Whenever you go fishing, you’ll spend a good amount of time doing two things: waiting and tying knots. While you’ll have to grind out the waiting time yourself, tools can, at least, help you with the tying knots part. That’s where the Gerber Linedriver comes in handy.
Designed to “simplify line management” for anglers, the multi-tool allows you to quickly tie knots, clear eyelets, and perform a few other common fishing functions, ensuring it can find a permanent place in your fishing adventures. Whether you’re an avid fisherman, a weekend angler, or just someone who likes to take the boat out with your buddies once in a while, this thing should streamline some of your most common tasks whenever you spend the day catching fish.
The Gerber Linedriver performs six functions: spinning hook vise, tether ring, eyelet clearing spike, hook threader, scissor snips, and a split shot crimper. The spinning vise secures the hook while you spin the line to tie knots in a pinch, saving you from the erstwhile annoying chore. Do note, it only works consistently with clinch knots off the gates, so if you prefer other types of knots, it could be very hit or miss, requiring some amount of practice to properly get the hang of things.
Know how you’ll typically use the tip of a knife or another hook to remove debris, paint, or old line from eyelets? You can stop doing that with the integrated spike, which is positioned near the tip of the vise, which should easily accomplish the job in quicker and more precise manner. Right below the spinning vise sits a tether ring that you can use to secure the tool to your hip while allowing full maneuverability (the vise can be spun while the ring is secured), so you can use the tool without having to detach it from your belt loop (very useful when you’re in the water).
At the opposite tip of the Gerber Linedriver sits dual serrated scissor snips, which can be unlocked using a slider control below it. Once the lock is disengaged, the scissors blades, which come with micro-serrations, are able to travel in its full range of motion for easily cutting both monofilament and braided lines. When locked, the scissors stay slightly open for performing pull-through cuts. In that mode, you can also use the tip, which can function as a hook threader (there are holes on both tips) and a split shot crimper. Truth be told, the crimper isn’t the best (full-fledged pliers will work better), but it’s functional enough when it’s the only tool on hand.
Construction is 6061 aluminum, so it should be durable enough to survive all the long hours you spend fishing. Dimensions are 5 x 0.8 x 0.6 inches (length x width x thickness), with a weight of 1.6 ounces, making it just the perfect size to secure on a pocket or belt loop (it has an integrated clip for mounting).
The Gerber Linedriver is available now.