Top 7 Panfishing Tools

Affordable must-have items that can make panfishing a whole lot more efficient, fun, and rewarding.

March 29, 2024 By In-Fisherman Staff

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Panfishing shouldn’t be rocket science, despite access to amazing fish-finding technologies that can kind of make it feel that way ... On the other end of the spectrum, there’s walking down the bank or dock with a rod, reel, a pocket-size tacklebox, maybe some live bait, and a cooler to ice your catch.

Both approaches are legitimate and have something in common–the need for problem-solving gear.

High-quality panfish tools are must-haves, not only for removing hooks without compromising line and lure, but to ensure trophy panfish survive to fight another day. Still, selectively harvesting panfish for the table is one of the sport’s rewards. To that end, it’s a good idea to look at products that keep live bait kicking longer—and the prized catch cold and fresh.

What follows are a few affordable items that can make panfishing a whole lot more efficient, fun, and rewarding.

Tools

Better Micro-Braid Scissors: With more panfish anglers turning to micro-diameter, braided superlines for various techniques, good braid scissors are essential. The Rapala Retractable Line Scissors was developed specifically for cutting micro-test superline (mono & fluoro, too) with a ‘V’ cavity line fits neatly into, requiring only a simple squeeze of the red handles. A carabiner makes it easy to connect to a lanyard around the neck with other frequently used panfishing tools. $11.99; scheels.com

01-rapala_line_scissors — Rapala Line Scissors

Panfish Toothpick: The Cold Snap T2 Toothpick & Lanyard Combo excels for removing small jigs from the far inside reaches of panfish mouths. Traditional pliers can be hard on jig head paint, even break hook shanks. The T2 Toothpick pretty much eliminates lure damage and makes “popping” small jigs out of panfish quick and easy. Also features a 24” retractable lanyard for easy use. $6.99; fishusa.com

02-cold_snap_toothpick — Cold Snap Toothpick

Bait Management

USB Live Bait Aerator: Say goodbye to expensive “C” or “D” sized batteries with this USB-powered aerator, which will accept a charge off the same power brick you’d use to charge your phone, tuck in the pocket of your heated fishing/hunting/work vest, or any small lithium ice fishing battery with USB ports. Especially great for on the boat (or in the truck), it’ll plug into a dash USB dash port and you’re good to go all day, no floating minnows. Features a carabiner clip for secure mounting to the bait container of your choice. $24.99; fishusa.com

03-norsk_lithium_usb_bait_aerator — Norsk Lithium USB Bait Aerator

Catch and Keep

Quick Measurement: The B ‘n’ M Slabmaster Crappie Saver allows the angler to quickly and accurately measures crappie length up to 16 inches. Durable ABS plastic design with markers that provide weight estimates by length, approximate fish age, and a unique Air Bladder Deflation Guide that assists in finding the correct location to “fizz” crappies with a needle, either for live tournament weigh-ins or releasing after deep-water catches, although biologists are still examining data on fizzing and crappie mortality. $19.99; bnmpoles.com

04-bnm_slabmaster — B ‘n’ M Slabmaster Crappie Saver

No-Hurt Hands: Cleaning panfish is hard on the hands. As a remedy, Lindy’s Fish Handling Glove is made with SuperFabric material that deflects hooks, knife blades and teeth, while providing a sure grip on fish. According to Lindy, it provides 800% more puncture protection than similar fish handling gloves. Odor resistant and machine washable for years of use. Available in three sizes (M-XXL) and right- and left-handed versions. $29.99; scheels.com

A Proven Panfish Fillet Knife: If you’re frequently fishing with a lot of friends and family and plan on keeping a lot of eater-sized sunfish and crappies, you might want to look into an electric fillet knife. But if you’re just looking for a standard, non-motorized knife that holds a good edge and will stand the test of time, hard to beat birch-handled Rapala Fish ‘N Fillet Knives, especially the 4- and 6-inchers for sunfish, crappies, and perch. Since they were introduced over a half-century ago, the company has sold over 100 million; that should tell you something. Prices of those mentioned are between 20 and 30 bucks—pretty hard to beat. The knife comes with the same sheath it always has and a sharpener. $22.99-$48.99; scheels.com

06-rapala_fillet_knife — Rapala Fillet Knife

Tackle Management

Panfish Jig Boxes: Although designed for ice fishing, Gruv’s Micro Jig Box compact tackle storage (5” x 4” x 1” & 4.2 ounces) is great for storing pre-rigged plastics and jigs, panfish hooks, and other small panfish baits for use in open water, too. Features a silicone anchoring system to ensure all tackle stays securely in place, polycarbonate shell for durability, stainless steel hinge pin, clear lid for visibility, and neodymium magnetic closure for strong and quick access. Will hold up to 68 panfish jigs, depending on size. $18; gruvfishing.com

Aaron Ambur lives for his outdoor time, and that passion has trickled down into his family pursuits and professional objectives. He owns a number of fishing and hunting brands that you'll surely recognize, but the cool part is really learning about his level of passion for making products he truly believes in. When you have devoted outdoorsmen and women behind useful products, you can count on quality and application—and we learn about Aaron's story and how he got to where he's at today. A remarkable outdoorsman and businessman. 

Gear

The ALL-NEW Shimano Vanford A: The Measure in Performance

Gear

The ALL-NEW Shimano Vanford A: The Measure in Performance

Meeting an angler's demand for comfort and precise lure control, Shimano's MagnumLite series drives the evolution of fishing performance with the new Vanford A family of spinning reels. The MagnumLite's rotors are constructed from lightweight materials to minimize rotational resistance through a balanced wall thickness reduction, which also creates notable durability. A lighter rotor requires less force to start reeling and benefits anglers when they need to move the handle quickly to adjust to different fishing situations or to control the handle more directly to influence lure action. Featuring a reinforced structure with high-strength carbon fiber mixed into resin, the rotor and body will maximize sensitivity and operation. This CI4+ material also exhibits impressive rigidity under pressure when compared to general reinforced resin. Modern anglers who demand precise control every day they spend on the water will find plenty of benefits from the new Vanford A.

Destinations

In-Fisherman Classics: Road Hunting Big Manitoba Pike

Destinations

In-Fisherman Classics: Road Hunting Big Manitoba Pike

Al and James Lindner locate and catch huge Manitoba pike after locating them visually. Burning bucktails is a great presentation to trigger big pike into eating. During spring and fall, and water temps hit 50 degrees, big pike move shallow and feed heavily. This is a neat look back on how to locate and catch big northern pike. They also talk about water temperature tolerance and how it's important to pay attention to water temps. How does this info play to today's pike and muskie fishing efforts?

Learn

In-Fisherman Classics: Understanding Northern Pike Behavior in Warming Water

Learn

In-Fisherman Classics: Understanding Northern Pike Behavior in Warming Water

Dave Csanda discuss how pike attitude changes as the day wanes on and water temps increase. There are some tricks to catching pike as activity changes, but there's always a way to catch them when they are showing themselves. Does this insight still play in today's modern era of pike fishing?

Gear

In-Fisherman Classics: Muskie Mechanics and Why We Chase Muskies

Gear

In-Fisherman Classics: Muskie Mechanics and Why We Chase Muskies

Al Lindner talks about his early muskie memories and how to find and catch more muskies. Lots has changed over recent decades in the muskie world, how does this information measure up today?

Destinations

In-Fisherman Classics: The Perfect Muskie Spot

Destinations

In-Fisherman Classics: The Perfect Muskie Spot

The In-Fisherman crew talks about finding key structural elements that offer all the necessities to attract and hold baitfish, that in turn brings in the muskies. Muskies are known to take advantage of key spots, almost the exact same cast, time after time. Finding those spots used to be a bit more difficult, and trolling was a great option to understanding how the structure plays out. Nowadays, we have updated mapping and sonar options to shorten the learning curve. Good info that still holds true today? Let us know what you think below!

Learn

In-Fisherman TV: Ripping Big Rubber on Lake St. Clair with Spencer Berman

Learn

In-Fisherman TV: Ripping Big Rubber on Lake St. Clair with Spencer Berman

In-Fisherman TV host Thomas Allen nails a giant Lake St. Clair muskie on the figure 8 with Spencer Berman looking on. Ripping big rubber requires specialized equipment and focusing on the right water. Lake St. Clair is a huge place, and one of the finest muskie fisheries on the planet. This is a quick look at the process and a big 50-inicher.

Learn

In-Fisherman TV: Late Fall Trolling Tips for Lake of the Woods Muskies

Learn

In-Fisherman TV: Late Fall Trolling Tips for Lake of the Woods Muskies

There's little doubt that Lake of the Woods is one of the finest muskie fisheries in the world, and it offers an adventure of a lifetime. Spencer Caruso owns and operates Limitless Expeditions in association with Uncle Mark's Outpost near Big Narrows on legendary Lake of the Woods. Trolling up big fall muskies takes some specialized equipment, big forage-mimicking baits and understanding contours. The duo puts in the work and a few fish in the bag.

Learn

In-Fisherman Classics: Primetime Pike and Peak Periods

Learn

In-Fisherman Classics: Primetime Pike and Peak Periods

Al Lindner talks about focusing on the right time to target big northern pike. Shallow water northern pike are the pinnacle of the experience, but timing is key to finding and catching them. The In-Fisherman crew talks about when and where to focus your efforts to maximize you catch rates--pike movements are easier to predict than you might realize.