what's the general consensus on these things? Now that I've taken up kayak fishing, I don't want to carry a bunch of rods with me. I'd prefer one, or at most 2.....less rods means potentially changing baits/lures more often and it would be nice to be able to use something like this that's a lot quicker than re-tying baits...I guess my main concerns are A) will baits "swim" right when hooked to one of these and B) are they obtrusive enough to cause fish to not bite to begin with.

I use them with spinners and spoons. Loop knot for jigs

When I was younger that’s all I ever used ; never remember not catching fish . Somewhere along the line I quit using them .

I use the small black swivels for all my "plug" type lures and have had good luck with them. Fish don't seem to mind and some lures actually have better action with the swivel than without.

I use the snaps without a swivel I think it's a no 2 makes bait change a snap

This. Use the black ones.

Yep

If you don't like them try Norman speed clips .they are smaller.

Norman speed clips. I was concerned about the strength of the swivel clips. The Norman speed clips are stout.

Everyone I fished with back in the 60s used them. We used to go on 3 day fishing trips all over the place and each of us had one rod and reel. Snap swivels were essential then. I think the popularity of Texas rigging a plastic worm was a reason people got away from them. And with tournament fishing folks started keeping multiple rigs ready, and there was less need to make quick changes.

A lot of baits work better with a snap swivel; it gives a Johnson spoon a lot better wiggle. I also still use one with an inline spinner like a snagless Sally.

Snagless Sally....ya showing yer age there

all the Sally's i know will snag ya - i stay away from 'em myself ... they need to come out with a Weedless Willy LOL
btw - back to the OP - i use snaps, not the swivel kind tho

Few of the pros have YouTube video about it for crankbaits. They were suggesting snap swivels one's without the swivels.

The Sally is the modern version of the Hawaiian Wiggler. I was trying to relate to the young people.

One of the many times I made my daddy mad....I "borrowed" a Hawaiian wiggler out of his tackle box thinking I'd put it back and he would never know the difference. Well I some how got it hung and lost it somewhere on yellow river....he was pissed when he found out it was gone!

All I remember my father fishing for was Crappie. All I remember him fishing with is minnows or squirrel tail jigs. You could be assured that either choice was accompanied by a snap swivel. I used them for everything up until I started Striper fishing in the 1990s.

I don't see how you could fish a spinning rod throwing lurers without a swivel.

Caught many of bass on ole Sally ! Do they still make them ?

They still make snagless sallys and the original Sally flies that the snagless sally was patterned after. The old sally fly was a weighted fly and you attached a hildebrandt spinner to it if you wanted.

My dad was part of the Lew Childre click during my childhood, and their nickname for it was snagged tooth Sally.