# What were these "fishing pliers" called? **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [September 28, 2007, 4:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-were-these-fishing-pliers-called/420831 "2007-09-28T16:45:37Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 8\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Earl\_Snake-Hips\_Tucker](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/earl_snake-hips_tucker/32/3269_2.png) [@Earl\_Snake-Hips\_Tucker](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Earl_Snake-Hips_Tucker)\ **Post date:** [September 28, 2007, 4:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-were-these-fishing-pliers-called/420831/1 "2007-09-28T16:45:37Z")
Sorry. Couldn’t find a photo. I haven’t fished in a long time, but one thing I remember using for skinning catfish was something that looked like a pair of pliers, but the “bite” of the pliers was pretty narrow and broad (think of it closing like a giant pair of tweezers). Also it could be used for holding the tail of a fish that needed scaling. ---
**Author:** ![Johnny\_L.A](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/johnny_l.a/32/1084_2.png) [@Johnny\_L.A](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Johnny_L.A)\ **Post date:** [September 28, 2007, 4:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-were-these-fishing-pliers-called/420831/2 "2007-09-28T16:51:33Z")
Does it look like [any of these](http://www.nextag.com/fishing-pliers/search-html)? ---
**Author:** ![lalenin](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/3da27b/32.png) [@lalenin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/lalenin)\ **Post date:** [September 28, 2007, 5:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-were-these-fishing-pliers-called/420831/3 "2007-09-28T17:34:21Z")
I’m pretty sure you’re talking about a [sheet metal clamp,](http://www.amazon.com/American-Science-Surplus-SHEET-METAL/dp/B000BHIQSK/ref=sr_1_15/105-3057766-8625211?ie=UTF8&s=hi&qid=1191000726&sr=1-15) since I’ve used one like that for the purposes you describe. ---
**Author:** ![Earl\_Snake-Hips\_Tucker](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/earl_snake-hips_tucker/32/3269_2.png) [@Earl\_Snake-Hips\_Tucker](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Earl_Snake-Hips_Tucker)\ **Post date:** [September 28, 2007, 5:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-were-these-fishing-pliers-called/420831/4 "2007-09-28T17:36:53Z")
That’s pretty close, just that the ones I had didn’t have vise-grip handles. ---
**Author:** ![lalenin](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/3da27b/32.png) [@lalenin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/lalenin)\ **Post date:** [September 28, 2007, 5:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-were-these-fishing-pliers-called/420831/5 "2007-09-28T17:55:03Z")
[QUOTE=Earl Snake-Hips Tucker] That’s pretty close, just that the ones I had didn’t have vise-grip handles. [/QUOTE] Man you’re picky. Ok, [how about sheet metal pliers?](http://www.stortz.com/metal_seamers.html) ---
**Author:** ![minor7flat5](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/minor7flat5/32/258_2.png) [@minor7flat5](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/minor7flat5)\ **Post date:** [September 28, 2007, 7:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-were-these-fishing-pliers-called/420831/6 "2007-09-28T19:52:50Z")
Slight tangent: I had a pair like [this](http://www.cabelas.com/cabelas/en/templates/links/link.jsp;jsessionid=XPXRZ3A0IIGDKCWQNWQSCNYK0BW0GIWE?id=0023830016361a&type=product&cmCat=perf&rid=0180101070502&xpid=k17401&cm_ven=Performics&cm_cat=Affiliate%2Dclick&cm_pla=Nextag&cm_ite=DDI%20Link&afsrc=1&_requestid=57749) once. (from **Johnny’s** list) I’m not a fisherman, so I couldn’t figure out what was so special about the cool parallel jaw action they have. Any fishermen can enlighten me on this? ---
**Author:** ![CateAyo](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/50afbb/32.png) [@CateAyo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/CateAyo)\ **Post date:** [September 28, 2007, 11:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-were-these-fishing-pliers-called/420831/7 "2007-09-28T23:21:45Z")
Catfish skinners…these are apparently the deluxe style with no-slip rubber-coated handles. [http://www.tooltron.com/productpages/sportfishing\_tools/deluxe\_catfish\_skinner.htm](http://www.tooltron.com/productpages/sportfishing_tools/deluxe_catfish_skinner.htm) Hawk ---
**Author:** ![Earl\_Snake-Hips\_Tucker](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/earl_snake-hips_tucker/32/3269_2.png) [@Earl\_Snake-Hips\_Tucker](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Earl_Snake-Hips_Tucker)\ **Post date:** [September 28, 2007, 11:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-were-these-fishing-pliers-called/420831/8 "2007-09-28T23:22:48Z")
Thank you! It should have been obvious.