner makes the best split rings that I've seen

Should I be using split rings with jigs as well?

Oval or pear shaped????

Johnson sprite or spoons , I use ball bearing swivel with split rings on top and bottom , split ring straight to the spoon eye , never use a cheap snap swivel , dad and I redfishing learned the hard way

I just tie to the lure, unless the lure came with a split ring 🤷‍♂️

Hey Randy - you and every subscriber on this channel needs to go watch the video Mikey Balzz just released ... it's time for a reality check & a wake-up call ...

Snap rings are for people too lazy to take an extra 30 seconds to tie on a different lure. After each catch or hang up I will quickly check my line for nicks and re-tie.

Preferably randy, I always use split rings, never trusted snaps they are weaker & can get unhooked.I never tie directly to the lure, split rings give more flexibility & are stronger, just my preference

Snaps are a joke. I’ve straightened them just tightening my knot on a chatterbait

I tie my Rapala balsa minnows directly and tight. Move the knot down so it points toward the bill and it makes the lure wiggle more. Every few casts, or after a bite, I check it to adjust the knot back down as needed. Seems to help.

I use snaps for most of my moving baits. I have a hard time seeing the opening on the split ring. If I start getting multiple bites I will then tie direct to the split ring. Every trip to the river the hot color changes, so a snap saves me time. I caught a 30# muskie this spring on a crank with a snap, but I change them as soon as they start to lose their stiffness. They definitely can break. PS. I love baits with oval split rings but have a hard time putting them on. Getting old 🤣

Split rings are definitely a better way to go and yea I have had these snaps open and/or break on me so I stopped using these and I swapped out the factory snaps that were on my wiggle warts for split rings. I have made some home made chatter baits and I was able to use split rings on these and so far they work fine. Great video Randy!