What line are you working with.....?

[fishonfly]

I am having some issue with my line selection and wanted to have every one chime in to help confuse me even further! 

Joking, 500 heads are better then one!

I know there is a thousand variables so just "in general" your first choice.

Also, knots, Palomar/Clinch....?

What line do you prefer and what pound test for inland lakes:

1.   Spinner baits
2.   Drop Shot
3.   Crank bait: middle running
4.   Shallow working soft baits
5.   Heavy cover weighted baits/jigs
6.   Tubes

Thank you and I think it will be interesting to see what people are working with out there.

[springlakebassman]

For presentations 1,2,3,4,and 6 I use Berkley Vanish Fluorocarbon.  8 lb for soft plastics, and 12-14 for spinnerbaits or crankbaits.  With fluorocarbon the only knot I use is a trilene knot, and a palomar for my drop shot.  For heavy cover I used 25-30lb XT depending on the lake weeds and cover, until today when I was reading the other posts for the Grand River BFL and realized there are a lot of guys using braid for this situation.  My knots with mono vary sometimes palomar, sometimes trilene.  For me they both seem as strong.

[Slipkey]

Fishonfly,

What line do you prefer and what pound test for inland lakes:

Braid:  Power Pro (moss green) - knot: Palomar

Flourocarbon: (New) Trilene Flouro (clear) - knot: Trilene Knot

Mono: P-Line CXX Premium (clear) - knot: Palomar

Misc knots:
Line splices: Blood/Barrel Knot
Leaders/Carolina Rigs: Trilene Knot

Lures:

- 1.   Spinner baits
15lb P-Line CXX Premium

- 2.   Drop Shot
8-10lb Trilene Flourocarbon

- 3.   Crank bait: middle running
12lb P-Line CXX Premium

- 4.   Shallow working soft baits
15lb Trilene flouro for Senkos/Flukes - 50lb Power Pro for Frogs

- 5.   Heavy cover weighted baits/jigs
15-17lb P-Line CXX Premium for most - 50lb Power Pro for dense vegetation
Carolina Rigs: 50lb Power Pro w/ 15lb flouro leader

- 6.   Tubes
10-12lb Trilene Floroucarbon

On a side note, I've only been using the new Trilene flouro for the past month but already I like it more than any flouro I've ever used.  It spools up like butter and is very manageable on a full spool from the first cast. 

[Bender]

1. I don't throw spinnerbaits.
2. Drop shot / shaky head - 6 lb. Halo Floro on a finesse casting reel.
3. Suffix Siege and Trilene XL, not 100% happy with any of them.
4. Fireline crystal 14 lbs. wacky rigged Senkos
5. PowerPro 65 lbs. green.
6. PowerPro 10 lbs. green., I might try a floro leader in the future.

[Cy]

1. Spinnerbaits - 17lb Fluoro & Palomar - right now I am using Halo but I'm not fussy about brand for spinnerbaits.  Buzzbaits I throw 20 Big Game and use a clinch for straighter running baits.

2. I don't drop shot.  It isn't allowed on most of the water I fish, drowned river mouths like Muskegon and White lakes.

3. Cranks - I run 10 pound Fluoro for shallow and mid depth cranks and 12lb on deeper, larger cranks.  I like XPS and Cabelas fluoro as well as the Seagar Carbon Pro.  I tie all my cranks with a type of Rapala Knot.

4. Shallow Soft Baits - I pitch and cast to normal cover with 17 - 20 lb Fluoro, The new Trilene Fluoro I have been very happy with, I also like the XPS and Cabelas brand.  Senkos and that type I am throwing on 8 to 10 lb Fluoro or Fireline, depending on the water clarity, on a spinning rod.  Palomar Knots.

5. For heavy cover plastics and jigs I am running either 20 lb Fluoro or 65lb Power Pro tied with a Palomar.

6. Tubes, for me tubes are not a way of life being a "west side" guy but the time have used them with tube jigs, I was using a 10 lb fireline with 8 or 10 lb Fluoro leader.

Even though you didn't ask I throw scum frogs on 65lb Power Pro too.

Cy

[Waterfoul]

2. I don't drop shot.  It isn't allowed on most of the water I fish, drowned river mouths like Muskegon and White lakes.


Even though you didn't ask I throw scum frogs on 65lb Power Pro too.

Cy

I beg to differ with you on #2.  I have researched this extensively.  As long as your "weight" on the bottom has a hook, you can drop shot on any drowned river mouth.  I use a 1/8th ounce Bitsy Jig as my weight... and fish the drop shot as I would anywhere else.  Just yesterday on Muskegon I caught a decent fish on the jig part of the rig... then an hour later got another decent one on the drop shot bait.  Kinda doubles your chances of getting a fish, and it's PERFECTLY legal.

[Cy]

Waterfoul,

I am glad you brought this up!  I was talking to Terry at Al and Bob's on Friday about this same thing.  The question I had and perhaps you can answer.  Is the 3" tag line required on the drop shot hook when fishing this way or can you tie the hook right to the main line?

Thanks,

Cy

[Waterfoul]

Funny!  I was in Al and Bobs Friday also!  Talked to Scott and Terry (I just missed Ben).  You do not need the tag as long as your bottom "weight" is a lure with a hook.  If you want to continue using a sinker the tag is required, which makes it basicaly into a perch rig.

I also talked to a couple CO's in my research... both told me that they wouldn't bother a bass fisherman using a drop shot on any of the drowned river mouth lakes... they know we are not out there trying to snag salmon and agree that the drop shot law that was repealed was a bit over the top for bass fisherman.  Now if they saw you at the mouth of say the Muskegon river up by the power plant in the fall yanking or ripping a drop shot rig they would probably check you out.  But as I said, during bass season it's a non-issue with them.

[Cy]

Thank You for the good info...I owe you one!

Cy

[springlakebassman]

Not to take this thread in an entirely different direction.  If using a hooked bait on the bottom makes a drop hook legal above to use on lakes like Muskegon does that make it legal in a tournament?  Any directors out there?

[Cy]

I have never heard mention or seen a rule that states you can't have multiple hooks or multiple baits on one line.  The only rule I can think that relates to bait is artificial only or you can only fish with one rod at a time.

Cy

[djkimmel]

According to the Lansing MDNR Law Division HQ, it does NOT matter what you use on the bottom, if you are on water that is illegal for a drop shot, you MUST use a 3" dropper to be legal. Not trying to be a pain, but it will do you no good to tell a CO or marine officer that snagshot on thefinalwordonbass.com told you it was okay if you are the 'winner' of a 'wrong place at the wrong time' award (ticket).

I have a standard disclaimer that everyone is always responsible for making sure they are aware of and following all local regulations regardless about what they read on here – that goes even for things I post. You must get your advice from the correct source before you start telling people on public forums. A local CO is one correct source BUT what one CO tells you may not be what the next CO follows when it comes to gray areas. In the end, you have to get your true ruling from the people that make and disseminate the regulations and policy (and yes, even then, a local person may have a different understanding sometimes, unfortunately).

I can't help what local MDNR says or what a tournament director might rule, I can only give you accurate information on legal interpretation by the people who have the final word and disseminate policy to the local workers. They do not intend to harass bass anglers, but you cannot say it is legal to use a lure on the bottom because that EXACT scenario has been discussed at a multi-department and organization leadership meeting in Lansing, and the ruling IS that it does not matter what the 'weight' at the bottom is. No dropper, not legal.

What you do in private is completely your decision and I understand that. What is said on here to everyone who reads has to be truly accurate to the best of my ability in the end. I do not want someone telling a CO or any law officer that GreatLakesBass.com is giving out legal advice that contradicts regulation or policy. Yes, the odds are low a CO would ticket you for bass fishing on these waters with an illegal drop shot, but the odds are not 100% because it is illegal without a 3 foot dropper to have a lure above a weight – whether it is a lure or a sinker. Common sense will not get you out of every ticket when it comes to the wrong place at the wrong time.

I have talked to CO's who are fully aware of the situation and who say they would not ticket a bass angler. I have talked to them who aren't very much aware of the situation so they may or may not say anything. And I have talked to some who say the law is the law. If you don't want to take your chance on running into one who is black and white, or being dq'd in a tournament, then do not use a dropshot without a 3" dropper on illegal waters.

There are options to make a better dropshot rig that is legal even on these waters – check out the article by Mark Romanack in the Advanced Bass Strategies magazine for one good source. I will let that go for a while before eventually putting similar information on this site, but there have been posts on here in the past about options.

I will try to get this straightened out eventually to get rid of the off limit waters if possible, but we are probably stuck as is for 3 more years minimum, and maybe as long as bad people illegally snag with longline rigs.

Now, back to your regularly scheduled discussion about line.

[fishonfly]

Good information on the line choices, good disclaimer and some one brought up the frogs, which I left out!  Good Post!

Thank you guys I love to see what other people come up with when they should be thinking about work!

Bill