The very best Bait Knives based on user reviews
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Our first pick for the best bait knife is a no-brainer. Serrated blade on one side, plain edge on the other. Good on your pocket, molded handles for a nice fit and a sheath for less than $10.
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1 – Rapala 4-Inch Bait Knife
At a great pricing point and extremely durable in any marine environment.
- 4″ Stainless Steel Blade
- Serrated Upper Blade
- Molded Comfort Grip Handles
- Finger Guard
- Easy Clean Open Sheath
2 – Morakniv Companion Knife
This knife is everything it claims to be and more.
- Versatile fixed blade outdoor knife made out of hardened Sandvik 12C27 stainless steel
- Patterned, high-friction grip makes the knife comfortable to hold and easy to handle
- Blade length: 4.1″; Blade thickness: 0.1″; Overall length: 8.6″; Weight w/ sheath: 4.1 oz
- Color-matching plastic sheath with belt clip
- Limited lifetime manufacturer’s warranty
3 – Morakniv Craftline Pro S
Incredible quality and functionality for price.
- Utility knife with fixed stainless steel blade
- Blade Thickness: 0.08″, Blade Length: 3.6″, Total Length: 8.25″, Net Weight: 4.0 oz
- Ergonomic handle of TPE rubber provides optimum grip
- Hard plastic Combi-Sheath allows for the connection of a second knife and sheath
- Limited lifetime manufacturer’s warranty
4 – Frosts by Mora of Sweden 9106UG Bait Knife
Great, sharp knifve at a very afordable price.
- Blade Length: 4.6″
- Thickness: 2.0 mm
- Product weight:2.9 oz. (81 g)
- Authentic Frosts by Mora of Sweden are premium-grade knives and tools that are trusted by food professionals from around the world
- Warranty: Limited Lifetime
- Authentic Frosts by Mora of Sweden are premium-grade knives and tools that are trusted by food professionals from around the world
- Swedish Sandwich 12C27 cold-rolled stainless steel for extreme sharpness and high-edge retention
- Slip-resistant polypropylene handle
5 – Rapala RCBKW4 Ceramic Bait Knife
Great, sharp knife at a very affordable price.
- Rapala Rcbkw4 Ceramic Bait Knife
- Length: 4″
- Manufactured in China
- 11.5″ x 5.2″ x 1.5″
- 3.84 ounces
BONUS – 6 – Rapala RCBKW4 Ceramic Bait Knife
A maintenance free knife that gets the job done!
- Short fish cleaning knife with a serrated back for scaling; suitable for carving
- Blade Thickness: 0.08″, Blade Length: 3.9″, Total Length: 8.4″, Net Weight: 3.3 oz
- Patterned, high-friction grip
- Plastic sheath with belt clip
- Limited lifetime manufacturer’s warranty.
Blade: Serrated Edge or Plain Edge?
In general, the plain edge is better for push cuts. Think fillet knives here. The plain edge on a knife provides superior control, accuracy, and clean cuts no matter the type of cut or slice needed. This is gonna be a choice for softer baits. Squid, clams, worms, fishes with softer bones.
The serrated edge works better than the plain edge for slicing cuts. Think frozen clams, cutting through frozen fish or just cutting thorough harder bones. The serrated edge has high points on the serrations that make it for a smaller surface of contact, giving such areas more precise, higher pressure than a plain blade would. This is because most of the surface on a plain edge knife would be touching the bait at the same time. The serration punctures the bait easier, because of the distribution in these pressure points.
If I only own one knife, what blade should I choose?
Fortunately, there’s no need to compromise. If you’re only gonna own one knife to carry around in your backpack or tackle box, there are certain knives you can get (like our first pick) that provide you with both the serrated and plain edge.
What about material?
Stainless steel is the standard metal, and that’s because it is sharp, easy to clean, easy to sharpen, and most importantly, it is highly corrosive resistant, a must for any saltwater, deep sea fisherman.
Can I use use scissors?
Absolutely! Many anglers actually prefer scissors. These are however, best suited for softer baits.
What type of fish can I catch with bait?
This is a very broad question with an even broader answer. Both freshwater and saltwater fish can be caught with bait, although it is more common for saltwater fisherman to use them. Having the best bait knife is very helpful when cutting bait.
The answer relies on your location and the body of water you’re fishing. Some examples for saltwater fish caught with bait are: Striped Bass, Black Sea Bass, Tautog, Bluefish, Scup, Weakfish, Winter Flounder, Mackerel, Bonito, Summer Flounder (Fluke), Bluefin and Yellowfin Tuna, False Albacore (Little Tunny – Albie), Cod, Pollock, Halibut, Haddock, Cusk, Wolffish (Ocean Catfish), Rainbow Smelt, Sharks: Shortfin Mako (top) and Blue (bottom), etc. Examples of freshwater fish caught with bait are: Carp, Largemouth Bass, Smallmouth Bass, Sunfish, Trout, Bluegill etc.
What are common bait and baitfish?
Some common examples for saltwater fishing bait are: Seaworms, Eels, Squid, Herring, Mackerel, Clams, Crabs, Shrimp etc. Freshwater fishing bait: Worms, Dough Balls, Eels, Salmon Eggs, Crayfish, Insects, Shiners, Minnows, Catfish Stink Bait, Creek Chub, White Suckerfish, etc.
[…] is another good reason to have a sharp blade on hand. A good knife will allow you to slice and dice your bait into small manageable chunks perfect for enticing hungry fish. Of course, you can do this […]