As
bass fishing continues to evolve, so does the line choice and there is a major
role for the three major line types: fluorocarbon, monofilament and braided
line. One of the biggest questions I get asked is “what size and type of line
should I use?” This is a good question and can improve your fishing, but the
reasons why to use each type of line is just as important. In this article I
will overview my line selection for the two major bait categories, reaction
baits and baits fished on the bottom.
The
three major types of line all play a big factor in my arsenal when fishing
reaction baits. Monofilament for instance has fallen out of favor for many bass
anglers, but there is nowhere where it is as vital as reaction bait fishing.
Fluorocarbon and braid also play a big role and along with mono, they cover all
of your reaction bait needs.
MONO: There are three times when
monofilament is my first choice; topwater, shallow diving crankbaits
and jerkbaits in extremely cold water. Since mono floats, it is perfect for
topwater fishing and shallow cranking, it doesn’t drag down your baits and will
help you get a true action for your lures. If I was to just pick one line for
topwater and shallow crankbaits like squarebills, it would be 15-lb Seaguar Senshi
in the green color. Senshi is smooth casting, thin
and very limp; all of these characteristics make it perfect for fishing a
topwater or squarebill. Mono also has a slight
stretch which helps to absorb strikes with reaction baits with treble hooks
like topwaters and shallow crankbaits.
When
the water is in the high 30’s or low 40’s, I will use 10-lb Senshi
for jerkbait fishing. The floating properties of mono allow the bait to suspend
better in the cold water and it remains excellent for casting in all
temperatures.
BRAID:
Braided line is also a great choice for some reaction baits. Topwater frogs are
an obvious choice due to the heavy cover, but braid also excels for buzzbaits and other topwaters
like prop baits. My top choice is 50 or 65-lb Seaguar Smackdown
since it is so smooth and easy to cast. One thing I do is to use a short (12-
to 16-inch leader of 15- to 20-lb mono) to keep the braid from wrapping around
the blades of the buzzbait or props on a prop bait since braid is very limp
compared to mono and fluorocarbon. Personally, I prefer to stay away from braid
anytime I am using lures with treble hooks just because it has zero stretch and
can rip the hooks out of the mouth of a fish.
FLUORO: Fluorocarbon is a good overall choice
for most reaction bait applications. Seaguar InvizX
fluorocarbon in 12-lb test would be my one pick if I could only use one to
cover all of my needs. It’s thin enough to not negatively affect your crankbait
maximum diving depth, light enough to get good casting distance and strong
enough for bigger fish. My general rule of thumb is to start with 12-lb
fluorocarbon and go up to 15-lb, if I am fishing around heavy cover or drop
down a size to 10-lb, if I am fishing very clear water or trying to get a
crankbait or jerkbait to dive a little deeper.
BOTTOM BAITS
Fishing
jigs and soft plastics along the bottom is almost always done with fluorocarbon
in my boat. If I am using baitcasting gear, it will
always be straight fluorocarbon.
With
spinning reels, nearly all of the time I will be using 15 or 20-lb Seaguar Smackdown braid as my main line with a leader of 6 or 8-lb Tatsu fluorocarbon connected with a double uni knot. I have
made the switch to braid to fluoro for many reasons; better casting distance,
more sensitivity and fewer headaches from line twist that happens with spinning
reels.
When
I am pitching jigs or soft plastics, 17-lb Seaguar AbrazX
fluorocarbon is my go-to. AbrazX, like it sounds, is
very abrasion resistant. This line excels around docks, submerged wood and
rocks. The abrasion resistance gives me more confidence I will land my fish,
but I still retie after every fish to be safe. Football jigs, swim jigs,
Texas-rigs and casting jigs can be used on 15-lb test in just about any situation. 15-lb is still thin enough to get long casts,
but will be enough to get a big fish to the boat without any trouble.
LINE COLOR
One
change I have made in the last year is to switch to a high visibility color,
like yellow or my braid. Most brands have either a bright yellow, green or
white braid to choose from and it is amazing how much better you can see the
thin line against the water and also detect bites.
DIAMETER
CHECK
One thing I always advise people to do is to check out the line diameters of
the line instead of just relying on what the pound test says on the box. If you
have never done it, you will be amazed at the differences between brands. I
like Seaguar Tatsu fluorocarbon for these
applications and just to give you an example, the diameter of 15-lb test Tatsu is comparable to many other brands’ 12-lb test
diameter, essentially allowing you to fish a line size higher without affecting
performance.
Selecting
line can seem like a complicated process, but by determining when to use each
line and where you can get the most out of your baits and catch more fish. A
few pound test sizes in braid, fluorocarbon and monofilament will cover all of
your bass fishing needs.
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