Looking for a good lightweight knife for fishing.

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direstrats220

Joined
Sep 29, 2012
Messages
42
Hey guys, this is my first post here, so let me know if I should be posting somewhere else or if I'm screwing up etiquette or anything.

so yeah, as the topic says, I'm looking for a good fishing knife. I'm thinking about getting a small fixed blade, definitely in a stainless steel (h1 or some equivalent would be awesome), but I only have about $50 to spend.
I've been looking at the ag russell bird and trout in ats-34, but I thought I would hear some opinions first.

also, i'm open to a folder as long as it has clear advantages.

to clarify, I would be using this knife for everything from cutting line to cleaning fish. almost all freshwater tasks, mostly trout and bass. I would also be using it for perhaps basic bushcraft tasks like cutting out a fork stick or shaving a feather stick, nothing heavy or rough.
 
Buck Paclite,420HC but Buck's HT is amazing and its around 20$,i'd recommend one to anyone.
 
My problem with the bk-15 is its carbon steel, and very large blade length for small tasks like cutting tiny fishing line or cleaning a small trout.

The buck paklite looks like a good knife, but that sheath sucks, and it would be nice to have maybe another 1/2 inch of blade length to gut a bass, and the lack of scales make me a bit non-confident in my ability to handle it with wet or cold hands.
I could probably paracord wrap (which I dont really like) or make some scales for it, but I live in an apartment right now and dont have many tools or materials.
 
It really depends on how much knife you want. Kabar has a lot of good choices, by I would look at Spyderco's salt line up fixed or folder they have some good choices.
 
Then look at the BUCK Silver Creek bait knife. Great knife,great grip, great price. Very Mora-like. Serrations on top & done right for a right hander. Made of SSteel. Almost all of my 3 Rubber Maid tubs full of knives are carbon steel, stored in the basement & i have zero rusting issues. People worry too much about carbon steel & rust. Look at Fluid Film, it is GREAT stuff.

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direstrats220 said:
My problem with the bk-15 is its carbon steel, and very large blade length for small tasks like cutting tiny fishing line or cleaning a small trout.

The buck paklite looks like a good knife, but that sheath sucks, and it would be nice to have maybe another 1/2 inch of blade length to gut a bass, and the lack of scales make me a bit non-confident in my ability to handle it with wet or cold hands.
I could probably paracord wrap (which I dont really like) or make some scales for it, but I live in an apartment right now and dont have many tools or materials.
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I made my own kydex sheath and cord wrapped the handle,it didnt take any special tools and the sheath has good retention,if you need a knife solely for fishing why not get a fillet knife?Or a regular kitchen knife,skinny,light,much more comfortable to gut with than something thicker,personally i take a bk-11 or 13,light,sharp,easy to handle and comfortable to skin/gut with.
 
direstrats220 said:
My problem with the bk-15 is its carbon steel, and very large blade length for small tasks like cutting tiny fishing line or cleaning a small trout.

The buck paklite looks like a good knife, but that sheath sucks, and it would be nice to have maybe another 1/2 inch of blade length to gut a bass, and the lack of scales make me a bit non-confident in my ability to handle it with wet or cold hands.
I could probably paracord wrap (which I dont really like) or make some scales for it, but I live in an apartment right now and dont have many tools or materials.
Click to expand...

many knives would meet your needs. i think i would probably start with a Mora, and go from there. if you are going to be using it for 90% fishing, i would recommend looking for one of the stainless models. Good luck.
 
Stainless steel Mora. The rubber handle wont slip when cleaning fish, has a plastic sheath with drain hole. You can buy 2 and have money left over.
 
TPVT said:
many knives would meet your needs. i think i would probably start with a Mora, and go from there. if you are going to be using it for 90% fishing, i would recommend looking for one of the stainless models. Good luck.
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Can't believe it took 8 posts to get the correct answer!
 
Hello,

I do a lot of fishing, mostly in the ocean on my kayak and from the surf. Ive gone threw so many fillet and bait knives over the years. This past year I decided to get a Spyderco Pacific Salt. I wanted a knife I could also edc and living in CA I didnt want a fixed blade that had to be worn on my belt. I really love the Pacific Salt. H1 is so easy to sharpen and I can get an extremely sharp edge. yes its a little soft compared to other steels but that also makes it so much easier to sharpen in the field. Its a great backpacking knife too because of how light it is. I wouldnt do any hard wood work with it but for the small tasks like cleaning fish/game, building trap triggers, cutting cordage, eating your meals or any other light cutting task. If your not set on a fixed blade then the Spyderco Pacific Salt will work out just fine for you. I picked mine up for $60.

Have a good one,

Chris
 
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