Are there any benefits from using a swivel to attach lures, vs tying your line to the lure?  Other than the quickness of changing.

Depends on the lure, some lures may twist line and in that case, the swivel is very handy. Phoebe spoons by Acme came with snap swivels on the nose, some spinners have swivels as part of lure. I admit I have often used the snap swivel because it is so much easier to change lures, the bad part about that is it becomes very easy to NOT check the last few inches of line for nicks. If you are tying directly, you are automatically cutting the line back and as yo get ready to tie, it is easy to check for nicks.

I use a light wire Berkley cross snap, not a swivel.

Swivels have their time and place. Some lures swim better when using swivels (like Flatfish in my experience) and a few others. But for me, tying the line directly to the lure is the preferred method. It is more "professional" in the sense that you are not just taking the "the easy road" and snapping your lures on willy nilly instead of taking the time (about 30 seconds) to tie them on. And plus, the fish can usually see the swivel, as it looks unnatural. You may loose a nice sized fish if he sees your swivel and becomes suspicious and decides not to bite. This is just my opinion.

I used to tie direct but after reading a couple of articles in In-Fisherman written by a couple of outstanding fishermen (Ted Takisaki is one) I have started using a Berkley #1 crosslock swivel instead. I have also removed most of the split rings from my lures. The result seems to be that the lures run consistently truer. On baits that tend to induce twist, I tie a leader with a swivel at the line end and a snap at the lure or in the case of a rigged worm, direct tie. The snaps do not seem more noticable than say a Rapala knot but I am convinced that swivels are. I also agree with AZ in that when using a snap it is way too easy to forget to check for line damage like you would when tieing!

I recently switched to braided lines on my baitcasters and spinning reel, so cost-wise it's better for me to use the swivels. But I do feel that the fish see them and flee. Maybe i'll use one different method for each rod. thanks guys.

On my crankbait rod I use an Excalibur light wire cross snap, which comes in handy for changing baits/colors trying to find what they want. As far as in-line spinners, I've found a way to eliminate line twist that actually works better than a swivel. Just bend the tip of the wire upward(in front of the blade). this gives the body of the spinner a lower center of gravity than the tip. Line twist eliminated!

Nice tip MO. I noticed a lot of lures are adversely affected by the snap swivel. Rooster tails, for example, seem to have trouble spinning. Which they already free spin outta the box. Also, any kind of popper or jitterbug type lure doesn't seem to do as good, or buzz and spinnerbaits with the wire frame/eye. The swivel winds up in the wrong place on these and ruins the entire cast. I do like them if I'm using lightweight floating crankbaits, especially when your lookin for the color they're hitting.

Thanks kjordan4, a nice side benefit to that mod that I failed to mention is with the tip of the lure higher, when the body tries to spin, it ends up rocking side to side. This adds more THUMP to the bait on retrieve...I think you already know the end result!  

Hey, I tried bending the eye on one of my spinners today Mo, you're right it does work good. I have to do the rest of 'em. Thanks again!

The only two times I use swivels are: 1. for Carolina rigging; 2. for line-twisting lures (inline spinners like the Erie Dearie or Rooster Tail, etc.). It's an extremely rare situation where I'll use snaps. In fact, I think it's been a good5-6 years since I've used a snap. Otherwise I tie directly to the lure. If I want to give the lure more action, I tie it on with a loop knot. To limit the lure's action (which is desirable at times), I tie it snug with a uni-knot. In this humble angler's opinion, the less hardware, the better, Sixxtoodre.

Do you really think that a fish is going to ignore those treble hooks hanging from your lure but shy away from a small snap?

Pegsguy, I think a lot of these guys don't know what type of snap we're using, I think they're using those big, cheap, clunky snap swivels. An Excalibur or Berkley light wire snap isn't going to hamper the action of even the lightest lure. Plus its a god send when you're trying to find the right bait/color combo and the wind is blowing...and your fingers are numb...and you can't see well...guess I'm showing our age again! 
                       
                      

I hear you Mo! I can't tell you how many people I see fishing with one of those swivel snaps with the brass sleeve on the snap. Not only won't they let a lure run true because of the angled bend, but a solid strike will many times straighten the snap out and goodby fish!

Never lost a fish on one of those old standard snap/swivels but I have thrown away some as they age. They are still around because they are cheap. But as you say, not the best idea if you are looking for bigger fish. I can't swear that I ever saw a lure "off" because of a snap but I do use them a lot less than I used to. I am not sure about the exacliber but the berkley cross lock snap can be difficult to operate for old, clumsey fingers.
'

AZ, I'm not sure about the Berkley but the Excalibur is pretty easy on my fumble fingers. On the swivels, I have to disagree. I've never seen a lure swim STRAIT attached to one! As far as the strength, I've never seen one fail...but then...I rarely use them.  

For years I changed from direct tie to snap swivel, trying to make up my mind which served me the best. I now direct tie when using soft plastics and when jiging, snap with swivel when trolling or casting spoons and inline spinners but mostly I use a light wire snap. I agree with you, Pegsguy, that if the hooks don't scare them away what could a snap swivel do! I also agree with the statement that some folks are using a swivel & snap that is to big or perhaps not rated for the right weight. It is always a good thought to use a good, high quality swivel when using a swivel. I use braid when trolling and my swivel is attached to the leader which is then connected to a snap on the braid, and then a snap at the bait end of the leader. Erabbit uses a high quality snap & swivel which is attached to his braid when trolling.

Hey Turnip good to see you back here! To clarify-at the lure I use snaps but not swivel snaps. I will use a swivel snap on the end of my main line especially when pulling a crawler harness and sometimes with a rigged worm. I also use a lot of swivel snaps when trolling Lk Michigan for trout and salmon, mostly due to the frequency of bait changes.

swivels like this and this