Field Tests: Of course, there's only one real way to find out and that's to fish the product! We ran Tactical Fishing Clips, product through the paces on a trip up to Clear Lake California earlier this year.

Shown here attached to a jerkbait.

The Bend: One of the characteristics I look for in a clip is a rounded bend at the end where your bait will be attached. Ideally, this bend will mimic that of a split ring so as to minimize any impact the clip might have on the bait's action.

The Tactical Fishing Clip has more of a pointed end than a round one so I was a little skeptical as to the clip's effectiveness. Fortunately, on tests in the water next to the boat, dragging jerkbaits and cranks in the water while attached via a Tactical Fishing Clip, we witnessed no real impact on the baits' action.

Attaching a Lure: The wire from which these clips are made is pretty thick. The clips themselves hold together like a reinforced split ring, so getting baits in at first, can be a little tricky. The key is to get the ring of your bait into the one semi-open end of the clip and sort of pry the clip open. Once you slide your bait in, the clip snaps shut just like a split ring and your bait is secure.

A common disadvantage of using traditional snaps with larger lures possessing large diameter line tie rings is the difficulty in getting those rings into the snap without deforming (and weakening) the snap. Quite often you need to bend those snaps out in order to fit the larger rings into them, and then you need to bend them back in order for them to close properly. This not only weakens the metal in the snaps, but compromises the locking geometry making them more prone to failure. Because the Tactical Fishing Clip works more like a split ring, that problem does not exist for these clips.

Availability: The Tactical Fishing Clips are offered by Tactical Anglers, Inc. For now, these clips are their only tackle item. The company also offers some apparel, but they are constantly on the lookout for product ideas to enhance the anglers' experience. Distribution of their products is limited but you can find out more by visiting their website at www.tacticalanglers.com.

Conclusion: Because of the size of these clips, they may not be suitable for all lure connections, especially in cases where you want to keep visible hardware to a minimum. They're just a little more stout than a standard snap, but they're also more sturdy. They are ideal for anglers who like to use a connection device when tossing big baits save for the fact I'd prefer just a slightly more rounded bend at the end where the bait is attached. We did not have the opportunity to personally test them against Peacock Bass, but Steve Yatomi has and they've held up well. If these clips can survive crazed battles with those fish, they can certainly withstand that of most others.