ShadowWalker
Well-known member
A while back I felt the need for a multi-tool for fishing. I got tired of carry knives, pliers, and even scissors for braided line. I picked up the Gerber Pro Scout 600. It is the regular version, not the fishing version (more on why I didn't get the fishing version later).
First and foremost, the jaws of the pliers slide into the handles. You do not need to open the handles at all when you need the pliers. A quick flick of the wrist and the jaws pop out and lock into place. This was one of my deciding factors in buying Gerber over a Leatherman or similar. When fishing, usually pliers are what gets used the most. Push down on the locking pins located on the handles (the metal pieces near the top) and the pliers slide back in. The tip barely sticks out and doesn't get in the way at all when in the sheath. I didn't get the fishing model because the jaws of the pliers are longer and more slender, but Gerber did not make the handle longer to accommodate this. So on the fishing model the pliers stick out quite a bit when "closed" and I have read it can be uncomfortable and wear the bottom of the sheath. The pliers on the Pro Scout are slender enough to get hooks out of most decent sized fish anyways. They only issue I might see is if you are using tiny hooks for panfish and catch something really tiny. The pliers feature a wire cutter, and on the inside of the handle, a wire crimper as well. The wire cutters will handle mono/flouro line easily, and will do a decent job with braid as well.
Next you will notice the black pieces at the bottom of the handles. These are the locks for the tools in the handle. Once opened they lock into place. Tools include:Half smooth/half serrated knife, Bottle opener, can opener, replaceable hack saw blade, various screwdrivers, a file, and Fiskars brand scissors. The scissors cut extremely well. The tools are on the inside of the handle, which is both good and bad. Its bad because you need to flick the pliers out, then open the handles to get at the tools. But like stated above, the heads themselves will do all of the most common fishing tasks. The good of tools on the inside is that you get nice flat, smooth handles that you can really crank down on without hurting your palms. Also, the Phillips Screwdriver will accept their Tool Kit, which has some smaller sockets and a couple other screwdriver points.
A couple other minor issues I have are the knife and the saw blade. I hate serrated knives, especially on multi-tools. They are simply too difficult to sharpen well. The saw...well I don't get it. It basically looks like someone smeared sand mixed with tar on the edge. Ideally it would have been nice to give up the saw for a straight edge knife and a serrated knife, or at least a wood type saw. I always have my Kershaw Avalanche in my pocket anyways for any thing that requires a good knife.
Aside from the knife blade, I love this tool. Made my tackle box less cluttered and when I fish I am never far from it.
First and foremost, the jaws of the pliers slide into the handles. You do not need to open the handles at all when you need the pliers. A quick flick of the wrist and the jaws pop out and lock into place. This was one of my deciding factors in buying Gerber over a Leatherman or similar. When fishing, usually pliers are what gets used the most. Push down on the locking pins located on the handles (the metal pieces near the top) and the pliers slide back in. The tip barely sticks out and doesn't get in the way at all when in the sheath. I didn't get the fishing model because the jaws of the pliers are longer and more slender, but Gerber did not make the handle longer to accommodate this. So on the fishing model the pliers stick out quite a bit when "closed" and I have read it can be uncomfortable and wear the bottom of the sheath. The pliers on the Pro Scout are slender enough to get hooks out of most decent sized fish anyways. They only issue I might see is if you are using tiny hooks for panfish and catch something really tiny. The pliers feature a wire cutter, and on the inside of the handle, a wire crimper as well. The wire cutters will handle mono/flouro line easily, and will do a decent job with braid as well.
Next you will notice the black pieces at the bottom of the handles. These are the locks for the tools in the handle. Once opened they lock into place. Tools include:Half smooth/half serrated knife, Bottle opener, can opener, replaceable hack saw blade, various screwdrivers, a file, and Fiskars brand scissors. The scissors cut extremely well. The tools are on the inside of the handle, which is both good and bad. Its bad because you need to flick the pliers out, then open the handles to get at the tools. But like stated above, the heads themselves will do all of the most common fishing tasks. The good of tools on the inside is that you get nice flat, smooth handles that you can really crank down on without hurting your palms. Also, the Phillips Screwdriver will accept their Tool Kit, which has some smaller sockets and a couple other screwdriver points.
A couple other minor issues I have are the knife and the saw blade. I hate serrated knives, especially on multi-tools. They are simply too difficult to sharpen well. The saw...well I don't get it. It basically looks like someone smeared sand mixed with tar on the edge. Ideally it would have been nice to give up the saw for a straight edge knife and a serrated knife, or at least a wood type saw. I always have my Kershaw Avalanche in my pocket anyways for any thing that requires a good knife.
Aside from the knife blade, I love this tool. Made my tackle box less cluttered and when I fish I am never far from it.