Line size recommendation

[fishhound]

What size line do you guys use for smallies in the big water? Do you use different sizes for different presentations?

[Team houston]

I use 8lb on my dropshot and 10lb on tubes. 10lb on crankbaits jerkbaits and swimbaits. 12lb and up on spinnerbaits, rattletraps.

[djkimmel]

Similar for me. I use 8 lbs test most of the time on soft plastics though I sometimes go to 10 lbs test, mostly P-Line HALO (fluorocarbon mix).

I use 10 lbs and 12 lbs test line the most for crankbaits though I will use heavier line up to 20 lbs test for depth control, particularly for shallow crankbaits.

I use 17 or 20 lbs test for spinnerbaits since I'm most often keeping the lure high in the water column. Most of the time I use P-Line HALO for these and crankbaits too.

I use mostly 20 lbs test for buzzbaits and larger topwater like Super Spooks. I may use lighter line for small topwaters though I don't throw many smaller topwater lures out there in the fall. I use monofilament line for topwater though I'm using some braid more for topwater.

I use 8 to 12 lbs test for jerkbaits, again partially for depth control. I use P-Line HALO most often particularly in the fall when I use more suspending jerkbaits but I will sometimes use floaters on the shallow flats such as along the river channel edges.

I do use some thin braid for jerkbaits when I want a more aggressive retrieve. I don't do this as much as some of the dedicated jerkbait anglers but there are times out there when I use a non-aggressive retrieve or am just using one long pull with long pauses. That has caught bigger bass for me at times in the past.

[TimH]

Drop shot rods are 6lbs and 8lbs test flouro.  Cranks and spinnerbaits with 17lbs flouro. top water with 12lbs mono.  pitch/flip roads very from 12lbs. flouro up to 65lbs braid depending on the set up.  Frog rod is 65lbs braid.  I am a big fan of Seaguar flourocarbon and Bass Pro XPS flourocarbon, mono, and braid.

[gmetime24]

Drop shot is 8lb flourocarbon, cranks are 10lb and jigs and tubes are 12lb

[Waterfoul]

You guys need to give the braid/floro a try.  15 lbs Power Pro and 8 lb floro on my drop shot rod for years.  With a decent rod you can feel a fish THINK about hitting your bait.

I use the double uni knot to join them.

[fiker]

You guys need to give the braid/floro a try.  15 lbs Power Pro and 8 lb floro on my drop shot rod for years.  With a decent rod you can feel a fish THINK about hitting your bait.

I use the double uni knot to join them.

Exactly

[markgoetsch]

DS and tube I use the braid swivel floro combo and never go lighter than 10 lbs and up to 17 lbs leader.  I don't see the need to drop down in line size because all that happens is you break fish off.  With how aggressive these smallies are I don't think they're line shy at all.  As for everything else 14 floro is the most common, with 12 floro for deep cranking, and 17 lbs mono for topwater.

[Waterfoul]

Mark, how long is your leader?  I tried the swivel method and kept reeling it into the guides, and even knocked the insert out of one.   But I like a longer leader in case of getting "piked off."  Easier to retie several times with the longer leader.

[Dan]

Tommy Biffle used 17 lb. fluoro during the St. Clair event. He caught big smallies in the lake and numerous bass in the river with it.

[Waterfoul]

Strange thing... Flourocarbon is supposed to more or less "dissapear" underwater.  So why should the poundage of the line make any difference, especially if it's invisible?

Guess it's not as invisible as the line companies would like us to believe???  I should be able to throw 25lb floro next to 6 lb floro and catch the same fish according to some of the claims.  We all know it really doesn't work that way.

[Redbone]

I have been using 12lb on most of my gear.

[t-bone]

I'm with Mark - I've been using 16lb Sunline Floro as a leader this year. I don't think I'm missing many fish because of the larger diameter and I'm certainly not breaking many off.

DS and tube I use the braid swivel floro combo and never go lighter than 10 lbs and up to 17 lbs leader.  I don't see the need to drop down in line size because all that happens is you break fish off.  With how aggressive these smallies are I don't think they're line shy at all.  As for everything else 14 floro is the most common, with 12 floro for deep cranking, and 17 lbs mono for topwater.

[markgoetsch]

Mark, how long is your leader?  I tried the swivel method and kept reeling it into the guides, and even knocked the insert out of one.   But I like a longer leader in case of getting "piked off."  Easier to retie several times with the longer leader.

About 3' and if you're worried about retieing just make up some rigs the night before.

[djkimmel]

Mark, how long is your leader?  I tried the swivel method and kept reeling it into the guides, and even knocked the insert out of one.   But I like a longer leader in case of getting "piked off."  Easier to retie several times with the longer leader.

Because old habits are hard to break...?? Which is why I still don't use P-Line Spectrex braid - HALO Fluorocarbon mixes from some 'finesse stuff I've been doing for many, many, many years.

I break knots, have locked up spinning reel gears and even bent out hooks in the past.

I guess I don't know my own strength...?

Luckily, I'm getting weaker. So I may be able to give it a try again once in awhile. But I expect to still break a few knots, bend a few hooks out and knock out a few guides now and then. Because old habits are hard to break (but link and guides aren't... I guess).

[djkimmel]

Line size (diameter and density) are pretty important when it comes to depth control, and even action with some techniques/lures.

Depth control, and even sink rate, have seemed super important on a number of key days in the past. 'Hey, you've caught 14 and I've only caught 2. What are you doing different?!?'

Some days the action might not make a noticeable or claimable difference but then there are those days that SOMETHING was definitely going on... It's for those days that I try to put a little extra into it at times. Though not as much as I used to when it was 'in the money' vs 'donator' on the line.

I'll never forget my first real lesson in this winning 2 club days in a row, including 1 or 2 big bass awards?, out of my 14' leaky homemade 'bass boat' on Lake Charlevoix when I was just a youngster. I never used anything less than 25 lbs test monofilament and was culling early, and all day both days. While my partner used 10 and 12 lbs test. And caught 2. At the end of the final day. When he finally started asking the RIGHT question AND listening.

Some days... it makes a difference. The great thing about fishing is you can go out and enjoy it while putting as little or as much effort as you feel like into it. Some days you can enjoy it just as much as the other person however you want, and some days you'll enjoy it maybe more (depending upon our personality traits) with that little extra effort.

Some of the Lake Erie anglers who are pretty consistently up at or near the top tournament in and out swear by 6 lbs test Fluorocarbon only for finesse. One or two even swear by 5 lbs test!?! So far, I've only met non-tournament anglers, and very few, who swear by 4 lbs test..!!

[Skulley]

I use 8lb when fishing plastics. I prefer 10lb test for crank baits. With 10lb I consistently can get the bait down to the depth that the crank is designed to get to. I also like 10lb test for jerk baits. 12 and 14lb test I prefer for spinnerbaits and top waters. For top water I like a line that is more buoyant. In other words, it floats. So 12 or better yet 14lb is the ticket.



BD.           

[Got Fish??]

 I'm old school I guess. I use 8lb mono and a barrel swivel with an 8inch leader, when fishing tubs or plastic worms. I use 8lb for most of my bass fishing rigs. If I'm fishing pads or weed mat, I use 20lb braid.

[BIGSHOW]

I know one thing when drop shotting at least on the river or when there is current smaller line is definitely better cutting through that swift current. I like a barrel swivel even if i'm using the same line for a leader just for the fact that the moving weeds will stop at the swivel.

[djkimmel]

That's actually good advice about the barrel swivel I also see shared by walleye anglers and muskie trollers among others.