Breakaway IMP Bait Clips

Overview

The Breakaway IMP Bait Clips are a compact combination impact bait clip and Fastlink system designed for building streamlined clipped-down sea-fishing rigs. The IMP fits into the supplied Breakaway Fastlink, combining the lead connection and bait-release system at the bottom of the rig.

Before casting, the baited hook clips into the IMP, holding the bait securely beside the sinker for excellent bait protection and improved in-flight stability. On impact with the water, the IMP pivots and releases the hook, allowing the snood and bait to move into their fishing position.

The system is available in two variants: IMP1, the original version with a standard Fastlink supplied as 5 IMPs plus 5 Fastlinks, and IMP2, a heavier Extreme version with a longer Fastlink supplied as 10 IMPs plus 10 Fastlinks. The longer Fastlink on IMP2 is designed to reduce the possibility of the plastic IMP popping out under heavier loading.

Perfect For

These bait clips are particularly useful for pulley rigs, pulley pennels, clipped-down single-hook rigs, cascade rigs and wishbone rigs where keeping the bait streamlined during the cast is important. They're well suited to distance-casting sea-fishing traces, and IMP2 in particular is documented for use on wishbones, pulleys, loop, cascade and clipped-down rigs.

Because the system works with different types of sinker and can be added or removed from a rig as needed, anglers can switch between rig styles without rebuilding every trace from scratch. The design has also been strengthened to cope with hooklengths up to 50lb and wire snoods, so it suits both streamlined distance rigs and heavier UK shore-fishing traces.

Technical Insight

The IMP works by combining two functions in one compact unit: it holds the baited hook tight to the sinker during the cast for stability, then releases it automatically on impact so the hook and bait fall naturally into fishing position. This impact-activated release reduces tangles and bait loss compared with a standard clipped-down rig without this mechanism.

The key difference between the two packs lies in the Fastlink rather than the IMP clip itself, which is identical across both versions. IMP2's longer Fastlink stem is built to handle heavier loading, giving anglers a straightforward upgrade path when fishing stronger hooklengths or wire snoods without changing the core bait-clip component.